The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-07-31
DID THE RAIN STOP
KNITTERS? KNIT
Wings Of the Big Bee Wet, but
Needles Do Not Miss
Single Click.
SPEED CONTEST TO-DAY
Comforts Committee Event in
Central Park Draws Big
Gathering.

The honest to goodness, old-fashioned
knitting bee, staged on Central Park
Nah by the comforts committee of the
Navy League. got under way with will
promptly at o'clock yesterday. When
II began to rain about the knitters
moved under trees and awnings and into
the bandstand. When the rain turned
into downpour the crowd thinned
somewhat, but every one who could
crowded under shelter and knitted hard.
Are we discouraged" some one
asked.
KNIT" responded the crowd, am
the Postmens Band struck up Hail.
Hail. the Gangs All Here" and the
knitters, mos: Of them being women,
sang:
Rain. Rain. Rain all day.
what the deuce do We care.
What the deuce do we care
NRin, Rain. Rain all day,
What the deuce do we care now
And none OF the knitters did seem TO
care Bit The policemen and firemen
who are champions of their respective
departments when it comes to turning
out warm things with knitting needles,
society women, blind men and women
from the Lighthouse. sweethearts. moth
ers grandmothers. brothers and sisters,
and sons and daughters OF American
fighting men. paid no attention TO the
downpour, but stuck to their knitting
and defied old Jupe Pluvius to do his
worst.
Knitting Experts Arrive.
Quite a while before the community
knitting bee was scheduled to start au-
tomobiles donated by members Of the
comforts COMMITTEE began to arrive
with knitting experts from all over the
city. No one was barred and almost
every conceivable station in life was
represented.
Mrs. Herbert f. Satterlee. chairman
of the committee. and Mrs. ii. Archibald
Pell, chairman Of the Knitting Bee re-
ceived the contestants and explained the
rules. Those who desired to enter the
speed event could do so, and those who
preferred to try for the prize for the
most perfect work were told just what
they should do. After appropriate pat
riotic songs had been sung, and the
crowd had Joined in the choruses the
race was started.
Contestants paid fee OF 80 cents for
the privilege of trying to win one OF
the prizes. which range from solid sill
yer tea service to a wool winding spool,
and began 10 knit
speed Event Postponed.
Their flying fingers and clicking
needles had not been at 1t more than
half an hour. however, when the rain
began, and the speed contest was post
poned until to-day. All Of the kn!tters
who had been sitting on benches around
the bandstand crowded into that struc-
ture-that is, all Of them who could did
and those who could not took shelter
under trees and awnings which had been
stretched near by.
At the registration booth where Mrs.
Pell and her assistants presided wool
could be purchased by those who did not
bring their own supply.
Then it really began TO rain, and Mrs.
Pell, Mrs. Satterlee, Mrs. c. De Witt
Brldgman Mrs. w. S. Groesbeck Fow-
Ter, C. Alan Gilbert. Mrs. John Ames,
Mrs. A. Palmer BROOKE. the Misses Van
Wyck and BurrouRh and those who had
taken refuge under trees all came into
the bandstand and stuck to their knit
ting.
Are we downhearted' >" some one
asked.
"K-Nit" was the answer again. and
everybody did.
The blind men ana women were gwen
seats in the centre of the stand and their
fingers few. and when II was time for
the bee to fold its wings for the night
several OF them had socks so nearly
finished that new ones will probably be
started early to-day. And when the
storm stopped for a time and everybody
started home some one else asked:
did the rain spoil our knitting bee ,"
Two Days More of 1t.
"K-N Nit" was the general reply. and
every kntter knitted all the way home
in surface cars, on the elevated. in the
subway. in taxicabs and in limous!nes.
And they will all knit again to-mor-
row. and Thursday. too, when the Navy
Leagues big community knitting bee
will close with speed contests and the
award OF prizes.
Entertainment has been provided for
those who attend, and refreshments may
be obtained at booths stocked by the
comforts committee.
The garments produced by those who
enter the contests and those who buy
their wool at the bee booth will go to
the committee, and the receipts will help
20 swell the free wool fund Of the
league.
But as Mrs. Satterlee said. when she
announced that the bee would lie held,
the underlying motive has been to show
through public just how
loyal the women of America are.
That loyalty could not have been more
thoroughly shown than yesterday when
women stood in the rain and in puddles
and knitted for American fighting men
regardless of the weather.