Gwen Tuinman
Gwen Tuinman is a novelist, born and raised in rural southern Ontario. Fascinated by the landscape of human tenacity, she writes about people navigating the social restrictions of their era. Her storytelling is influenced by an interest in bygone days. As a mentor, she helps women writers to shed emotional armour so they can reclaim their self-expression, dream bigger and learn to guide themselves through new creative risks. Gwen lives in the Kawartha Lakes region with her husband. Her forthcoming novel will be published in the spring of 2024 by Random House Canada.
Gwen Tuinman 
February 22, 2016 at 10:12 am
I wonder where all those socks, mittens and jumpers ended up and how pleased those men were to get them.
February 23, 2016 at 8:53 am
Andrea, I wondered the same thing! I’m guessing that these items were mostly lost to us as a Google search didn’t turn up much information on that point. After months and years separated from loved ones, it must have been nice for troops to receive these items made by loving hands. Hopefully they offered some form of physical and emotional relief. It was delightful to discover all of the pattern copies distributed to ladies during the war. I’m just relearning how to knit so being able to make some of these items is encouraging me to persevere. Take good care:)
January 19, 2017 at 1:00 pm
Hi Gwen. I was just googling sock knitting in WW1, and wonder of wonders I happened upon your post and this excellent pamphlet, which is just what I was looking for. What a lovely small world it is, some days….
January 20, 2017 at 3:40 pm
Kristen, I am so delighted to see your name here! You are right. It is a small world. I can’t believe we haven’t crossed paths. We must remedy that one day.
Do you knit by chance? Shortly after researching these photos, I decided to learn how to knit. By attempts were sporadic at first, but know I can make dishcloths and a respectable scarf I wouldn’t mind wearing out of the house. Eventually I’ll try hats and then socks. My end game is to be able to knit one of these WWI patterns.
January 23, 2017 at 2:20 pm
Hi again Gwen. I agree! I do and don’t knit. That is to say, I learned to knit a scarf when I was eleven or so, and have never progressed beyond that. But I have knitted MANY scarves!