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Government issued helmet liners are ill-fitting, uncomfortable, and not very
warm. Marine moms said, “I don’t think so!” and the homemade liner
program was started. By following very specific instructions, and using only 100% wool in
brown, tans, olive or black, these knitted and crocheted handmade helmet liners will bring
comfort and a touch of home to our Marines! (Yes 100% wool, even if you wouldn’t do it for use
here.)
Please follow all directions carefully. Paton’s 100% wool can be purchased at Michaels Craft
Stores. We are trying to buy in bulk, so ask about yarn and request directions:
mcmaryv@aol.com or loufarm@aol.com )
If you don’t knit or crochet, and still want to help, you can underwrite the cost of yarn (about $5
per helmet liner) for local use by sending your checks made out to Mary Viegas, c/o P.O. Box
748, Galveston, Texas, 77553 or to Roxanne Robertson, the Care package coordinator (mother
of a 2/2 Marine), and mailed to 4649 Haskell Ave Kansas City, KS 66104-3332. Roxanne is
purchasing socks, toilet paper and disposable razors, etc., to be shipped with the helmet liners
to Afghanistan by the middle of November.
It is amazing what basic necessities our soldiers will lack, except for the generosity of people
like you!
The deadline for the first batch of completed helmet liners is November 8th 2009.
We will meet to knit and crochet at Moody Church, 53rd and Ave. U in Galveston, Tuesday, 6:30-
8:30 PM thru Nov. 24th. There will be a Blessing of the Liners service on Nov. 9th. Details to
follow. Please continue knitting and crocheting after the 8th. The liners will be sent directly to
the men and women of the 2/2 at their battle stations after that date.
Thank you! Your interest and participation mean more than you can
ever imagine to the families and the Marines of the 2/2.
We are blessed by your caring.
Materials:
Any soft, worsted or bulky weight (100 grams/3.5 ounces) wool yarn (lamb’s
wool, alpaca, cashmere or combinations of these are acceptable).
Only 100% soft wool yarn will be accepted, because our Armed Forces are not
allowed to wear synthetic fibers outside the wire.
Wool is:
Note: Any stitch EXCEPT stockinette stitch if knitting as it curls, so please do not
use it.
Directions:
Cast on 112 stitches very loosely. Join (you know the bit about
not twisting and such) and rib (knit 1, purl 1 OR knit 2, purl 2)
for about 9”. Cast off very loosely. Weave in the ends.
Knitted Helmet Liners (3rd revision Galveston, 11/2009)
This pattern is for helmet liners, also known as “wool pulleys,” for soldiers. The original pattern is
by Bonnie Long.
Materials:
Worsted weight 100% wool yarn. 100 gm will make one liner.
Colors allowed by the military are black, charcoal, brown, tan, and olive drab.
Size 8 - 16” circular needles or size to get gauge, same size double pointed needles.
Size 6 - 16” circular needles for the ribbings.
One stitch marker.
Neck: With smaller circular needles, cast 84 stitches loosely. Place marker. Join in round and work
in K2, P2 rib for 7 inches.
To make hat portion: With larger circular needles, knit 32 stitches off smaller needles. Leave
smaller circular needles in remaining stitches. Cast on 59 additional stitches. Place marker to mark
beginning of round. Join in round. Knit even for 4 inches.
Ribbing around Face: With smaller needles still in neck portion, pick up
and knit stitches around face. (Total number of stitches must be divisible by
4.) Join in circle and work in K2, P2 ribbing for 1 inch.
On last row of ribbing, decrease 8 times evenly spaced around row by P2 tog . (Two decreases close
together in the corners will avoid gaps here.) This will pull the ribbing in close to the soldier’s face.
Bind off snugly in ribbing and work in tail.
Support Our Troops…
Crochet a Helmet Liner
Materials:
Size K and H hooks
6 oz. soft worsted weight 100% wool yarn
Accepted colors are tan, brown, olive, gray and black (black is
preferred)
Crochet Notes:
Made in rounds – that is, do not join and do not turn.
Other Notes:
The headgear our military issues are usually made of
synthetic fibers or blends and our troops in places like
Afghanistan, Iraq and Kosovo are still cold. Please use a soft
100% wool worsted weight yarn to keep them warm.
Rnd 7 ...........(sc in next 5 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (42 sts Rnd round
Sc, scs single crochet
Rnd 8 ...........(sc in next 6 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (48 sts) single crochets
St, sts stitch, stitches
Rnd 9 ...........(sc in next 7 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (54 sts)
Rnd 10 .........(sc in next 8 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (60 sts)
Rnd 11 .........(sc in next 9 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (66 sts)
Rnd 12 .........(sc in next 10 sts, 2 scs in next st) 6 times (72 sts)
Work over 72 sts until piece measures 7 inches.
Chain 22 ,skip 20 sts, continue working around until piece measures 10 more inches.
Fasten off and weave in ends. Attach yarn anywhere in face hole and sc around with
H hook. Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Pattern designed Aunt B © 2005. All rights reserved. Copies may be made only for the purpose of donating helmet liners to
our service personnel. For additional patterns and helmet liner project information go to Skein Lane’s community page on
our website or http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/
Compliments of:
7512 Fairmount Avenue 510.525.YARN (9276) www.skeinlane.com
El Cerrito, CA 94530 OPEN EVERY DAY skeinlane@aol.com