What’s a woolie pulley, you ask? I think the phrase was coined during WWI when the soldiers wore helmet liners made from wool…that they pulled over their heads. It is a style of hat, also known as a balaclava. My nephew, Brandon, is in Afghanistan. It is cold there. Mom and my sister Suzanne came up with this project and idea to make a woolie pulley helmet liner for each of the soldiers in his airborne division. 33 I think we need…some time before it gets warm there.

Woolie pulley #1

I have 1 done and the 2nd almost done. I can crank one out in an evening if I focus. When I am knitting, I think about my nephew and his fellow soldiers. They are without the simple comforts like Mason and a rice bag. And for as much as I don’t agree with the politics of war etc, I do believe these men and women need our support.

Mom has made several, Suzanne is making progress and learning along the way, I have enlisted several friends and relatives to help. We hope to ship a package to Brandon soon. Want to help? Here is the link from Ravelry where Mom found the pattern. There is also info about sending helmet liners to the armed forces and other history about wollie pulleys.

Here is the complete pattern that I have been using.

HELMET LINER KNITTING INSTRUCTIONS

Materials:

Any soft, worsted (100 grams/3.5 ounces) wool yarn that will knit to gauge, such as Cascade 220 or equivalent. (The label should state that for size 7 needle, 5 stitches per 1 inch, and for size 8 needle, 4-1/2 stitches per 1 inch. Approx. 200 yds.)

Only 100% soft wool yarn will be accepted, because our Armed Forces are not allowed to wear synthetic fibers outside the wire. Wool is inherently nonflammable and won’t melt against the skin.

Colors:

ONLY tan, brown, black, charcoal, or combinations of these colors are allowed by our Armed Forces.

Size 8 – 16” circular needle and double pointed needles, or size to get gauge

Size 6 – 16” circular needles for the ribbing

1 stitch marker.

Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch with the larger needles

Be sure to check your gauge to ensure the helmet liner will fit properly when worn. Even being off 1/2 stitch per inch will make the helmet liner useless, as it will not fit properly. Helmet liners that do not fit cannot be sent to our troops. You may need to use a different needle size to get the gauge listed above. If this is the case, use a needle 2 sizes smaller for your ribbing. Please remember that every knitter is different and every yarn is different… Check gauge with your yarn and your needles before you begin to ensure a properly fitting liner.

Abbreviations:

k2tog – knit 2 stitches together

p2tog – purl 2 stitches together

Neck Ribbing: With smaller circular needle, cast on 84 stitches loosely. Place marker. Join in round and work in knit 2, purl 2 ribbing for 6 inches.

Cap: With larger circular needle, knit 32 stitches off smaller needle onto the larger size 8 circular needle. Leave smaller circular needle in the rest of the stitches. The smaller circular needle will just act as a stitch holder while you complete the cap portion with the size 8 circular and double-point needles.

Cast on 59 additional stitches, place marker to mark beginning of round, join in round, knit even for 4”. (“Knit even” means to knit every stitch).

1st decrease row: *K 11, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Next row: Knit even.

2nd decrease row: *K10, K2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Next row: knit even, meaning to knit every stitch. Change to double point (DP) needles when necessary.

Continue decreases as established until k2, k2tog. After this, decrease every row until a total of 7 stitches remain on the double point needles. Cut yarn 8-9” long, run tail through remaining stitches and weave in.

Face Ribbing: With size 6 circular needle that is still in neck portion, pick up and knit the 60 stitches from the cast on edge of the cap portion.

Join in circle and work k2, p2 ribbing for 1 inch.

On the next row: *k2, p2tog, repeat from * to end of round.

Bind off loosely in pattern. Weave in ends.

(The original pattern was designed by Bonnie Long, Knit Wits, 3419 Chatham Rd. Springfield, IL 62704. 217-698-6100. Revised 5/14/2008 by Rachel Kristy. All rights reserved. Copies may be made only for the purpose of donating helmets to our active service personnel. In any case design attribution must remain.)

Completed helmetliners can be shipped to:
National Museum of the Marine Corps
Attn: Ben Kristy
2014 Anderson Ave.
Quantico, VA 22134

If this project doesn’t appeal to you, that’s ok. How about making lap robes or shawls for the elderly? How about little hats for premature babies? How about mittens, hats etc. for the homeless? There are so many in this world with so much, and so many with so little. What about you? Can you give back a little? And think about this…what goes around, comes around. It really does.