We made those felt stockings in elementary school in the 50's. The amount of felt they issued us to work with was, I thought, woefully small. Why were they still rationing felt? Our former Cossack allies didn't need winter boots anymore. WWII and the Korean War were 13 and 5 years in the past. Where was OUR Peace Dividend? We Boomers had it tough. But dad had a good job flying airplanes for the Air Force, and we kids got $1 a week allowance. Candy bars were 5¢ apiece. Kinda took the edge off how the felt and stocking situation sucked. Am making up for that screwing the government gave me in 1958 by Double-Dipping now...military pension for 401 months and Social Security for 174 months. I figure to break even in 2048. Life is good.
I had one our neighbor made for me, it was cream felt with holly and berries, and had white plastic? Reindeer attached. Early 1960s. I got small things like jacks in it. Wish I still had it!
When I was a kid, late 60s and early 70s, I got one of those mesh stockings with fruit and nuts every year. It had an orange, an apple, a banana, some assorted nuts, a peppermint candy cane and some chocolate covered crème drops.
Those mesh stockings sure held together better than those hand-made felt & Elmer's Glue models. But then, what 10-year-old boy would be caught dead with a needle & thread in his hand back in 1958? Back then, I had no concept of a Rope Yarn Sunday (held on Wednesday). 20 minutes of repairing a pocket on your dungarees, then the rest of the afternoon for a game of Hearts, Spades or Backgammon. I never got the hang of Pinochle.
Ours were all these enormous knee-socks, plain white, but with our names sewn loosely into them with green yarn. They were full of various small presents and items, and a few items we liked year to year (A small tin of little hard candies called, IIRC, Pastillines.) Sometimes items that wouldn't fit were even tied to the top! We'd do the stockings before breakfast, eat, get dressed, and then get to work on the presents under the tree. Frankly, sometimes the stockings were the most fun part.
We made those felt stockings in elementary school in the 50's. The amount of felt they issued us to work with was, I thought, woefully small. Why were they still rationing felt? Our former Cossack allies didn't need winter boots anymore. WWII and the Korean War were 13 and 5 years in the past. Where was OUR Peace Dividend? We Boomers had it tough. But dad had a good job flying airplanes for the Air Force, and we kids got $1 a week allowance. Candy bars were 5¢ apiece. Kinda took the edge off how the felt and stocking situation sucked. Am making up for that screwing the government gave me in 1958 by Double-Dipping now...military pension for 401 months and Social Security for 174 months. I figure to break even in 2048. Life is good.
I had one our neighbor made for me, it was cream felt with holly and berries, and had white plastic? Reindeer attached. Early 1960s. I got small things like jacks in it. Wish I still had it!
When I was a kid, late 60s and early 70s, I got one of those mesh stockings with fruit and nuts every year. It had an orange, an apple, a banana, some assorted nuts, a peppermint candy cane and some chocolate covered crème drops.
Those mesh stockings sure held together better than those hand-made felt & Elmer's Glue models. But then, what 10-year-old boy would be caught dead with a needle & thread in his hand back in 1958? Back then, I had no concept of a Rope Yarn Sunday (held on Wednesday). 20 minutes of repairing a pocket on your dungarees, then the rest of the afternoon for a game of Hearts, Spades or Backgammon. I never got the hang of Pinochle.
Ours were all these enormous knee-socks, plain white, but with our names sewn loosely into them with green yarn. They were full of various small presents and items, and a few items we liked year to year (A small tin of little hard candies called, IIRC, Pastillines.) Sometimes items that wouldn't fit were even tied to the top! We'd do the stockings before breakfast, eat, get dressed, and then get to work on the presents under the tree. Frankly, sometimes the stockings were the most fun part.