We’ve had a house full of good friends during the last couple of weeks which means there’s been a lot of sitting around talking and quite a lot of doing and going and eating.  What fun!

Some things go on as normal though.  We still feed our trivia thirst by having the General Knowledge crossword on the kitchen table to complete over a few days.  My m-i-l cuts it from her paper each weekend and passes it on to us, never attaching the answers!  We have our own little rule of not googling anything until we are down to the last one or two answers and of course, we never enter the competition, because by the time we’re done, it’s almost into next week.

This week,  45 down prompted a memory.  Sitting at the table with our friends, I filled in the word “singlet” and muttered “Knitting a Singlet for Cecil”.

It’s something Daddy would say, if prompted by the name Cecil, the word singlet or anyone knitting!  I never knew where the line came from or how he came upon it, but it would always make me smile (It’s that name, Cecil, isn’t it?) and I imagine, that was one reason why he said it!

So I did what we all do now, when the conversation turned to where the line came from: I googled.

I found this.  It’s a song – which you probably knew already, but this was the first I’d heard. 

I googled some more and found all the words.

So I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil (Sharp?)

I’m courting a lad such a nice sort of lad, but he’s so sentimental you’ll say.

He’s asked for a keepsake to wear next his heart to treasure when I am away.

So I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil, a nice woolly singlet for Cecil,

it’ll keep him as snug as a bug in a rug as in it’s embrace he will nestle.

It’s fancy where it should be plain but I can’t pull it all out again,

it’s low at the back and the front it’s a ‘v’ and the arm holes are not where I meant them to be,

but it’s soft so it’s sure to remind him of me, that singlet I knitted for Cecil.

So I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil, a nice woolly singlet for Cecil,

it’ll keep him as snug as a bug in a rug as in it’s embrace he will nestle.

I couldn’t afford so much wool so he’ll have to keep giving a pull,

he’ll have to use flakes when he washes the thing,

but just like the ivy I know it will cling, & lots of fond memories it’s certain to bring

that singlet I knitted for Cecil.

A keepsake to wear next his heart fancy that; to please him i really do try,

I’ve looked in the shops til I’ve got a stiff neck & I can’t find a darn thing to buy.

So I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil a nice woolly singlet for Cecil,

it’ll keep him as snug as a bug in a rug as in it’s embrace he will nestle.

My keepsake he’ll never forget, it’ll tickle his fancy you’ll bet,

it’s such a nice colour he’s sure to look swell,

it’s the woolliest wool that the wool sellers sell it’ll tickle him where

he can’t scratch as well that singlet I knitted for Cecil.

So I’m knitting a singlet for Cecil, a nice woolly singlet for Cecil,

it’ll keep him as snug as a bug in a rug as in it’s embrace he will nestle.

It’s the first time that I’ve knit one of these & it’s shorter than fashion decrees,

he might get a chill both behind and afore I think I will add just a few inches more

& then he can tuck it in his bottom drawer,

that singlet I knitted for Cecil.

Freddie Robins

Well!  who knew?  I can imagine that hitting the spot during the war, when my Great Aunts were sitting around knitting in an afternoon (as they did) and Daddy was hauled along to sit with them and his mother!

But I wasn’t done.  I spotted a video there amongst the google listings too, but sadly it wouldn’t play.

Thankfully though, it was there on Spotify, on an album of Knitting songs.  Yes, of course we had to listen!  (It did go on a bit…)

I now discover Melanie Gall and not just one but two collections of knitting songs from WW1 and 2…

And you wonder why there hasn’t been a blog post for a while?