Happy Birthday Tante Lotte!

Tante Lotte is my favorite Aunt. She is one of my Mom's older sisters and somehow totally different than the rest of the family, I always felt a connection with her and now as she is getting old and frail I just wish I could visit her once a month. Just to make sure I see her and get to talk to her and get to learn from her... But then Germany is a bit far away for that. So I resort to spoiling her and writing her and sending her cards. And socks to keep her feet warm, such as these Bed Socks for her.
I knitted them from the toe up but I did knit a reverse Dutch Heel instead of a short row heel. I also used EZ's Sewn Bind Off and found it to be very suitable. It is nice and stretchy, and I am sure it will look even better once I blocked the socks...

Tante Lotte was born in the same town than me, Hildesheim, which is pretty and nicely small (not so small anymore...) and is situated close to Hannover in NW Germany. She was born just before WW II and has seen and experienced a lot of hardship, she witnessed the daytime raid on Hildesheim in March 1945, just about 3 months before Germany surrendered. She does not talk much about what she saw, but the bit she did share contained horrific memories. Most of the town was destroyed, and mostly civilians died.
I love to learn from my relatives, but growing up German has always been a mixed batch. My Mom's Dad was in a concentration camp as a political prisoner (he was a communist) but one of my uncles was in the SS and changed his name after the war to avoid persecution. I don't know details of what he did, I would love to find out even though learning of his past has made me feel very upset. I loved that particular uncle very much and was only told after his death. My Father-in-Laws Dad was in the Polish resistance after the Germans forced him to join the Hitler Youth and he escaped. A Lady that used to baby sit me told me how she had to make clothing out of news paper, and how everything with the back to the sun was fit for eating. It is so sad to see that all these memories are disappearing, no matter where one stands on the political front it is imperative for the future that we remember and learn from the past.

A little note: her birthday was last week. But because I was in the hospital she has not received the socks yet. But they are being blocked as we 'speak' and will be in the mail tomorrow....