Adventures with a Circular Sock Knitting Machine!

When a friend asked Barbara Duckert to bring her 1924 vintage circular sock knitting machine to a Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Intergenerational Folk Art Fair at a local elementary school, she was happy to oblige. As a RSVP volunteer, 78 year old Barbara now shares her unique historical artifact with hundreds of students at 5-6 Folk Art Fairs at elementary schools in Waukesha County each year. RSVP is one of the major programs of Interfaith Senior Programs, a nonprofit agency serving Waukesha County.

“I let kids crank on the machine to see how it works,” says Duckert. “At every fair, one kid, perhaps a future engineer, keeps coming back,” fascinated by the mechanics of the machine. In the 1800s and early 1900s, the knitting machines were used to knit socks and other items, especially for soldiers in need of warmth and comfort.

Duckert’s machine fits in perfectly with the other Folk Art Fair exhibits. At each fair, 50 RSVP volunteers provide hands-on experiences for children with old time crafts, hobbies and collections.

RSVP volunteers, who are aged 55 and over, connect with students by sharing displays that range from carpentry tools to coins, the Simply Folk Band with mandolin, hammered dulcimer & banjo, model trains, wood carving, Native American games, paper making, rocks and minerals, story telling, and more!

Why does she continue to volunteer? “My own grandchildren don’t live nearby, and many of the children don’t have close grandparents, and it is fun to interact,” says Duckert. She also enjoys the community of RSVP volunteers and teachers she has met through volunteering.

How can you support Intergenerational Folk Art Fairs? Volunteers 55 and over are always needed to help at the fairs, and donations are needed to purchase supplies and support staff coordination time. Contact Baryb Kawatski, Intergenerational Folk Art Fair Coordinator at 262-965-7194 or barybk@interfaithwaukesha.org or visit Interfaith’s website at www.interfaithwaukesha.org.