ConnieLene – KnitDesigner

In November 2005 Best Beloved and I visited Crete on what we thought would be our only ever trip to Europe together. We visited Crete because Best Beloveds father was a Prisoner of War there. He escaped and lived and fought in the mountains alongside the local people until he was able to get onto a fishing boat to Cairo and rejoin his unit.

It is a wild country, dramatic and passionate. We met some amazing people and visited some interesting and challenging places including war museums, graves, look outs, old towns, Knossos etc. And we drank a great deal of the local Raki after our meals, probably because it was provided at the end of all our meals and we though it might be just a bit churlish to not partake and partake we did. And that first night we really struggled home, so we did have to learn to manage it better (drink less).

Wedding Dress - Crete, knitted in 1942, of German Parachute silks

In the War Memorial museum in Chania (Hania) I found and photographed this wedding dress, knitted by Adriani Antonakaki in 1942.

On the label is written in English “Wedding dress from the silk cords of a German parachute knitted by Adriani D Antonakaki, which she wore on her wedding in 18-10-42, in Rethimno”.

Even in times of extremity as there was in the world in 1942, Adriani laboured over the knitting of her own wedding dress from probably the only material available, parachute silk, looking forward to a positive future. I do hope she had a wonderful life.

Sadly I cannot tell you for sure which museum this exhibit was in but I seem to remember that it was the Maritime Museum of Crete. Maybe someone out there will know for sure and I will be able to update the information.

***Raki or Tsikoudia is a strong distilled spirit containing approximately 37% alcohol per volume and is produced from the must-residue of the wine-press***