Knitting women unite to keep Navy dolphins warm (Update with video)

KOMO-TV ^ | March 2, 2007 | Bryan Johnson

[Stoat]

Knitting women unite to keep Navy dolphins warm

Story Updated: Mar 2, 2007 at 5:50 PM PST

By Bryan Johnson

A group of women gathered Friday at the Bainbridge Island Senior Center.

They are part of a knitting group growing across the United States.

It only It looks like a knitting club.

This is much more than knit one, purl two. This is politics.

"The whole problem of putting them on the dolphins is one of the things we have to consider in the future. It's an interesting thought," said Jan Bailey, one of the knitters.

The women are knitting sweaters for warm-water bottlenose dolphins. The Navy wants to put them on Homeland Security patrol here.

One of the knitters Karin Beran says that's cruel, but says the dolphins will know what to do with the sweaters.

"Well, I guess the dolphins are so smart, so they can figure it out, if and how and when. I'm just happy to knit for them," Beran said.

They've thought of everything. Susan Scheirman showed me a multi-colored yarn.

"We've imported camouflage yarn for these local dolphins," she said, "so they don't become subject to any kind of terrorism."

Jan Bailey even went to a button store and bought regulation Navy buttons. She sewed the regulation 13 buttons on what could be called the bathroom flap. But dolphins don't have arms:

"That is the dolphins problem. No, that's the Navy's problem," Bailey said. "I think if they have divers in the water, and the dolphins signal. The whole problem of putting them on the dolphins is one of the things we have to consider in the future. Then the divers can go over and unfasten the 13 buttons, one at a time."

They even have a knitting song.

Oh so why do I swim through seas so arctical," one of the lines asks.

The women say they'll keep on knitting as long as the Navy plans to put dolphins in the frigid waters of the Northwest.

The women plan to present the sweaters to Navy officials at a hearing on the plan to put bottlenose dolphin into guard service locally.

[Stoat]

Please also see this FR thread:

Opponents of Bangor (WA) security plan knitting sweaters for Navy dolphins

Also:

"Knitting for Dolphins" home page:

Knitting for Dolphins

Dolphin Knitting song

The Whale (Mopy Dick)

****************************

The idiocy of this is so utterly breathtaking and profound that it leaves me speechless.

There was a time, not so very long ago, when ladies all over the United States, Canada and Great Britain would knit socks for our brave troops overseas.

"sigh"

[Fierce Allegiance]

Do they make bikes for fish, too?

[stentorian conservative]

This is a joke, right.

Please tell me this is a joke.

[Dominick]

Another moonbat game to give aid and comfort to our enemies.

[Stoat]

Do they make bikes for fish, too?

:-)

 

Here's further proof that ANYTHING will eventually have a web page devoted to it:

Literary Fish on Bikes

[Carolinamom]

Wet sweaters are cold, ladies.

[YellowRoseofTx]

The idiocy of this is so utterly breathtaking and profound that it leaves me speechless.

Just what I was thinking. And as a knitter, I'm sitting here with my chin on my desk as I read this. Sounds to me like a bunch of enviro anti-war bitties making a political statement with their knitting needles.

My knitting group knits caps for kids at cancer hospitals and for preemy-newborns. Thank goodness my group of ladies have good ole common sense and compassion.

[Bigh4u2]

"Wet sweaters are cold, ladies."

Not to mention that it will weight them down and tire them out, possibly causing them to drown.

[YellowRoseofTx]

Wet sweaters are cold, ladies.

Not only that, but could be very dangerous too.

[Bigh4u2]

"We've imported camouflage yarn for these local dolphins," she said, "so they don't become subject to any kind of terrorism."

OMG!

These women are WHACKED!

lol!

[Joe 6-pack]

Won't global warming keep them warm?

[hsalaw]

the dolphins will know what to do with the sweaters

The dolphins will laugh their grey asses off. This is proof that dolphins are smarter than these idiots.

[Stoat]

Washington State Barking Moonbat Ping

[Xenalyte]

Let's not knit these ping!

[texaslil]

They still do. The group is called "Sox For Soilders." They are a world wide organization.

[dfwgator]

"So Long And Thanks For All the Sweaters."

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Have these "activists" ever thought about the "drag" and "weight" of a water-soaked KNITTED pullover WITH BUTTONS! on a sleek, underwater-evolved mammal like a dolphin?

Can you say "trying to swim with a trench coat and combat boots" ??? Trying to see an eagle fly wearing galoshes?

Have the papers in Washington been ridiculing their stupidity, or praising their "activism"?

If the dolphins DIDN'T like the cold water, it would be evident from the reactions on entering it.

[VeritatisSplendor]

Yes, but...the article says it's the Navy's idea.

The women are knitting sweaters for warm-water bottlenose dolphins. The Navy wants to put them on Homeland Security patrol here. One of the knitters Karin Beran says that's cruel, but says the dolphins will know what to do with the sweaters.

Can that possibly be true? Or is someone playing a tremendous joke on them? Or is it their anti-war joke?

Mrs VS

[VeritatisSplendor]

Closer reading - the Navy wants to put the dolphins on patrol. Not the Navy wants to put sweaters on dolphins. Phew.

Mrs VS

[Knitting A Conundrum]

You said it. A let's not do this ping! I hate knitting being tired to lefty weird folks....

[Stoat]

They still do. The group is called "Sox For Soilders." They are a world wide organization.

I'm delighted to hear that they are still doing this!  Is this the organization that you are referring to?

Socks for Soldiers

[wastedyears]

What is a sweater going to do for a dolphin?

[tumblindice]

My mother made me a whore . . . . .

(Send her some yarn, mebbe she'll make you one too.)

[Strzelec]

And sensible shoes? :-)

[Stoat]

This is a joke, right.

Please tell me this is a joke.

I wish that it was indeed a joke. 

It's yet another thing that makes me terribly embarrassed of Washington, my home state.

"sigh"

[Stoat]

Another moonbat game to give aid and comfort to our enemies.

Very true.  they could just as easily do something useful with their time and efforts that actually help our troops and benefit our nation in this war, but no, they have to make a stupid joke out of it.

Our troops overseas will read about this sort of garbage and it won't help their morale, which I'm sure is the intent of this silly effort to begin with.

[CDHart]

I think the Navy just wants to put them on Homeland Security Patrol. It wasn't the Navy's idea to have sweaters knitted for them.

Carolyn

[ishabibble]

The fruits of the labors of PETA and envirowhackos.

God forbid that they knit a sweater for some lonely soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan. Hate the US Military? Knit something for the Canuks, you spiteful hippie losers!

[Stoat]

"We've imported camouflage yarn for these local dolphins," she said, "so they don't become subject to any kind of terrorism."

OMG!

These women are WHACKED!

lol!

Sadly, we have more than our fair share of people like this here in Washington.

They will do ANYTHING to avoid doing something positive, real and meaningful for our Nation.

[fish hawk]

Haven't you heard of "Pikes on Bikes"?

[Fawn]

Wouldn't the weight of the sweaters drown the dolphins?

[2ndClassCitizen]

I just read through 30 posts. Not one person noted what the dolphins would be doing.

Does anyone wonder what are the dolphins capabilities?

Would you like to scuba dive in that area?

Just how intelligent are these dolphins?

How big is their vocabulary? Can they perform complex tasks with mechanical devices, ie. can they fire guns, take pictures, do they carry weapons, or do they have information gathering devices, or are they in communication with a human patrol leader while they are patrolling?

Anyone have any idea what the dolphins do? It is fascinating to me.

[Bigh4u2]

"Sadly, we have more than our fair share of people like this here in Washington.

They will do ANYTHING to avoid doing something positive, real and meaningful for our Nation."

I hear ya.

Living in this country is really getting to be a chore. Just to keep from going nuts.

[Stoat]

My knitting group knits caps for kids at cancer hospitals and for preemy-newborns. Thank goodness my group of ladies have good ole common sense and compassion.

Thank you so very much for what you do.  I do prehospital emergency medicine, and my emergency kit in my car contains, among other things, an emergency OB kit in case I need to assist an out-of-hospital childbirth.  It includes a cute little knit hat, which may have been made by you or one of your group.  What you are doing is very real, very useful and very important, unlike what these idiots in this article are doing.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

[fish hawk]

I can't answer all your questions but I do know that they really like Sashimi.

[Stoat]

I just read through 30 posts. Not one person noted what the dolphins would be doing.

The Navy has been training and using dolphins for a number of years.  Their duties include patrol, identifying mines and undersea hazards, and reconnaissance using attached cameras, among other things.

There's been quite a bit written about this program, but you may wish to start at the Navy's page:

U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program

[Stoat]

Won't global warming keep them warm?

Rule #14 from the Leftist Barking Moonbat Handbook:

"Never invoke one hysterical and unfounded Leftist, Anti-American lie when it could possibly interfere with another hysterical and unfounded Leftist, Anti-American lie"

[Lil'freeper]

Mmmmkay. Yeah, good call on that one.

[Stoat]

the dolphins will know what to do with the sweaters

The dolphins will laugh their grey asses off. This is proof that dolphins are smarter than these idiots.

I don't think that I would be going to far out on the proverbial limb if I were to suggest that your typical, standard-issue underbed dust bunny would be smarter than these idiots.

the dolphins will know what to do with the sweaters

The dolphins will laugh their grey asses off. This is proof that dolphins are smarter than these idiots.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Isn't that a picture! Soooo cute and homey like!

(Anyone ever tried to swim with a sweater? Share your experience here.)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

OK, lets look at this logically. For a short haired dog, a sweater in -20 degree weather makes sense. But if cold is an issue for the dolphins, what the navy really needs give these dolphins is insulated rubber "wet suits" and a high calorie diet.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Patterns that are good for knitting for soldiers:

http://www.cs.oswego.edu/~ebozak/knit/troop-knitting/index.html

[Cogadh na Sith]

More stupid angry old women who hate America.

The only thing these old women hate more than America and Jesus is George Bush.

[CSM]

I could swear this is from Scrappleface.....Oh, well, stupidity knows no bounds.

[Stoat]

Have these "activists" ever thought about the "drag" and "weight" of a water-soaked KNITTED pullover WITH BUTTONS! on a sleek, underwater-evolved mammal like a dolphin?

Somehow I get the impression that 'thinking' is not these activists' strong suit.

Can you say "trying to swim with a trench coat and combat boots" ??? Trying to see an eagle fly wearing galoshes?

Or expecting a Leftist hysteric to do something worthwhile?

Have the papers in Washington been ridiculing their stupidity, or praising their "activism"?

I haven't done a complete search of local press on this important issue, but this blurb from the Tacoma News Tribune may give some insight:

A frostbitten Flipper defeats the purpose TheNewsTribune.com Tacoma, WA

A frostbitten Flipper defeats the purpose

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: March 2nd, 2007 01:00 AM

 

 

A Puget Sound-area group that calls itself “Knitting for Dolphins” is working on a plan to handcraft sweaters, hats and mittens for their warm-water pals.

Think we’re joking? You can’t make stuff like this up.

The knitters, you see, are also avid environmentalists. They’re trying to make a statement that Atlantic bottlenose dolphins will freeze their fins off if they’re brought to Hood Canal to guard Naval Base Bangor against terrorism, which the Navy is studying.

And – this part we’re just assuming – the dolphins haven’t learned to knit for themselves. Lack of opposable thumbs, and all that.

The knitters plan to click away with their needles at public meetings in Keyport on March 27 and Seattle on March 28. (Read more about it at knittingfordolphins.com.)

And while we applaud the knitters’ moxie, we hope the folks trying to protect the Arctic from global warming don’t get any copycat ideas.

America isn’t ready for “Speedos for Polar Bears.”

You may ask: From whence do these dolphin lovers get their single-minded determination?

We wondered, too, until we remembered their manifesto, which spent so much time on The New York Times best-seller list a few years back:

“The Porpoise Driven Life.”

 

If the dolphins DIDN'T like the cold water, it would be evident from the reactions on entering it.

I'm guessing that the dolphins will be so happy in their new abode that they will be phoning home to all of their dolphin pals, urging them to sign up for the Navy program  and avail themselves of a lifetime of free food, great companionship and the finest veterinary care imaginable.

Have these "activists" ever thought about the "drag" and "weight" of a water-soaked KNITTED pullover WITH BUTTONS! on a sleek, underwater-evolved mammal like a dolphin?

Somehow I get the impression that 'thinking' is not these activists' strong suit.

Can you say "trying to swim with a trench coat and combat boots" ??? Trying to see an eagle fly wearing galoshes?

Or expecting a Leftist hysteric to do something worthwhile?

Have the papers in Washington been ridiculing their stupidity, or praising their "activism"?

I haven't done a complete search of local press on this important issue, but this blurb from the Tacoma News Tribune may give some insight:

A frostbitten Flipper defeats the purpose TheNewsTribune.com Tacoma, WA

A frostbitten Flipper defeats the purpose

THE NEWS TRIBUNE
Published: March 2nd, 2007 01:00 AM

 

 

A Puget Sound-area group that calls itself “Knitting for Dolphins” is working on a plan to handcraft sweaters, hats and mittens for their warm-water pals.

Think we’re joking? You can’t make stuff like this up.

The knitters, you see, are also avid environmentalists. They’re trying to make a statement that Atlantic bottlenose dolphins will freeze their fins off if they’re brought to Hood Canal to guard Naval Base Bangor against terrorism, which the Navy is studying.

And – this part we’re just assuming – the dolphins haven’t learned to knit for themselves. Lack of opposable thumbs, and all that.

The knitters plan to click away with their needles at public meetings in Keyport on March 27 and Seattle on March 28. (Read more about it at knittingfordolphins.com.)

And while we applaud the knitters’ moxie, we hope the folks trying to protect the Arctic from global warming don’t get any copycat ideas.

America isn’t ready for “Speedos for Polar Bears.”

You may ask: From whence do these dolphin lovers get their single-minded determination?

We wondered, too, until we remembered their manifesto, which spent so much time on The New York Times best-seller list a few years back:

“The Porpoise Driven Life.”

 

If the dolphins DIDN'T like the cold water, it would be evident from the reactions on entering it.

[2ndClassCitizen]

I would bet that what is on the Navy's website is the tip of the iceberg.

Welcome dolphins, you are fighting for the US of A.

I bet the dolphins are doing things that only a few know about.

[Stoat]

I bet the dolphins are doing things that only a few know about.

And hopefully it will stay that way so that Al Queda won't be able to develop an anti-dolphin strategy.

[Stoat]

Isn't that a picture! Soooo cute and homey like!

(Anyone ever tried to swim with a sweater? Share your experience here.)

And the photo has ALMOST the usual requisite racial 'balance' that is de rigueur these days.  Missing is a black Grandma, but I'm guessing that all of the black Grandmas in the area have far too much common sense to join a bunch of lunatics like this.

[Doohickey]

Environmentalists are completely unconcerned about the practicality of their "ideas". They measure success by how much they can inconvenience mankind, and how they "feel".

[IN Farm Girl]

Jeezus, where is the barf alert?

So many other worthwhile organizations that need knitted items, and these old hippies are knitting sweaters for dolphins. REALITY CHECK!