From Knitting with Balls: 



During both Wold Wars in the twentieth century, people banded together to knit for the troops.  Little did they know  that the troops were on the other side of the sea knitting for themselves.  Besides being a fulfilling way to spend downtime, knitting provided an immediate source of much-needed socks, gloves, hats and more.  In true homage to this soldierly history, the Felted Military Belt can withstand almost any force.  Knitted quickly on big needles, the belt is felted after you’ve bound off, giving it both strength and stability.