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Cyclopath
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Cyclopath
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 3:07 pm 
I know how to thread a needle and pull it by hand through two pieces of fabric; that's where my knowledge ends. Let's just assume for the sake of discussion that I'm an idiot. dizzy.gif I have some beloved socks that have either shrunk in the wash, or developed holes in the heels. They're very soft, thick, and warm, and weren't cheap. (Yak wool.) I'd rather find a new use for them than send them to a landfill. In my uneducated mind, it seems like this should be an easy project. Cut a hole on the side of the socks for thumbs, cut one sock in two halves that lay flat, make thumbs from the pieces, and join everything. If anybody has some experience with DIY clothes, I'd love to hear if this is a bad idea, or any advice. If it's not going to work I'd rather give the shrunken ones to friends. A lot of things that seem simple wind up having gotchas that aren't immediately obvious, which is why I ask.

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Windstorm
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 4:46 pm 
Most socks are made by knitting (by hand or machine) and this gives them a tendency to unravel when they are cut or develop runs like nylons when they get a hole. I haven't tried anything like this before, but it may be possible to cut and sew carefully and add some binding to the seams (whip stitch or blanket stitch maybe?) to prevent the fabric from unraveling past the seams and falling apart. There's a reason that socks and sweaters are usually knit continuously without seams or are joined at bound off (finished) edges. I'm not saying you won't be able to do what you have in mind, but knit fabric behaves differently from woven fabric and you will need to take that into account.

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Brushwork
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 6:01 pm 
It takes a while, but one can darn wool socks. If you cut any part of it, it’s quite tedious to hand sew it. Have to basically catch every single loop....and it’s hard to sew and leave enough “give” to allow it to stretch like a knit. If the socks have just shrunk, it’s easier to find someone with that size foot. If the sock is real stretchy, you could sew a couple together and make leg warmers. ? Otherwise maybe find a yarn artist who creates things out of parts of knit sweaters or whatever. Maybe stitch some pieces together and make an animal pillow....or an object d’art, a wool hat? or whatever....

When I grow up I wanna play.
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Brushwork
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 6:05 pm 
In rereading your post, It may be possible to sew a patch on the heel. Or find some tough yarn and just kinda reweave the heal.

When I grow up I wanna play.
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Windstorm
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 6:17 pm 
Brushwork wrote:
It takes a while, but one can darn wool socks.
Oooh yeah, I forgot about that option. I currently have mostly cheap socks that aren't worth darning, but for a good pair, I would totally do it. A lightbulb in the sock works pretty well to get the right shape while darning.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Oct 22, 2019 9:19 pm 
I'm glad I asked; I thought it was a dumb question, but you know what they say about that. I assumed there might be some kind of gotcha with the thumbs, it sounds like this isn't likely to work at all. In which case it's better to give the intact ones to friends. These are the socks in question, they used to cost about half as much. They're fantastic, I don't have that many pairs, and I've worn them almost every day from mid fall to mid spring for 2 or 3 years, so I got my money's worth from them. Now, I feel like the fabric is too nice to just throw away. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075WRC8MM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Po9RDbAY946K1 I'll probably still try the kittens idea with torn ones.

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glenoid
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PostWed Oct 23, 2019 8:32 am 
Been thinking about this. I believe it can be done. I would sew around the hole for the thumb (usually an oval shape) before I cut out the hole. This would prevent unraveling of the knit. I would cut out the thumbs, serging the raw edges together, to provide a really soft pliable seam. The thumb piece would be sewed into the "hole" with a zigzag stitch. You can add a cuff with you remaining material. The hard part would be to try this without splitting the sock on one side to put in the thumb, instead sewing in the thumb portion into the intact "circular" sock. I know this probably is confusing. PM me and if you send me the socks and a tracing of your hand, I will make you a pair for free.

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grannyhiker
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PostWed Oct 23, 2019 4:38 pm 
Unravel the yarn and start knitting!

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostWed Oct 23, 2019 4:41 pm 
Grannyhiker wrote:
Unravel the yarn and start knitting!
I was kinda thinking that too. Sock puppets could be made perhaps.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Brushwork
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PostFri Oct 25, 2019 4:12 pm 
So I was discussing this topic of what to do with holey socks with a fellow hiker....he suggested just turning the sock basically upside down on the foot....if it’s not a tight sock, that would at least be ok for wearing at home.

When I grow up I wanna play.
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Downhill
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PostWed Oct 30, 2019 9:15 pm 
I've seen people cut the toes off old socks and use them as lightweight summer gators for use with hiking shoes/boots to keep sand, rocks, dirt and a little bit of snow out of the shoes.

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Malachai Constant
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PostWed Oct 30, 2019 9:42 pm 
Has anyone considered upping the thermal rating of a sleeping bag by ripping out the baffles and over stuffing with dryer lint.

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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Washakie
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PostWed Jan 01, 2020 12:47 am 
Many years ago I ran for excercise and subscribed to Runner's World. They ran a story about a novice runner's first long distance race and his comments... Any way, many runners use old socks to keep there hands "warm" at the begining of a cold winter race and toss them away when they are "warmed up". This guy was understandably slow but became dejected when he began seeing socks on the ground along the race route. He felt like giving up thinking that not only were these runners far ahead, but they had stopped to take off their socks and put their shoes back on. That's my sock story.

"What is the color when black is burned?" - Neil Young "We're all normal when we want our freedom" - Arthur Lee "The internet can make almost anyone seem intelligent" - Washakie
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