What to Do With Fabric

[Beekissed]

These socks I darned were my dad's old socks that I like to wear. Dad is in a nursing home now with dementia and can't remember much of his old life, but wearing his winter socks kind of makes me feel like we're close in a way. Sort of like carrying him around while I get in wood and do some of the chores he used to do, so I didn't want to just throw them away. Couldn't stand to see them wear out either....they are sort of like Dad, in a way. They are still good socks but a part of them wasn't working any longer...a part of them just...wore thin. Like Dad's memory.

Couldn't stand to just put them in a drawer and keep them just because they were Dad's socks, either...that's a little TOO sentimental for me. Using Dad's socks makes much more sense to me...so I darned them so they could be used another winter. Just trying to hold onto everything that is good in this world while I can.

 

[Hinotori]

I think I'm going to start trying to make some needle felted wool ball animal ornaments. My husband tends to eventually wear out the toes in his work socks which are wool. So I figure I could probably use chunks of sock balled up in the middle and put the colored roving over it.

 

[ducks4you]

beekissed, that is an excellent article on how to darn a sock. I never know to do it this way. Thanks for sharing!! DD's have bought and left so much yard (for projects) that I'll never run out, so now I know what I can do with it!

 

[Beekissed]

I thought so too! It looked so easy that even a kid could do it...and it was. I kept wishing i had more socks to darn because it's something I couldn't really mess up. I'm not much of a seamstress or crafty at all with a needle. My sister can make anything with her needles of all kinds...I expect she could craft a passable house if she wanted...she got all the talent in the family for those sorts of things.

 

[so lucky]

Bee, I've got an old flannel shirt of my dad's, who passed away nearly 3 years ago. I have worn it way too much, and it is getting pretty threadbare, but it's the first shirt I grab when I need a little more warmth. I think of him every time I look at it.

 

[Marianne]

I darned a lot of socks growing up. Hated it. We always used a regular light bulb for a darning egg.

This is a good page to revisit. I have the top of an old sock that I use over a canning jar that had some sour dough starter. It gets kind of cold in the house this time of year, but the sock seems to help insulate it a bit.

 

[Beekissed]

I use orphaned socks to absorb condensation on water bottles that I have recycled into drinking bottles and have frozen for use throughout the day in the summer. When I brought them to work people would ask, "Is that a SOCK on your bottle of water?". I've found it keeps the ice from melting as quickly, keeps my desk from having water rings and the cold, wet sock comes in handy for various things throughout the day.

The wilder the color, the better...it lets everyone know that water bottle is mine and it helps me not forget my water and leave it behind...makes them very visual.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Great idea!

 

[Marianne]

Yes it is!! I have a couple kids that are almost germaphobic, they sure wouldn't touch the wrong water bottle with a dubious sock around it. hahahahahahah

 

[cknmom]

If old denims are a part of your stash ... I read somewhere about a storage/organizer, particular good for teens, made out of jeans pockets. Make a backing of some sort - I would probably use jeans legs, cut open - however big you want it to be. Then cut out the pockets of various old jeans - the original suggested the fancy pockets from designer jeans, but I'm sure something else could be managed (or maybe Goodwill will help out). Sew the various pockets to the backing. Figure out a way to hang the whole thing - tabs on the top, and a dowel maybe. It makes a handy place for young people (or others) to store small things.

I did that for my granddaughter and for my daughters when they were young. It works great!