Does anybody 'darn' anymore?

Daisies

If you darn handknitted socks before they get too worn through (so you're effectively duplicate stitching over the worn areas) they shouldn't end up lumpy. You can also reinforce them in advance whilst knitting them by doing a heel stitch, or knitting reinforcing yarn along with the normal yarn in the heel. You can also apply this specifically to whoever you're knitting the socks for - eg some people wear through the base of the heel, others the back of the heel quicker.

Having properly fitted shoes (which you've been measured for - length AND width) is also essential.

Wiggynut

Daisies wrote: »

If you darn handknitted socks before they get too worn through (so you're effectively duplicate stitching over the worn areas) they shouldn't end up lumpy. You can also reinforce them in advance whilst knitting them by doing a heel stitch, or knitting reinforcing yarn along with the normal yarn in the heel. You can also apply this specifically to whoever you're knitting the socks for - eg some people wear through the base of the heel, others the back of the heel quicker.

Having properly fitted shoes (which you've been measured for - length AND width) is also essential.

Peacocks: 7 pairs of socks for £4

Daisies

Wiggynut wrote: »

Peacocks: 7 pairs of socks for £4

I knew someone would say that! Handknitted socks are not only more hardwearing than shop bought, you also have the fun/enjoyment/satisfaction of making them. You don't necessarily save money at first glance (100g sock yarn, enough for one pair of adult socks and one pair of toddler socks, can cost anything between £3 and £15) BUT

• those socks will last many years longer than the Peacocks ones (better for the environment as there won't be so many of them in landfill, and pure wool socks could be composted). A pair of felted slippers (knitted, then felted in the washing machine) I made for my Mum over a year ago hardly show signs of wear now - much better value than anything she's had previously from the shops which would have been in the bin by now.
• they will be more comfortable (as they're made specifically for your feet). Similarly with Mum's slippers - they fit her properly, her joints have been much less painful since she's been wearing them than when she wore shop-bought (even expensive shop-bought!).
• Knitted mainly cotton or mainly wool or 100% wool socks let your feet breathe, unlike man-made fibres. My wool socks are much warmer than anything I could buy in a shop - essential for the very cold conditions at my workplace during the winter.
• they can be darned easily.
• before you wear them they'll have provided hours of entertainment in making them (much cheaper than the cinema for instance ).
• you get the fun/satisfaction/mood-boosting creativity that comes with playing around with colour and patterns - take a look at a couple of patterns, there are endless possibilities out there. http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTsoxon2stix.html http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html
• See - to me handknitted socks work out at much better value than buying them in a shop!

Daisies

Eg making socks for people with diabetes:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/FEATdiabeticfeet.html

Wiggynut

Just being sarcy!

actually the peacock socks lasted about a month before holes appeared so will not be buying from there again... I don't normally but thought I'd try them!

I am currently crocheting a robot from Craft magazine! brilliant mag & website too.
http://www.craftzine.com/blog/archive/2006/08/week_of_toys_day_5_beth_dohert.html

I started with the wrong hook size :rolleyes: and mine has a head thats too big for his body.. yet I've not made an error in stitch count etc...?? couldn't get the right wool though. I went into 3 stores: John Lewis & liberty (can't remember the other one!) and they didn't sell it.

In Brighton I knew where to go for wool etc but in London I only know of the expensive posh ones! I googled for other shops and spent 3 hours walking around this area that had one listed but there was no such shop and even the locals had never heard of it... :mad:

rosieben

Never knitted socks but I really like the look of that pattern, Daisies! I've stashed it for a winter project. Havent done much knitting for a while, but I have happy memories of knitting fingerless gloves for my kids, and then for all their mates - think I ended up doing over 20 pairs. Apparently the budding motor bikers loved them under leather gloves!

Love that robot too wiggynut, sadly have no littlies to knit for at the moment.

Wiggynut

rosieben wrote: »

Never knitted socks but I really like the look of that pattern, Daisies! I've stashed it for a winter project. Havent done much knitting for a while, but I have happy memories of knitting fingerless gloves for my kids, and then for all their mates - think I ended up doing over 20 pairs. Apparently the budding motor bikers loved them under leather gloves!

Love that robot too wiggynut, sadly have no littlies to knit for at the moment.

I'm not little I'm making it for me. Plus it's an quick and easy project and doesn't use much wool.

I want to make a my own jumper design but a bit too skint to buy the wool - and I'm inexperienced in Knitting & crochet so I don't want to go wrong.
but will buy the wool in the next month or so and give it a try.

I knitted a jumper about 10 years ago but didn't measure the underarm bits and it was too tight to wear.. the rest of it was fine. I didn't know how to correct it... (smack forehead) so I threw it away... can't believe I did that - I now know what to do when I make an error!

brillgranny

This has little to do with darning but would like everyone to know I bought a superb sewing machine in Lidl last week for £39.99, it does everything except make the tea!!

rosieben

Lucky you! I've heard good reports of the one they were selling some months ago.

I'm getting desperate (I've several projects in progress) - my electric machine caught fire some time ago :eek: and now my old manual has decided not to play any more; hoping to get one thats just been offered on freecycle, fingers crossed!

Ytaya

Wiggynut wrote: »

I want to make a my own jumper design but a bit too skint to buy the wool - and I'm inexperienced in Knitting & crochet so I don't want to go wrong.
but will buy the wool in the next month or so and give it a try.

Charity shops can be a good source of cheap wool. Look around for good quality wool jumpers and unravel them! Make sure the wool isn't worn or bobbly, and look at the seams inside - if the fabric's been cut and sewn together, you'll end up with lots of short strings. If the seams look like they've been joined by crochet, you'll be able to unravel it into one long strand. Just wind the yarn into skeins (around the back of some chairs if you don't have a swift), secure it with ties in a few places and wash it to get rid of the kinks.