Preparing for Winter V

cuddlymarm

We lived in a static caravan for a while and thick socks and bootie slippers were an essential. Also a spare duvet went over the mattress to keep the cold out from underneath.
Also scruffy t shirts get used as vests and then become cleaning cloths

MingVase

I'm knitting socks and have patterns lined up for the boot slipper things. I know this will sound like Jonah  - but just wotif this winter is a bad one? We've had a few mild ones, and going on recent form if anything possible can go wrong these days then it does.... we might hit a really cold winter just when we can't afford heating. knitknitknit!

nannygladys

I love my hand knitted socks

annieb64

So do I and I have two balls of sock wool sitting here waiting to be knitted up. One is patterned and one is plain. I should get three pairs out of the two balls as each pair takes about 55 grams. I'll  do one pair from each ball and then a pair with patterned leg and foot with plain cuffs, heels and toes.

Laura_Elsewhere

When you knit the heel, if you do alternate stitches from two balls of wool (even if identical, not contrasting) you get a stranded heel-flap which is far more hard-wearing, and a cosy cushioned feel.
If you want to knit thicker socks, knit normal socks but do alternate stitches throughout  

And here is the brilliant Sally Pointer demonstrating how to 'run' a heel to delay any need to darn - worth doing with brand-new socks imo... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fKKLOUNOHU

MingVase

I'm doing double thickness soles, adding a strand of kidsilk on there. Always do socks that way, makes them cosier.

basketcase

MingVase said:

I'm knitting socks and have patterns lined up for the boot slipper things. I know this will sound like Jonah  - but just wotif this winter is a bad one? We've had a few mild ones, and going on recent form if anything possible can go wrong these days then it does.... we might hit a really cold winter just when we can't afford heating. knitknitknit!

Had my mother still been around, she would've responded to this with "It's being so cheerful that keeps you going!"

Personally, I agree with you (does that make me a Bad Person? ROFL), if it can happen, the chances are it will.

Laura_Elsewhere

MingVase said:

I'm doing double thickness soles, adding a strand of kidsilk on there. Always do socks that way, makes them cosier.

I did some for my nieces a couple of years back with tufts of hi-loft polyester toy-stuffing knitted into the soles like thrums - then after washing the socks I fluffed up the kapok-stuff and it was like a fluffy cloud underfoot  

Don't think it lasted more than a few months but it was fun while it lasted! 

London_1

I wish I had a pound for every pair of socks I knitted as a child. I had two older brothers who went through an amazing amount of socks.
My late Mum and I seemed to spend ages knitting them new socks, or unpicking the old ones to reknit. Any school grey jumpers that they had grown out of were unpicked, reknitted and  repuposed to make their socks. I grew to hate the colour grey  
Its odd because grey is such a fashionable colour today, my granddaughter even wanted a grey and white blanket for her little girl when she was born 4 years ago.

Even when running the heels my two brothers seemed to still manage to have 'spuds' (holes) in their heels or toes.
I love knitting and over 70 years later still knit daily but nothing on this earth would induce me to knit a pair of socks again  

littlemoney

I remember my mum unpicking old jumpers, washing the wool and then stretching it around a dinner plate to dry. When she wanted to turn them into balls I sat there with my hands apart holding it taunt for her. I learnt dressmaking and sewing but not knitting as a child. I tried to teach my self knitting in later life but failed, it was never the right size or consistently.