Do People Still Darn Socks?

Mistral001

As a money saving practice when money became short a few years ago, I started to darn my socks as I have very long big toes which means that holes appear in my socks after about a year.

After my early zeal to save money I have not been keeping up with my darning. Thus I have been thinking of just dumping any sock as soon as a hole develops. I can get new socks at 50p a pair, but yet I feel I should not be throwing socks out which can be repaired.


What to others here do? Do they throw out or mend their socks?

Pollycat

Life's too short to darn socks.

Siebrie

I mend them, but I don't darn them. Every so often (every eight weeks or so) I plan a tv night in, watching the shows I have recorded, and I mend the items in my mendpile. I know I have to plan an evening as soon as the small cupboard I have for mending is full.

purpleybat

Pollycat wrote: »

Life's too short to darn socks.

and i find them uncomfy after darning.
i put them in the 'rag bag' for the charity shop that can send them to be recycled and they get money for, or i use them for cleaning.

PipneyJane

Mistral001 wrote: »

As a money saving practice when money became short a few years ago, I started to darn my socks as I have very long big toes which means that holes appear in my socks after about a year.

After my early zeal to save money I have not been keeping up with my darning. Thus I have been thinking of just dumping any sock as soon as a hole develops. I can get new socks at 50p a pair, but yet I feel I should not be throwing socks out which can be repaired.


What to others here do? Do they throw out or mend their socks?

Yes and no. If I've made them - I'm a knitter - then yes, I'll make the effort to repair them. If I've purchased them (black dress socks for work), then no, I won't darn them. Instead, I'll use them as rags or bin them. I usually purchase my black socks in multiples of identical pairs, so I'm not binning a pair, I'm only binning one and the other sock has several mates to be matched with.

Remember, there are two types of money-saving and both impact your lifestyle and your savings: the first is not spending money unnecessarily; the second is using your time wisely for the greatest return on your efforts. Use your mending time to repair things that are expensive to replace or which will give you the most wears before another repair is needed.

HTH

- Pip

buildersdaughter

Depends on the socks. Mostly we buy 'good' socks - wool, cotton, bamboo, which re more expensive but wear better, and can be darned. I honestly don't know if this saves money over cheaper 'throw away' socks, I know it suits us better.
Cheaper synthetic socks often wear badly, so as soon as you try to darn one hole, another appears! And they can be uncomfy after darning, whereas natural fibres adjust better. I don't find darning a chore - I watch an hour or two of TV a most evenings. I usually have crochet on the go, but set it aside for mending.
Having said that I agree with Pipney that we all have to find the best ways to spend our time and money that suits us.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

I darn a couple of times on good quality socks as I find it quite therapeutic

elsien

Nope.
Not since my grandmother used to give us blisters by darning the underneath of the sock with wool a lot thicker and scratchier than the original sock.
That darning kept going long after the rest of the sock had disintegrated around it.

ampersand

Yes, when appropriate - several good reasons covered by earlier replies.
#
Buffing, cleaning, and shining crystal, precious metals, brass, bronze, treen, jewellery, [antique stock] is another excellent use for rejects. Apologies if this is already mentioned.

Siebrie

Adding: dd's socks don't get repaired, they get made into barbie dresses!

We can now afford to let them craft with old socks, where only a few years ago, we really had to watch the pennies and I mended everything.

oystercatcher

I crochet my own warm winter socks , so they are darned if they go a bit thin as a lot of time and effort went into making them as well as the expense of sock wool which is not cheap, but as mentioned I have to be careful not to make lumps.

I don't generally darn shop socks although very occasionally a small hole in a place that wont rub might be mended.

I darn jumpers sometimes .I enjoy mending in general and making clothes last longer.