Have you ever worn darned socks - or darned them yourself - or not have a clue what darned socks are?

In harder times, we darned socks to make our clothes last. Both my mother and grandmother darned & I was taught how to do it as well. Don't think any of my three younger sisters ever got into it though.
It did make me appreciate that ability to buy a new pair when we could though.

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Yes .. I did too.

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

I'm curious...did your mom knit or crochet? We had so many crocheted and knitted items, even socks! Funny thing is that some people thought I'd spent a fortune on some special items because my mom was so good at it; and the real reason we had them was because it was so much cheaper for her to knit everything!

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by Nancy on March 2nd, 2009

Both. Plus sewing. It was my grandmother who was the whiz at all of the above although my mother did some things .. like mittens .. just fine. Fancy design on them even.

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009

You have a pair of lucky socks? I love it. :)
And yes, "back in the day" for me too.

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Everyone should have one pair of lucky sox. Isn't it a rule or something?

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by MRMacrum on March 1st, 2009

If it isn't, it ought to be. LOL

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Somebody had to say that! LOL

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Your wish is my command. Here's what I meant by darned socks:
http://mousepotato.typepad.com/knittingdoctor/2006/04/post_2.html

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Once my socks get holes in them, I throw them away. I don't know how to darn anything!

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by Sixty B - Commander Topcoat on March 3rd, 2009

Well, darn it! LOL
I guess I still coud if I needed to .. learned when I was a kid. But haven't done it SINCE I was a kid and that was ... errrrrrrr ... about fifty million years ago now.
But my grandmother (and mother for awhile) used to darn socks all the time .. thick ones ..
Thanks, Sixty. (and I lose socks now all the time too lol I think they must be having a party out in the garage somewhere)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 3rd, 2009

Fifty million years ago?? LOL

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by Sixty B - Commander Topcoat on March 5th, 2009

Ok, so I was feeling a bit .. er .. weary .. when I wrote that. Life is going up and to the right though. Heading out as we speak to yet "another" dr appt. But hey .. only feeling about 25 million years old, so I've cut it in half!! LOL Going in right direction. :)
Now .. where are my socks so I can get ready to go? LOL

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 5th, 2009

Well, good luck {{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}

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by Sixty B - Commander Topcoat on March 5th, 2009

They're just sitting there calling to you. Go for it. It's really hard to find some "special" socks that are just the right length and just the thickness and just the right material / feel. Worth it to give it a try, Jim. Nothing to lose and potentially more time with your socks to gain. LOL

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009

Just how I was looking at it. Mom was so good at it she could do it while watching TV. She didn't need to look at her hands.

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by Jim in a Nautilus COAT on March 2nd, 2009

This will sound awful (for my mother) .. but .. those my grandmother darned wore "just fine" and those my mother darned .. well .. had thick bumpy "seams" that hurt. Not sure what the trick was exactly. I darned but they seemed to wear differently .. some exactly as you say .. and some like my grandmothers. Maybe it had something to do with the beginning thickness of the socks? (I'm making that up .. not sure)
Anyway .. sounds like you've "been there, done that".
Thanks! :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009

Not sure. Maybe we'll find that out as answers come in here. :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

kEEP YOUR EYES OUT FOR THAT. iN CASE i'M NOT HERE.

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by Bakebyday still baking.. on March 1st, 2009

Oh boy .. I remember using nail polish!! LOL
Thanks!!

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Ah, the good 'ole days! :D

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by Theby on March 1st, 2009

Wooden darning egg in my family. We didn't think much about it (darning or wearing darned socks) .. just what was done.
Thanks!

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

I think it was a holdover from the days when you had to knit your own socks. It was a lot less work to patch a holey pair than to knit a whole new pair.

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by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on March 1st, 2009

Probably so ...

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

These days, you can get a lot more "sock for the money". :)
But yes, back in growing up days, lots of darning went on.
Thanks

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Yes, back in the old days socks were different too..thicker so it was easier to sew on them. These white socks nowadays there is nothing to sew on really! ha The material is thin. I have wool and insulated socks for winter time and I would still repair them as they are hard to find around here.

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by rrlady on March 1st, 2009

Actually, that's a really good point. The socks themselves then were different! Thanks for pointing that out. :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

You are welcome - just better quality back then than now!

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by rrlady on March 1st, 2009

True in a lot of areas. Equipment, appliances, gadgets all now purposely made with a short "lifespan" and meant to be disposable. Buy next model. Whole different mode of being in the world.

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Yup. Is it really progress though? I predict that in the future things will go back the other way. We probably won't be there. I just hope the skills get passed on. I'd better learn how to darn socks just in case!

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by daisychain on March 2nd, 2009

Daisychain - No, in a world of limited resources, the days of designing for things to obsolete themselves quickly is an indulgence we likely can't afford .. for the planet .. or our wallets. At some point, it does need to swing back. But changes and improvements happen much more quicky now than in the past. So new designs need to consider that too. Perhaps the notion of products we buy that last a long time, but MODULES that get updated or something vs either/or.
What do you think? :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009

LOL!! I have no doubt that you have a clue.
Make mine similar then: yes, yes, I have a clue.
Thanks. :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 1st, 2009

Welcome. : ))

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by CaptainHarley adores his life penguin on March 2nd, 2009

For me, it was the thick socks I wore when growing up. (er .. let's just say a long time ago. lol)
Today, it's off to the store for new socks .. but completely different kind of socks too.
Thanks. :)

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009

Mum just never let us wear sock unless we had shoes on. It was bare feet in the house or slippers.
"put your slippers on or the carpet will wear out your socks!"

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by daisychain on March 2nd, 2009

LOL - see how we carry those one-liners around with us? LOL!!

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by debtahals wears a curiosity COAT on March 2nd, 2009