Darned If You Do

As a general rule, I don't darn socks. If one springs a leak, into the trash it goes. However, this morning I put on an almost brand new pair of knee socks, only to find a hole near the ankle. I doubt if I've worn these socks more than a half-dozen times. Since the hole wasn't in the normal wear spots (heel, toe) I have no idea how it got there. My cat may have been involved. Anyway, I decided to darn the socks. My first thought was to do them on the machine. However, because these are knee socks, and the hole was so far down, I couldn't get all the rest of the sock out of the way in order to get the damaged part under the needle. Darning by hand was the only solution.

Sock-darning used to be a regular past time for the thrifty housewife, and they used what they had on hand. Sometime back, my mother gave me this sock-darning gourd that was used by her paternal grandmother. (Mama even labeled the plastic bag so that when someone goes through my personal effects, they won't have to wonder.) This great-grandmother of mine lived until I was a teenager (or close to it) so I remember her quite well. The gourd was used inside the sock to isolate the area that needed darning, and to provide some shape as well.

Here's my holey sock with the gourd inside. And here is the start of my repair work. As a side note, I really like cold weather and have enjoyed the little bits of snow we've had this season. The one thing I don't enjoy are the dry, chapped hands that I live with every winter.

Finally, here's my mended sock. I could have done with a darker shade of blue, but I don't expect the darning and/or fashion police to inspect my hosiery. Anyone protesting can buy me a new pair of socks.

I have done some sewing lately, but for the life of me, I can't remember to take pictures before the item leaves my house. I made a birthday card for Phillip, a thank-you card for my nephew's girl friend who sent me a book, and I made (and mailed) a single quilt block in this pattern. A blogger I read is putting together a quilt for an injured Marine, and since I have several friends with Marine sons, I decided to make and send one. That's a first for me, especially since I consider myself a dabbler rather than a real quilter.

Finally, I made this birthday card for Emily. I already punched a hole in it and attached it to the ice cream scoop I'm giving her before I remember to make a picture. But at least I remembered!