Welcome! Here’s a thread for discussing our making and mending progress, of the sock variety, from now through the end of March. There’s already been some really lovely progress shared on Instagram, and I can’t wait to see how many socks we get back to our sock drawer in this first quarter.
This little thread can be as freewheeling as we’d like, so do pop in whenever you’d like to celebrate a finished sock or a brilliant mend, to lament a new hole, or to ask a question about making or mending socks!
And a few housekeeping things:
I’ve set up a landing page for Make Socks Mend Socks here on Substack! Hopefully this will make it easy to find the quarterly threads, and I’ve also started a little directory of mending tips/tools/tutorials (which you’ll see on the main page) as well as the beginnings of a little guide to getting started knitting socks, if you’re looking at casting on your first pair.
For now, I’m using this “Thread” feature on Substack for our quarterly discussion, the upside of which is it’s relatively easy to find and comment on. The big downside is you can’t put images in replies (though you can of course link to an Instagram post/Ravelry project page/ any other online place your images live). Substack does, however, have a chatroom function that allows users to include images. My understanding is that this chat is easiest to navigate on the app, though it’s not impossible to use on a computer. So basically I’m wondering how many people read/comment on these posts on the app/how much interest there is in having a little chat space where we can share photos? I’ve set up a poll below where you can vote, if you like!
And lastly, I've set up a little discount code on the (very small!) number of sock patterns I’ve published, in case any of them figure into your Make Socks Mend Socks plans. Use the code MSMS2024 for 10% off any of them :)
PS For those not taking part in Make Socks, Mend Socks, never fear, this will be the last email for some time regarding our gentle yearlong sock challenge!
And to kick off our chat -- above is my current sock WIP which I'm *hoping* to finish before month's end. It's a pair of offset rib socks, knit in a fun striping DK-weight yarn. I've knit the first sock (bar the afterthought heel) and have knit about half of the second sock leg since taking this photo!
I need to do a lot of sock mending this year; I have a huge bag of socks in need of darning, and very few hand knit socks in my sock drawer! However, my first sock based project of 2024 is finishing off the second sock of a few pairs of socks for my friend. Her mum (an avid knitter, especially of socks) very sadly passed away unexpectedly last summer, and left a few unfinished pairs. I’ve almost finished the second pair, which will leave three more. I’d like to finish those before the end of this quarter. I have also inherited some of her sock yarn stash (as well as having plenty of my own!) so I’ll be making myself some new socks this year at some point. I may need a bigger sock drawer!
I saw the Instagram post for this in January and thought it was a great idea, and promptly forgot about it until I did some mending this week.
I have a basket of things (mostly socks, a cowl, a shawl, and a couple of pairs of gloves) that need mending, and many of its occupants have been there for some time. A quick look and I estimate that there are about 10 pairs of my husband’s socks and three of mine in there.
I would love to get these back into circulation. I am also going to try and mend things when they are starting to wear and can be duplicate stitched (my favourite method) rather than waiting for actual holes to appear!
Regarding new socks, I am hoping this year to make a dent in my sizeable stash of sock yarn and patterns, many of which I still love and want to make.
Thus far this year, I’ve finished two pairs of socks, with four further pairs nearly finished (!) and mended one and a half pairs.
Thank you for organising the hashtag and giving me the boost to do some mending.
As I can’t share a picture in the comment, my latest finished sock make is here:
I just found this page, but have been posting my socks on Instagram so far (@ prettoemma) 😊 My main goal is to knit four pairs for my partner (two done already!), but I also hope I'll be able to churn out a few pairs for my kids.
If anyone has a pattern suggestion for a fun pattern in larger sizes I would love to hear it! Vanilla socks can get a little tedious when the recipient has large feet..
I’ve completed two pairs of socks this quarter, both free patterns by a local to me designer. I’ve also cast on a third pair (pressed flowers) which are taking a rest while I finish a couple of urgent WIPs. Next quarter I hope to finish Pressed Flowers and some childrens socks for ACAN, which will be sent to Ukraine.
I've knitted 1 complete pair, another one and a half socks done, frogged one sock, haven't decided about another pair with just one sock done. I've also found 4 socks that need mending. So not great progress. I think I do better when I belong to a sock club and have a plan so I've created a search on Ravelry of all the sock patterns from my Making Stories magazines and sorted it in a random order. I'll pick the first one, select yarn and start. Just half a sock on my current project to go.
I have looked back through my making and mending so far this year and was surprised that I had mended six pairs and made a further six pairs - a total of 12 pairs this quarter. I will admit that two of the new pairs were sock tubes mostly knit in 2023 and finished and having heels and toes put in in 2024.
Thank you for organising this challenge, it has really re-ignited my sock obsession. I have two active sock WIPs at the moment, and about another six pairs in need of mending.
And to kick off our chat -- above is my current sock WIP which I'm *hoping* to finish before month's end. It's a pair of offset rib socks, knit in a fun striping DK-weight yarn. I've knit the first sock (bar the afterthought heel) and have knit about half of the second sock leg since taking this photo!
Do baby socks count?
I need to do a lot of sock mending this year; I have a huge bag of socks in need of darning, and very few hand knit socks in my sock drawer! However, my first sock based project of 2024 is finishing off the second sock of a few pairs of socks for my friend. Her mum (an avid knitter, especially of socks) very sadly passed away unexpectedly last summer, and left a few unfinished pairs. I’ve almost finished the second pair, which will leave three more. I’d like to finish those before the end of this quarter. I have also inherited some of her sock yarn stash (as well as having plenty of my own!) so I’ll be making myself some new socks this year at some point. I may need a bigger sock drawer!
I saw the Instagram post for this in January and thought it was a great idea, and promptly forgot about it until I did some mending this week.
I have a basket of things (mostly socks, a cowl, a shawl, and a couple of pairs of gloves) that need mending, and many of its occupants have been there for some time. A quick look and I estimate that there are about 10 pairs of my husband’s socks and three of mine in there.
I would love to get these back into circulation. I am also going to try and mend things when they are starting to wear and can be duplicate stitched (my favourite method) rather than waiting for actual holes to appear!
Regarding new socks, I am hoping this year to make a dent in my sizeable stash of sock yarn and patterns, many of which I still love and want to make.
Thus far this year, I’ve finished two pairs of socks, with four further pairs nearly finished (!) and mended one and a half pairs.
Thank you for organising the hashtag and giving me the boost to do some mending.
As I can’t share a picture in the comment, my latest finished sock make is here:
https://www.instagram.com/p/C4S96PKLO4n/?igsh=Z2t1a2N5MHV1MWM3
I just found this page, but have been posting my socks on Instagram so far (@ prettoemma) 😊 My main goal is to knit four pairs for my partner (two done already!), but I also hope I'll be able to churn out a few pairs for my kids.
If anyone has a pattern suggestion for a fun pattern in larger sizes I would love to hear it! Vanilla socks can get a little tedious when the recipient has large feet..
Managing my one pair per month so far this year! The socks are working in around garment knitting, at which I am very (very) slow.
I’ve completed two pairs of socks this quarter, both free patterns by a local to me designer. I’ve also cast on a third pair (pressed flowers) which are taking a rest while I finish a couple of urgent WIPs. Next quarter I hope to finish Pressed Flowers and some childrens socks for ACAN, which will be sent to Ukraine.
I've knitted 1 complete pair, another one and a half socks done, frogged one sock, haven't decided about another pair with just one sock done. I've also found 4 socks that need mending. So not great progress. I think I do better when I belong to a sock club and have a plan so I've created a search on Ravelry of all the sock patterns from my Making Stories magazines and sorted it in a random order. I'll pick the first one, select yarn and start. Just half a sock on my current project to go.
I have looked back through my making and mending so far this year and was surprised that I had mended six pairs and made a further six pairs - a total of 12 pairs this quarter. I will admit that two of the new pairs were sock tubes mostly knit in 2023 and finished and having heels and toes put in in 2024.
Thank you for organising this challenge, it has really re-ignited my sock obsession. I have two active sock WIPs at the moment, and about another six pairs in need of mending.