People, people, people

You’re going through the various stages of grief for the Sassy Socks. I understand. And some of you are stuck at the denial stage.

In time, you will come to understand that:

1) It was a very big hole to darn. My trusty darning egg and I darn smaller holes, and repair newer socks. This was a total heel blowout on a sock that had not aged well.
2) They were old and pilly and entirely unappealing as wristwarmers. Really.
3) Life is short and my knitting time is too. And I’d rather knit than futz with replacing heels.
4) I have a drawer full of other handknit socks and much sock yarn in the waiting

Thus, I will not be repairing or repurposing the socks. They’re SOCKS. Let them go. Really. It’s okay.

40 Comments on “People, people, people

  1. I’ve heard The Harlot say she darns socks — in the sense that she carries them to the garbage can, says “Darn” and drops them in.
    Posted by: rams

  2. I’ve heard The Harlot say she darns socks — in the sense that she carries them to the garbage can, says “Darn” and drops them in.
    Posted by: rams

  3. Ha. It’s true. I like to refer to the chapter on socks in the yarn harlots 3rd book, on why we knit them even though we know they will not last. I with you on the whole wearing out buisness, even though I do hang on to my worn out socks….
    Posted by: Julia

  4. I just replaced some really holey socks belonging to my son, there was no way I was even attempting to darn them. There is always more sock yarn and knitting is much more enjoyable than darning!
    Posted by: yvette

  5. Ha. It’s true. I like to refer to the chapter on socks in the yarn harlots 3rd book, on why we knit them even though we know they will not last. I with you on the whole wearing out buisness, even though I do hang on to my worn out socks….
    Posted by: Julia

  6. I just replaced some really holey socks belonging to my son, there was no way I was even attempting to darn them. There is always more sock yarn and knitting is much more enjoyable than darning!
    Posted by: yvette

  7. Bravo! for sticking to your guns and refusing to cave in to those other suggestions! When it’s time, it’s time; and a wise woman knows that.
    Posted by: nancyneverswept

  8. sock be done! i’m about to drop off a sweater (handknit by me) to the thrift store (i had thought about unraveling; felting into a bag or something else, but like you said, i just don’t want to do any knitting i don’t want to do & don’t like how the sweater fits), so i fully understand.

    by the way…how the hell do you darn really? is it just sewing up and over the hole or something more skilled?
    Posted by: k

  9. I crack up every time I read your page! I’ve got a few pairs of hand knits I did while I was pregnant and now I’ve got more than one pair to rotate…but I tend to wear the same pair all the time. They won’t last and when they too blow out, I’ll be chucking them too. I already did a mini repair once and can’t be bothered anymore. Glad to know that I’m not bucking a major knitting taboo alone!
    Posted by: Cambria W

  10. I threw out a pair of KOIGU socks after I walked through them in NYC. They weren’t very old either. But I was DONE with them. Done.
    Posted by: Celia

  11. Bravo! for sticking to your guns and refusing to cave in to those other suggestions! When it’s time, it’s time; and a wise woman knows that.
    Posted by: nancyneverswept

  12. sock be done! i’m about to drop off a sweater (handknit by me) to the thrift store (i had thought about unraveling; felting into a bag or something else, but like you said, i just don’t want to do any knitting i don’t want to do & don’t like how the sweater fits), so i fully understand.

    by the way…how the hell do you darn really? is it just sewing up and over the hole or something more skilled?
    Posted by: k

  13. I crack up every time I read your page! I’ve got a few pairs of hand knits I did while I was pregnant and now I’ve got more than one pair to rotate…but I tend to wear the same pair all the time. They won’t last and when they too blow out, I’ll be chucking them too. I already did a mini repair once and can’t be bothered anymore. Glad to know that I’m not bucking a major knitting taboo alone!
    Posted by: Cambria W

  14. I threw out a pair of KOIGU socks after I walked through them in NYC. They weren’t very old either. But I was DONE with them. Done.
    Posted by: Celia

  15. Plus, I don’t know if I would want to wear something on my hands and wrists that had been so frequently worn on my feet. Ew.
    Posted by: Michelle

  16. Actually it’s encouraging to hear that YOU CAN DISPOSE of handknits that are no longer functioning – whether it be “worn-out” or “never.did.fit”! I’ve only been knitting a year or so and not that I’ve accummulated a whole lot I suspect I will. I have decided though that when handknit socks bite the dust they will have one brief afterlife- as a stuffed dog toy for a lab – now that will last all of 10 minutes and then it will be no problem to throw them out!!
    Posted by: robin

  17. Love your poem, Thirteen Ways . . . I am not a knitter but love reading instructions (haha). I had to toss the one sweater I ever knitted. It was a heavy winter yarn, took four years, and I did something wrong to the neck as it was the only off-the-shoulder wool sweater I ever saw and I had to wear another sweater underneath. It was warm though. Now I stick to sewing and recognize the similarity between your yarn stash and my fabric stash. Nice blog here.
    Posted by: Silverbird

  18. Forgot to mention this yarn shop discovered touring in sourtheast Minnesota (town of Harmony):
    http://www.bluffcountry.com/austins.htm

    Sells angora (goat) yarn, both spun and raw (also raw died in beautiful colors for fiber artists). And knitted socks among many other things. Beautiful (though pricy, but worth it) yarn.
    Posted by: Silverbird

  19. Plus, I don’t know if I would want to wear something on my hands and wrists that had been so frequently worn on my feet. Ew.
    Posted by: Michelle

  20. Actually it’s encouraging to hear that YOU CAN DISPOSE of handknits that are no longer functioning – whether it be “worn-out” or “never.did.fit”! I’ve only been knitting a year or so and not that I’ve accummulated a whole lot I suspect I will. I have decided though that when handknit socks bite the dust they will have one brief afterlife- as a stuffed dog toy for a lab – now that will last all of 10 minutes and then it will be no problem to throw them out!!
    Posted by: robin

  21. Love your poem, Thirteen Ways . . . I am not a knitter but love reading instructions (haha). I had to toss the one sweater I ever knitted. It was a heavy winter yarn, took four years, and I did something wrong to the neck as it was the only off-the-shoulder wool sweater I ever saw and I had to wear another sweater underneath. It was warm though. Now I stick to sewing and recognize the similarity between your yarn stash and my fabric stash. Nice blog here.
    Posted by: Silverbird

  22. Forgot to mention this yarn shop discovered touring in sourtheast Minnesota (town of Harmony):
    http://www.bluffcountry.com/austins.htm

    Sells angora (goat) yarn, both spun and raw (also raw died in beautiful colors for fiber artists). And knitted socks among many other things. Beautiful (though pricy, but worth it) yarn.
    Posted by: Silverbird

  23. I myself just threw out some handknit socks…they were absolutely wonderful socks but they served me well and put in their time. Now I get to make more!
    Posted by: LeAnne

  24. Aha. You have a point there.

    Yes, even as I was advocating darning, I was also thinking “hey, that would be oddly liberating. Throw AWAY things when then break, rather than having them cluttering up my entire house. Hmmmm!”

    You are an inspiration!
    Posted by: Gina

  25. I’m reading this post on a Sunday morning as I’m contemplating darning a heel blowout in my favorite pair of handknit socks. Throwing them in the trash is something to consider, I’ll see how I feel after my coffee.
    Posted by: Amy

  26. I myself just threw out some handknit socks…they were absolutely wonderful socks but they served me well and put in their time. Now I get to make more!
    Posted by: LeAnne

  27. Aha. You have a point there.

    Yes, even as I was advocating darning, I was also thinking “hey, that would be oddly liberating. Throw AWAY things when then break, rather than having them cluttering up my entire house. Hmmmm!”

    You are an inspiration!
    Posted by: Gina

  28. I’m reading this post on a Sunday morning as I’m contemplating darning a heel blowout in my favorite pair of handknit socks. Throwing them in the trash is something to consider, I’ll see how I feel after my coffee.
    Posted by: Amy

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