Does anyone remember the time when darning socks was an almost everyday task for wives and mothers? :)

These days, with the advent of new materials and woollen mixtures it's a past art.

Do people still wear socks with the big toe peeping out? :hihi:

Proof at last that you are considerably older than me.

I can only assume you mean something like this. (http://aseigo.bddf.ca/dms/1/294_300391_fer_2.jpg) :)

Does anyone remember the time when darning socks was an almost everyday task for wives and mothers? :)

These days, with the advent of new materials and woollen mixtures it's a past art.

Do people still wear socks with the big toe peeping out? :hihi:
Most of my socks as a boy were darned by either my mum or my gran!!I hated it!!you could feel the darned bit all the time either on your toes or at the heel!!I think thats why today I hardly ever wear socks even under my bike boots!!!!:)

...These days, with the advent of new materials and woollen mixtures it's a past art. ...
It certainly isn't, though it's not so much socks that are darned any more:

Darned landscape 1 (http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/projects/darning/rock.jpg)

Darned landscape 2 (http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/projects/darning/smlandscape.jpg)

I'm just about to start working on something similar myself :) .

It certainly isn't, though it's not so much socks that are darned any more:

Darned landscape 1 (http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/projects/darning/rock.jpg)

Darned landscape 2 (http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/projects/darning/smlandscape.jpg)

I'm just about to start working on something similar myself :) .

My God - that looks as though it may be a tad uncomfortable on the feet!

Those Darned Socks!

Wasn't that a Disney film? :confused:

Yes I remember them well, a wooden mushroom was used for darning them .

Also the "Hobbingfeet" to mend boots on.

I have some which I use as ornaments in the Garden now. LOOK. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/viking99/Picture013.jpg)

Does anyone remember the time when darning socks was an almost everyday task for wives and mothers? :)

These days, with the advent of new materials and woollen mixtures it's a past art.

Do people still wear socks with the big toe peeping out? :hihi:

Boy you were molly-coddled :hihi: , from being a teenager I had to darn me own My most treasured possession was a 'mushroom' with a light in it.

At £2 for a pack of five pairs socks are a throw away item these days so it's long time since I've darned any of mine :)

One of my granddaughters wears socks that are like gloves with a compartment for each toe, - they must be a darner's nightmare :o

Also the "Hobbingfeet" to mend boots on.



We had one of those, - I used to 'seg' my shoes on it :)

We had one of those, - I used to 'seg' my shoes on it :)
Everyone had a Hobbinfoot.
Matter of survival then it was.

Everyone had a Hobbinfoot.
Matter of survival then it was.

The glue had a really strong smell to it too.:gag:

Everyone had a Hobbinfoot.
.
I still have one. I use it as a doorstop for my garage.

I still have one. I use it as a doorstop for my garage.
I do LOOK (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/viking99/Picture013.jpg) :thumbsup:

As well as darned socks, I had a pair of knitted bathing trunks (how much water did they hold when you were paddling in the Humber at Cleethorpes??) and when a hole wore in them my mum darned 'em for me.
It wouldn't have been so bad but the trunks were red and the darning wool was green!!

As well as darned socks, I had a pair of knitted bathing trunks (how much water did they hold when you were paddling in the Humber at Cleethorpes??) and when a hole wore in them my mum darned 'em for me.
It wouldn't have been so bad but the trunks were red and the darning wool was green!!

:hihi: :hihi:

Yes I remember them well, a wooden mushroom was used for darning them .
Trouble was at our house we were so poor,we had to share one wooden mushroom between us.We sat waiting till the other person had finished darning, so we could do ours.I was so slow at darning,that everyone had fallen asleep by then. :hihi:

Trouble was at our house we were so poor,we had to share one wooden mushroom between us.We sat waiting till the other person had finished darning, so we could do ours.I was so slow at darning,that everyone had fallen asleep by then. :hihi:

We were so poor I only had one sock. Used it on alternate feet every other week.

On Mondays, "Wash Day", I went sockless. :(

We used to have a "Sock Basket" where my mum put all the socks after she'd washed 'em. If you wanted a pair for school, especially ones with no holes, then you had to be first up in the morning.
Last up (usually me) meant odd socks and a couple of darns at least.
Now I buy them in packs of five and throw 'em away at the first sign of wear. We've come a long way haven't we?

As well as darned socks, I had a pair of knitted bathing trunks (how much water did they hold when you were paddling in the Humber at Cleethorpes??) and when a hole wore in them my mum darned 'em for me.
It wouldn't have been so bad but the trunks were red and the darning wool was green!!

Bushbaby, I was reading your post out to my wife just now and she tells me that she had a knitted bathing outfit as a young child, and produced a photograph to prove it!

She, too, hated it. :)

I will post a picture on here this evening.

My wife also remembers the time when all bedsheets were made of cotton. When the centre of the sheets started to thin with use, her mum used to cut the sheet in half lengthwise, and sew a seam down the middle so the worn parts were to the outside edges of the bed.

Our older neighbour, in her mid 70's, also remembers this procedure at her home too. :)

Bushbaby, I was reading your post out to my wife just now and she tells me that she had a knitted bathing outfit as a young child, and produced a photograph to prove it!
:)

It's good to know that my memory doesn't lie

The only foto I have of myself in knitted trunks, Skegness 1965, shows that I'm also wearing a snake belt to keep them up. Can you believe that?

Yes I remember them well, a wooden mushroom was used for darning them .

That's right Poppins, a wooden mushroomn was used. I still have my late Mother's.

Also the "Hobbingfeet" to mend boots on.

I have some which I use as ornaments in the Garden now. LOOK. (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/viking99/Picture013.jpg)


I have the one my late Father used. You have given me an idea.

It's good to know that my memory doesn't lie

The only foto I have of myself in knitted trunks, Skegness 1965, shows that I'm also wearing a snake belt to keep them up. Can you believe that?

I had a snake belt when I was a kid.......brilliantly easy to fasten with childish hands, and eminently suitable for keeping your knitted trunks up in the Humber, I would have thought. :hihi:

Turning sheets was a well known thing, and done by many a good housewife.

My mother taught me to darn socks when I joined the RN in 1949.

Load of bragards trying to tell me you could afford socks

did you have some ......lime green or vibrant orange?
or even stripey vibrant colours.. fraid i did ...well i had to cos all my friends had some!!:rolleyes:

I do LOOK (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v689/viking99/Picture013.jpg) :thumbsup:

Hi Viking, What a great pic you just sent in. Luv it!! I like the old flat irons too. We had the same one was very flat the other somewhat a bit bigger but I can,t think why. I know my mum used to heat both
of them up on the fire. My brother was a cobbler so I am very familiar with the hobbin foot. he used to use some kind of black stuff to put on the sides of the shoe can't remember why.
Regards Vera.

Hi Viking, What a great pic you just sent in. Luv it!! I like the old flat irons too. We had the same one was very flat the other somewhat a bit bigger but I can,t think why. I know my mum used to heat both
of them up on the fire. My brother was a cobbler so I am very familiar with the hobbin foot. he used to use some kind of black stuff to put on the sides of the shoe can't remember why.
Regards Vera.

Hi Vera. The old flat irons went in sizes. I have two number 5's. I understand that a certain weight of iron was used to press certain materials. I agree that Viking's photograph is good. I bet it looks better l in reality. It shows imagination and a creative flair. Oh dear, I'm rambling on again.

I remember my mother "sides to middle - ing" sheets. My Gran used to darn socks & put patches on jeans - we hated it & after spending months - nay years getting your jeans all soft & shabby with holes in all the right places....she patched 'em!! Only fit for the bin after that!

Many years ago,there was a bloke on Morecambe sea front who would demonstrate,and sell a gadget that was supposed to make darning easy. Must have been worth his while because he had the same pitch for years during the Summer months. How many households have a "gadget" that has'nt been used for years,loads I would think.

Hi Vera. The old flat irons went in sizes. I have two number 5's. I understand that a certain weight of iron was used to press certain materials. I agree that Viking's photograph is good. I bet it looks better l in reality. It shows imagination and a creative flair. Oh dear, I'm rambling on again.

Hi Nigel
Yep! that's it I remember now about the irons just couldn't think for a minute why she heated the two up together. Yes it's given me some ideas for the garden as I do decorate mine up too. At the moment I have a duck section and a dog section. I like the interesting gardens where you can potter around people always find it interesting.
Vera.

Does anyone remember the time when darning socks was an almost everyday task for wives and mothers? :)

These days, with the advent of new materials and woollen mixtures it's a past art.

Do people still wear socks with the big toe peeping out? :hihi:

I remember my dad darning socks,( he was in the Navy in the war years, and probably learned the skill there.) he could do a really good neat job, the only problem was the darned hole was nearly twice as big as the original hole :hihi: he was really proud of his work, and taught me as a kid how to darn, I could never master the art of doing it as neat as him though.:|