Free socks

[hel&scott]

Today I received a box of new, free socks. A few weeks back my daughter caught me going through my old socks and darning those that had developed holes. She laughed at my resourceful frugality and pointed out that icebreaker offer a lifetime guarantee on their socks. Given the price of good hiking socks I've always taken good care of my socks as they take a heavy beating and I need them to look after my feet. I was torn about sending my old socks off for replacement as I have worn them on several caminos now, yes I know one shouldn't be sentimental over holy socks. So I bundled up my old icebreaker socks and sent them in.

Now I am looking at a load of new hiking socks that are stretchy and smooth. It's a shame to wear them with my old gumboots, but a at least they won't sag down like my farm socks. It's good to see a company standing behind their products like this... Just a shame their lifetime guarantee doesn't apply to their merino tops and leggings as I have some interestingly darned sets of these.

 

[Texas Walker]

Now I am looking at a load of new hiking socks that are stretchy and smooth. It's a shame to wear them with my old gumboots, but a at least they won't sag down like my farm socks. It's good to see a company standing behind their products like this... Just a shame their lifetime guarantee doesn't apply to their merino tops and leggings as I have some interestingly darned sets of these.

Heh. I recently repaired my Icebreaker dress. First repair looked awful, so I pulled the stitches as well as possible. Then I put a double layer of pantyhose knit behind the holes and did as possible with baseball stitch. Imperfect thread match, ended up embroidering over it. Maybe I should try finding floss to match my Icebreaker garments before anything else happens?

 

[debra]

that is very cool. I had no idea that they guarantee their socks

 

[Camino Chrissy]

that is very cool. I had no idea that they guarantee their socks

As far as I know, "Darn tough" brand socks has a guarantee, as well.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Heh. I recently repaired my Icebreaker dress. First repair looked awful, so I pulled the stitches as well as possible. Then I put a double layer of pantyhose knit behind the holes and did as possible with baseball stitch. Imperfect thread match, ended up embroidering over it. Maybe I should try finding floss to match my Icebreaker garments before anything else happens?

Very impressive - baseball stitch eh? A sailmaker once did a repair for me; same stitch, different name.

 

[hel&scott]

Very impressive - baseball stitch eh? A sailmaker once did a repair for me; same stitch, different name.

We've always called this the Frankinstien stitch, for obvious reasons, but it's a good way to bring the pieces of a gap back together before weaving over them to make a smooth darn, or as @Texas Walker has done a feature embroidery.

I must admit on my thinner merino tops and leggings I baste in some backing before machine darning over them as while it looks a bit obvious it makes a smoother repair and these garments are usually worn as a base layer so you don't see them.

My knitting group often gets left favourite garments to repair, sadly darning skills are a dying art, but it's great to see a much loved garment returned to beautiful use. Not that I am missing my old socks, I broke out my waking shoes and took advantage if a fine day to head off to a local trail to break them in.

 

[Pilar]

Heh. I recently repaired my Icebreaker dress. First repair looked awful, so I pulled the stitches as well as possible. Then I put a double layer of pantyhose knit behind the holes and did as possible with baseball stitch. Imperfect thread match, ended up embroidering over it. Maybe I should try finding floss to match my Icebreaker garments before anything else happens?

Very resourceful! I identify with that!

 

[Pilar]

that is very cool. I had no idea that they guarantee their socks

Feetures does the same. I have done it without issue.

 

[Elle Bieling]

Darning??? What the h--- is that??

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Darning??? What the h--- is that??

What your Grandma would have done out of necessity - darn it!

Ballet dancers have to do it to their pointe shoes too

 

[Elle Bieling]

What your Grandma would have done out of necessity - darn it!

Ballet dancers have to do it to their pointe shoes too

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Ha ha, my mother actually did it and tried to teach me how. (I suppose I am older than I look). While I love to sew, I never felt the need to crank out the repairs needed for a hole in a pair of socks when new ones are inexpensive. I avoid wearing them whenever possible anyway! Oops - that is NON-hiking socks that have to stand up to 800 km!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Ha ha, my mother actually did it and tried to teach me how. (I suppose I am older than I look). While I love to sew, I never felt the need to crank out the repairs needed for a hole in a pair of socks when new ones are inexpensive. I avoid wearing them whenever possible anyway! Oops - that is NON-hiking socks that have to stand up to 800 km!

A disappearing skill. I got my first pair of Levis when I was 14 still had them 5 years later but my mother wouldn't let me wear them because two holes had appeared "between the legs".
An age'd aunt came to stay with us for a week (we lived on the coast and she hadn't been well) and she chopped them down to cut-offs and used the excess material to make exquisite, almost invisible darned patches - she even lined up the weave! My mother said it was a waste of time because I'd never wear them.
FIVE years later and still able to wear them - Original Levis were TOUGH - when my then girlfriend took them over. Cut a deep V in the back to reshape them and wore them on and off for a few years. Our 30 y.o. daughter now has them - not bad for 53 y.o. jeans and a darning needle.

 

[Kathryn1966]

Icebreaker have a lifetime guarantee so no matter how bad your socks look they will give you a new pair

 

[Delphinoula]

I love mending things. For Socks you need to be pretty good so not rub your feet with it. But how great it this you take something that another person would through away and give it a new life span. I always take left over plants and give them another chance. But for the Camino it’s great to fix your things less weight to carry.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I used to love mending things until I discovered I can buy thrift store items so inexpensively. I now recycle my holey socks by putting them on my hands to wash my bike or wax the car...then toss!