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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,938
4,571
S. Lanarkshire
I replaced and entire double knee panel on Himself's walking trousers rather than condemn them to the 'painting clothes' box. I scavenged the fabric from a previous pair that had gone that way. For the record the fabric behind the calf is usually the least worn on a pair of trousers if you're looking for patching material.

I re-stitched the seam channel of the drawstring hood on one of my cagoules

I've made my own slippers.

Repaired pockets and waistband on Son2's trousers.
Repaired the come adrift neckline on two of his polo shirts too.

Basically we're pretty much living at home all the time, and I see no reason to replace so that stuff looks crisp and new. Instead it's soft and comfortably worn in :)
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
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Exmoor
After ripping a favourite nightie, I've had to cut a bit off the length and rehem.

Knitted my own socks.

Made mittens and most of a new sweater, but I'm now waiting for shops to re open to get another ball to finish the sleeve off.

Patched the elbow of a favorite shirt.

Making new pyjamas from an old duvet cover that I dont use any more.

Been making a rag rug from old bits of material left over from other projects.
Always plenty to make and do.
 

punkrockcaveman

Full Member
Jan 28, 2017
1,457
1,512
yorks
I need to get on with fixing a few bits! Crotch has gone in chainsaw pants, several items need rewaterproofing, and socks are in a bad way. Anyone got ideas for making good wool socks last longer on the heels???

Making some wax bars for reproofing as we speak.
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
3,092
1,624
Vantaa, Finland
Right, so far I have actually managed to do something positive for my asthma. It only took 20 years for one of the doctors to say something useful besides the medication. Even so the mesage was so cryptic that Enigma is nothing in comparison, took me some months to translate it.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,938
4,571
S. Lanarkshire
I need to get on with fixing a few bits! Crotch has gone in chainsaw pants, several items need rewaterproofing, and socks are in a bad way. Anyone got ideas for making good wool socks last longer on the heels???

Making some wax bars for reproofing as we speak.

Learn how to unpick and reknit the heel using a double stitch rib. It makes it 'spongier' and it compresses instead of shredding.
Also, folks weave nylon into the wool supposedly to strengthen it, but in reality it chafes it away. It's not as good as claimed.

If you can't be bothered knitting it again, then you can patch using flannel or better yet a piece of felted wool......a shrunken pullover will yield loads of scraps even if you use most of it to make hats and mits, etc.,
Use a herringbone stitch to fasten the single layer patch neatly onto the knitting.

I can hear the screams now, but it works, and it works well. It was much used in the past by those who couldn't knit or darn and it lasted fine.
 
Jul 16, 2008
4
10
Nevada
This is normal life for me. Socks are still an issue. I better get back to fixing them. I bought a small embroidery hoop and use it in the sewing machine to repair socks. I got lazy... now I better dig it back out.

I’m always fixing something or making it from scratch.
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,938
4,571
S. Lanarkshire
There's a lovely lady named Sally who used to be a member on the old site.
Sally not only knits socks (to order) but she posted the simplest and clearest instructions I know on knitting socks.
Her pattern works really well, is properly and comfortably shaped, and worth trying.

Men used to knit their own socks. Soldiers (I know one old fellow who made money all wartime long doing them, and he never ever had a blister because he always knitted extra ones to layer up himself) sailors, lighthousekeepers, bachelors, etc.,
Sally's pattern can be found here...and knitting on pins is not rocket science, especially for folks who talk about knife sharpening kit :)

 
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Silverclaws2

Nomad
Dec 30, 2019
287
155
56
Devon
I never left 'make do and mend' - to find satisfaction in mending broken stuff and/or modifying it to my own tastes.

Hey I was even a professional repair person in the past.
 
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John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,109
2,847
66
Pembrokeshire
I have not done too much mending but I have done an awful lot of making!
Since I lost weight I have had to make/remake most of my clothing so most of it is too new to need repair :)
My main problem now is lack of available cash to buy materials so I have been working on getting fitter with long walks (from my door!) and on each walk I try to find a nice "walking pole" to harvest. Eventually the poles will be used to make a stick table for camps such as the Moot :)
I still have a load of socks that are still in their packaging from when I was given loads for review (in the days I wrote for magazines) so, although I am wearing a few out they are getting binned not darned!
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
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65
Exmoor
There's a lovely lady named Sally who used to be a member on the old site.
Sally not only knits socks (to order) but she posted the simplest and clearest instructions I know on knitting socks.
Her pattern works really well, is properly and comfortably shaped, and worth trying.

Men used to knit their own socks. Soldiers (I know one old fellow who made money all wartime long doing them, and he never ever had a blister because he always knitted extra ones to layer up himself) sailors, lighthousekeepers, bachelors, etc.,
Sally's pattern can be found here...and knitting on pins is not rocket science, especially for folks who talk about knife sharpening kit :)


That's basically the same pattern that I use for my double knit wool socks.except I use the five needles instead of four. I also have two different patterns for socks knitted on two normal needles.
Very satisfying to produce and very easy once you get the idea.
Circular knitting seems hard but once you get it, it's so easy and no sewing up afterwards either! I taught myself from that very pattern. Or one very like it.
To finish I just cast off the toe stitches together, so basically, have the front and back stitches held parallel on their needles and cast off as you would normally knitting both sets of stitches at the same time.
Sew in the two ends and you are done.!
 

Woody girl

Full Member
Mar 31, 2018
4,520
3,460
65
Exmoor
I think you knitters are all very skilled.
As with anything, it's about practice. I couldn't do archiving like you do for instance. As I have never done it.
Knitting is about practice and muscle memory, as much as being able to read a pattern, which realy is a kind of shorthand.
 

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