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Darning Wool Socks

Well it’s time of the season again to start darning those holey socks. Back in the good old days, people didn’t throw away socks with holes in them, as we do today, they mended it. Actually there was a time set aside during the year for that purpose usually between September and October.  There was always a full box of socks requiring attention.

As Robert Simon would say, “it’s the easiest thing in the world”, all you need are socks, a darning needle, yarn and a scissors. Back in the day, we used our teeth or an old razor blade to cut through the yarn. 

To make darning a little easier, listed are a few items required:

• Holey socks;
• Darning needles;
• Hard plastic balls or light bulbs;
• Yarn; and
• Scissors.

Here are the instructions to make life a little easier:

• Acquire yarn of the same color (if you can) and texture of the sock you are darning, and a darning needle;
• Place a light bulb or ball in the sock, position the hole over the light bulb or ball. The darning needle will slide or glide over the bulb or ball surface easily;
• Thread the darning needle with yarn leaving the ends unknotted. The darning method should not have any knots. The surface should be as smooth as the rest of the sock;
• Start darning about ½“ to the left or right side of the hole. Make several small vertical running stitches in the intact fabric of the sock, then turn the sock upside down and make another row of stitches next to the first;
• As you get closer to the hole, increase the number of running stitches. When you reach the area the hole begins,  your stitching should extend ½” above and below it;
• Continue your vertical running stitching until you reach the hole again. Take your yarn over the hole to the fabric on the other side, forming a vertical bridge. Your stitching should extend ½“ above and below the hole’s edges;
• Cut the yarn end once you have covered the hole with vertical yarn stitching. Make sure you extend the stitching by ½ “ past the hole so that both sides look the same;
• Re-thread your darning needle and begin work at ½“ from either side of the hole at the top or bottom. Now, take your threaded needle and weave it under and over the vertical yarn that cover the hole; and
• Once you have reached the opposite side of the hole, turn the sock upside down and weave another yarn strand next to the first. Continue until the hole as been covered or filled. Trim excess yarn.

Tips:

• Ensure your darning needle’s eye is large enough for the proper yarn size you are using
• A running stitch should be sewn by bringing the needle up through the fabric, then down again and up again
• Your stitches should be done evenly. Darn or stitch close together to create a tight weave

who knit ‘ya – who is your mother, where did you come from

see also, my Newfoundland Recipes 

kjp

White Bread

Yields – 4 loaves

Ingredients:

• 50 g yeast
• 730 ml water (luke warm)
• 1120 g bread flour
• 45 g shortening
• 65 g sugar
• 35 g milk powder
• 20 g salt
• Egg (beaten for egg wash)

Method

In a mixing bowl, add yeast and water. Make slurry. Sift and add flour on top of yeast. Add rest of ingredients of top of flour.  Using a dough hook, mix dough (on 1st speed) until all ingredients are well blended (approx 2 min).  Turn mixer to 2nd speed and mix to clean up stage (approx 6-10 min).

Remove dough from mixer. Lightly dust table surface and round dough up. Cover with plastic and let rest for 45 min (or until dough doubles in size).

Punch or knead down dough and let rest for 15 min.

Scale dough in 4 pieces. Round them and let rest for approx 10 min. shape dough and place in bread pans. Eggs wash tops.

Let proof until dough almost doubles in size or just stars to lift to top of pans.

Bake at 395 degrees F for approx 20-30 min. 

Tip:

• Slurry – mixture of water, yeast and a pinch of sugar to activate the yeast
• Proof or proofing – allowing the bread to rise
• Egg wash – egg beaten with 1 tsp water
• Water should be 26 degrees F
• To check if bread is done, tap bottom of loaf; if it sounds hollow it is done
• Bakers compress yeast can be purchased at a baking shop or at Bulk Barn
• 454 g bakers compress yeast is equal to 250-300 g of instant dry yeast

he’ll wish his bread dough – he wishes things were back as to where they were

see also, my Newfoundland Recipes

kjp

Lost Arts

Have we gotten to a point where we have lost our ways to convenient and disposable products? Is it easier to throw away items than repair them?  In our throw-away society, I believe, we have lost our traditional way of doing things and it is costing us lots of money in doing so.

Here are some of the Traditions or Arts we have lost within the last 50 years; knitting, darning, mending, sewing, cooking from scratch, food preserving, gardening, knife and scissors sharpening, food swapping (pot luck dinners), tea-leaf reading, card games, wine and beer making, letter writing, quilting, tie dying, story telling (or yarns), wool skeining, wool balling, reading, the list goes on.

I will be publishing articles on these issues, please feel free to comment or add your own to the Lost Arts.

fill you boots – do as you want

 see also, my Newfoundland Recipes

kjp