The joy of socks: To darn or not to darn....

[Salad Dodger]

Mrs Salad laughs at me, because I darn my socks. It seems wasteful to me to chuck away socks with the odd hole in the toe, which could be repaired quite easily.
Even I have to concede defeat eventually, and chuck the offending items away, but I can at least prolong the life of them for quite a while.
What do other CycleChatters do? Throw them away at first sign of a hole? Or effect running repairs and carry on?

 

[ianrauk]

Life is too short to darn socks.

 

[Bazzer]

Same here. I sew holes in the toes. Less than 5 mins if you catch the hole early enough.

 

[Profpointy]

Mine tend to wear through the heel, so are basically shot by that point. Not much value in patching in an inch diameter bit into the heel of a sock which would likely rub.

I do mend clothes generally, though there was the linen trousers incident. Mrs PP had commented that the arse of my linen suit was a bit thin, and I explained that linen was a lightweight and thin cloth. Inevitably the arse went through a few days later when I was working away. Managed to buy needle and thread and spend three quarters of an hour sewing up this big rent in the back so I could see the week out. "Remember, I'm always right" has become a catch-phrase if I pooh-pooh a suggestion. She is as well !

 

[Drago]

I let the holes grow and grow, and the socks get more and more comfortable acdordingly, until Mrs D spots them, accuses me of robbing a scarecrow for my clothing, and throws them in the bin.

I wonder how many people darn their socks in the interests of reducing waste, yet happily upgrade perfectly good mobile phones ever 18 months without giving that a second thought?

 

[Archie_tect]

Darn it!

+ my phone's still going strong ... only the fourth one I've had since the Alcatel brick in 1995! I don't re-use toilet paper though... not now.

 

[NorthernSky]

i darn my socks! no shame at all, takes a few minutes for many months more wear

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I chuck mine away when the holes get too big, now I'm retired and no longer wear steel toe capped boots I get several years use out of a pair of socks, by the time they're holy I've had my money's worth out of them.

 

[Dave7]

i darn my socks! no shame at all, takes a few minutes for many months more wear

Black socks......red repair wool/cotton. What's not to like

 

[Archie_tect]

Our son was given a pack of black socks with different colours on the toes and heels... Mrs A_T used to be genuinely upset when he mixed the colours up... even more so when someone have him days of the week and he not only mixed up the days but wore the wrong days' socks each day!

 

[sheddy]

I'd like to, but wifey snatches them off me and (while laughing hysterically) cuts them up.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

My mum always used to darn things using an old light bulb, but I haven't got the patience.
I just wear stuff until the holes get too big for "best" use, then they get relegated for use as work socks until they finally fall apart. In the winter I often wear two pairs for extra warmth, so I'll strategically choose two knackered pairs where the holes are in different places so they don't line up. I use them as boot polishers or chain cleaning rags when they get too bad even for use inside work boots.

 

[annedonnelly]

You do know that once they're past repair they make great rags for cleaning bike chains, don't you?

 

[Archie_tect]

Once past repair you say... ah!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

You do know that once they're past repair they make great rags for cleaning bike chains, don't you?

Chain cleaners, boot polish rags, rags to wipe your dipstick on when checking your engine oil. Old socks have a multitude of end of life uses. I do the same with old underwear too. I'm trying to get the less than wholesome mental image of @Drago's Y-fronts out of my head now....