Switching to the winter clothes and I noticed some of my favorite socks are wearing thin in the heel.
My wife and kids gifted me several pairs of Smartwool over the calf socks and most of the heels are wearing thin after only a couple of winters.
I have some Thorlo brand and others are still OK after many years?
I shudder to think what they paid for them.
In years past when the heel wore out, I’d make them in to mittens for ice climbing, the textured ice ax handles wore them quickly. Shorten the foot to finger length and use the for the thumb attaching at the worn heel location.
My fellow climbers laughed but asked for them after quickly trashing a pair of Dachstein ($$$) mitts and covers.
Using my thinnest free arm machine would be a stretch for this repair, plus I like the socks.
NEEDLE FELTING!!! That should work.
First-round I used cut-offs from a felted plush wool blanket. Worked well and wears well!
Second-round, polyester batting, works surprisingly well for needle felting! worked but a bit too much loft and need to be compressed by a few passes of the sewing machine. Wears well!
Three is the charm. I had some dense 3” diameter polyester cutouts from a local junk/fun store: https://www.sciplus.com/
Slide a scrub brush in the sock for the needle to penetrate, lay the circle over the wear spot’ a minute or two with a medium felting needle on each sock.
EASY PEASY!
Works best before an actual hole develops.
Like this only easier.
PS: I tend to be cheap, thrifty, miserly, parsimonious, and dare I say it, niggardly. AND PROUD OF IT.
I used to be a devotee of SmartWool....but I like Darn Tough better, w/ their Unconditional Guarantee for Life, made right here in Northfield, Vermont.
https://darntough.com/pages/darn-tough-vermont-community
NEEDLE FELTING!!! That should work.
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Have you washed them yet? Results? Does the felting hold w/use?