Socks, Darn It
I can sew. Can you? When I was a kid my mother taught me how to sew. I can handle a sewing needle like a ninja in the night. She told me that even boys needed to learn how to sew. That and I was the only one in the house with eyes good enough to thread a needle. What would I do, while at college, if a button came off my shirt?, she asked me. Of course, being a kid, I was thinking…..go buy another one! She taught me how to sew a patch on a pair of blue jeans, how to darn a sock, how to replace a button (both kinds) and how to repair a tear.
All my sisters have these big noisy electrically powered, push button, self feeding sewing machines and they rip through repairs like a fat kid through a box of doughnuts.
Well, I wield a sewing needle! Ok, so it’s not the most manly-man kinda’ thing but ya’ know what? I can fix stuff. I don’t care if it’s my old used lawn mower, any one of my many clocks, all my friends’ computers or my favorite shirt. I can fix it. It’s what I do. Sewing is one of those zen-like exercises that focuses me and makes me enjoy the process as well as the end result. It’s like working on a clock. Every step you take is obviously important to the final result.
Recently Grannymar put up a podcast about her sewing box and it got me thinking about my Moms sewing box that I have in a drawer in my bedroom. It’s full of the odd buttons and assorted needles, a tailors tape measure, scissors, pinking shears, a scapular of St. Martin de Porres, pins, thread, a half a zipper, hooks and eyelets and all that stuff you would expect to find in a sewing box. It also contains an odd looking egg shaped chunk of wood. It took me awhile but it finally dawned on me that it is a darning egg. One of the most useful little gizmos ever invented. I have no doubt that you just throw away a pair of socks that develop a hole in them. Well guess what? So do I or I should say so did I.
Today after reading Grannymars latest post I decided to break out that old darning egg and see if I still had it in me. Haha! I am currently wearing a really warm and comfy pair of recently repaired wool socks.
I had written a post and put it up yesterday afternoon. WordPress, in their dictatorial wisdom, decided to delete yesterdays post in favor of this one. Yesterdays’ post is gone, poof, history, outta’ here. Thanks, WordPress! I appreaciate it! You’re such a pal !!!
Blogger’s an equally good friend to me. Saves me having to self-edit; it deletes everything!
Good for you! There’s is nothing more unattractive than a helpless man other than a helpless man with holes in his socks wearing a shirt with half its buttons.
My dad taught me how to sew, I’m not sure why that wasn’t my mom’s job.
You’ve inspired me to pick up the darning needles and learn this critical – and increasingly lost skill.
Thank goodness Michele sent me tonight!
Well done Brianf!
posts like yours give the will to keep going.