Darning Socks

Here's an easy Hiking/Camping related subject that can be taught and practiced prior to camping season.

I start out the lesson giving basic instruction about foot care, socks, and keeping your nails clipped to not be cutting holes in your socks. We also speak about how miserable hiking can be with your toe sticking through a hole in your socks.

This ties in with always carrying an extra pair of socks on an expedition, in case you do get that hole in your sock, or when they get wet from a stream or just perspiration.

We then go into how a needle and a small spool of thread can equal a third pair of socks in your backpack, in that if you have a hole, you can put on your second pair of socks, darn the hole in the first pair, and still have two serviceable pairs of socks. We also talk about how much easier it is to repair a small hole in your sock, before it becomes a large, miserable hole.

Over the course of the year, I take my (washed) work socks that have gotten holes in the toes, and put them in my sock drawer with a rubber band around the bunch. Then on the night of the class, take the socks, and enough needles that every boy will get one, a spool of thread, and about a dozen empty soda-pop cans (plastic bottles would work, too). The reason for the bottles/cans is to slip them inside of the socks when darning them, so that the boys don't stick themselves in the hand.

I show the boys how to thread the needle, put the can in the sock, then weave the thread back & forth through the material of the sock; first going in a left/right pattern, then doing several passes with an up/down pattern. I like to use a contrasting color of thread from the color of the sock. It lets the boys see their work, and since these are just work-socks it doesn't bother anything.

When they get done, the boys tie off the running ends with a Square Knot or a Surgeon's Knot, and clip the ends, leaving about 1/2 inch of tail, so that it doesn't come undone.

The boys absolutely LOVE it. They can participate from age 8 on up.

At the end of the class, I have a dozen pair of repaired socks (although they may have some interesting patterns in the toes), and the boys have a skill-set that they can keep for life.

That is as good hands on lesson. I have a pair socks that have a hole right now. They have a lifetime warrenty so those socks will go back to Bass Pro. But we have used needle and thread to repair stuff out on the trail. I have some in my kit. It's been a while since I used it.

Good post.

Mark Jones

Excellent skill to learn and you get the boys to do your mundane work for ya!