Caring For Heels And Souls

How it started.... I was attending a holiday event and the group was collecting "gently" used items of clothing for local veterans. Overflowing bags lined a wooden bench and on top of one of the bags was a pair of socks.  They were laundered, lightly worn, and I am not sure whether they stood out because there were no others, or the fact that they looked out of place.  

The person donating them was kind, but I wanted more.  My feet matter to me.  If they hurt, I hurt.  If they are cold, I am cold. I decided at that moment that I was going to redirect my creative process so that I could make socks.   
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​The socks...are hand cranked, using high quality fibers on circular sock machines that have been making socks for over 100 years.

Getting ready for fall of 2018...follow along as each stage is completed.

 ....Cones of yarn are purchased -this cuts cost for materials- and then wound into 200 gram skeins for dyeing. I use wool and wool/bamboo blends to make the donated socks - and those available for sale. The fiber is blended with nylon to add strength and durability to the fiber. Wool is cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  It doesn't retain odors (like cotton does) and it wicks away moisture. Yes, it costs more than cotton but is a higher quality. Consider purchasing a pair for yourself in addition to helping someone in need! 
There are many stages to dyeing.  The yarn has to be presoaked, dyed, heated, allowed to rest, washed and finally allowed to dry.  Each step requires a resting time as temperature is important.  If you shock wool with extreme temperatures, it will felt, so a constant temperature has to be maintained at each stage.   As you can see there are a lot of color options for the socks that will be made this fall.

Works in progress....