Socks Alive!

Socks are like coat hangers. They either multiply randomly without reason or disappear as if a sock monster is busy snatching every single sock that hits the floor without its mate. Around here, I blame the washer. I just know it will quit working one day and we will open it to find all the socks it has gorged on over the years. However it happens, there always seems to be an excess of odd socks.

There are several handy uses for these, as is.
_Dusting mitts are one of my favorites. Athletic socks with their terry lining make great dust rags. Just turn the sock inside out, stick your hand in and dust. Same goes for use as dish rags.
_Cut a circular hole big enough to get your hand through in the side of a cardboard box and fill with old socks. Kept in the garage, shop or utility room this makes a handy rag box. For oily, greasy clean up you will have a ready supply of throw-away rags.
_Baby socks and light weight children's socks make good pounce and dusting powder bags. Various crafts projects require dusting the molds with talc so they will release properly. Simply fill the end of the sock with powder and tightly rubber band the top. The larger socks work nicely for applying after bath talc. Dress them up with a pretty ribbon and store in a small decorative bowl in the bathroom.
_Stuff a baby sock with catnip and tie the top tightly shut with a length of string. Leave a 4" tail of string and you have instant 'mouse' cat toy.
_Stuff holey socks into a long, athletic mismatch and tie or sew the end shut... Instant dog toy. If you want to give your big dog extra fun, put an empty 20 oz. plastic pop bottle in the sock instead. It makes lots of noise when chewed on, which my big pup just loves!

Speaking of holey socks, remember sitting around darning those? Probably not. My grandmother darned them beautifully. I figured out right quick why the word "Darn" came to be used as an expletive. It is a useful thing to know how to do and the techniques can be used to repair shirts, sweaters and even to sturdily patch jeans. Below are some links to my favorite info sites on darning and patching that you might find interesting and useful.

VintageSewing.info is a wonderful site offering turn of the century tutorials.
The following pages deal with repairing knitted items, HJS Studios and Once Upon A Pattern.

I normally prefer less time consuming methods of dealing with our ragged socks.
_Pillows of all sorts can be made using socks for stuffing.
_An old pillowcase full of socks and sewn shut makes for a comfy and machine washable small breed dog bed or cat pillow.
_Cut the foot off athletic or knee socks, leaving a 3/4" to 1" length beyond the stretchy top. Fold this to the inside and whip stitch in place. These 'tubes' may be used to hold large bandages in place on an arm or leg. Packing glasses for shipment or storage (even with the foot on) is another use. Cut holes for front legs and you have an instant tiny dog sweater.
_Intact toes can be cut off and hemmed to be used for baby doll caps. Add a ribbon bow to the top and matching ribbon ties for the finishing touches.
_While on doll clothes, the tops make quick doll sweaters too... Roll the cut edge out to the front and stitch in place with elastic thread. Draw the neck in slightly as you sew. Cut holes for the arms. Make sleeves out of pieces from a matching sock top, first sewing them into proper size tubes then stitching them into place.
_Shredded socks can be used in making craft paper too, but that is for another topic and another day!

Yikes!

Obviously, I still haven't figured out how to include illustrations in the posts very effectively. Slightly surprised it came out as well as it did after all the tinkering I did without a clue as to what I was doing! lol

Milk Jug Bird Feeder

Tools and Supplies Required

1 milk jug with lid
2 wooden ½” dowel rods, about 10” long
2 pieces pliable wire, 8” long each
length of rope or an old narrow belt
Marker
Box cutter or sharp knife
Scissors
Nail or Heavy Needle

Wash and rinse the jug. If there is a strong odor of spoiled milk and stubborn milk residue, fill with hot water, add a tablespoon of baking soda and let sit for a couple of hours before proceeding.

Mark your doors and where you want the perches. Perches should be about 1” from the bottom and the door about ½” above that. Note lower illustration… One side will need to be about ½” lower than the other so the perches have clearance to cross each other in the center.

Make a cut at the center of your door, as shown. Using your scissors cut outward in a spiral, as marked (in blue) on the picture. This makes following your outline, rounding the corners and getting the shape you want easier.

Snipping holes for dowels can be a little tricky. You want fit to be snug so they don’t slide or roll. I suggest pushing in the point of the knife to make two small slices as shown. This will allow you to push the dowel through and out the other side without getting the hole so large as to be ‘sloppy’. A common problem is getting the hole a bit large. If that happens, just position your dowels, then slide ½” rubber washers (the kind used in garden hoses work fine) over the dowels and up against the jug to lock it in place. A dot of hot glue between washer and jug will keep it from rolling when birds light on it.

Notice the cap area and how the jug is made. There are usually ‘rings’ or heavier circles around the spout. Immediately below this is where you will put your wire for hanging.

Poke two holes, about ½” apart, right at the base of the bottom ring. Repeat on the opposite side. When you get the nail through the plastic, wiggle it around to widen the hole a bit. This will not only make it bigger, but will help smooth the edges making it easier to push the wire through.

About 3” from an end, make a 90 degree bend in the wire. Put long side through the hole and bend upwards. Make loops, as shown, on each side. Depending on how stiff your wire is, you may want to make a twist in it to secure.

Thread your rope through the loops and tie securely to branch. Do not pull the jug too tightly against the limb. If the branch is a bit too upright, just take a wrap with the rope before tying together. This will hold the feeder in place nicely while still allowing it to hang freely.

Some people like to use just a length of wire to hang the feeder from the tree branch, but I prefer the rope or belt because it does not damage the branch so badly over time. If you do use wire, be sure to wrap it with duct tape or a bit of rag where it rubs the limb.

Although I have never had a problem with moisture getting into the jug, it is a good idea to use your nail to poke a few small holes in the bottom for drainage… particularly if you live in a rainy area.