I have been fascinated with yarn since childhood . I went through the crocheting , knitting and weaving on floor looms periods and loved it all cause I got to play with balls of yarn. But one fall day at the Weavers Guild in St Paul, a friend and I saw a pair of socks made on a circular sock machine. I thought these are nice and was about to move on when I saw a picture of the antique sock machine they were made on. My heart jumped and I fell in love. I had to have a sock machine. Not so easy if you want a nice old one but finally I got wind of someone in Australia who refurbished them and I had my machine. – I read somewhere on the Internet and I quote “The Sock Machine is definitely the Be-All, End-All of Knitter’s Toys. It takes a lot of patience to make it behave, but when I see that sock (or pair of socks) come to completion, it’s all worth it.” And I totally second this thought. There are now five sock machines residing in my house . Out in my garage studio, I have a new machine I make Wee Woolies Socks for babies on. Then there is the Creelman Money maker, it is set up for heavier yarns for those extra thick winter socks. The queen of my machines a 1860’s Legare 47 which sits in my family room where she greets all who enter. She is my first and most beloved and makes my women’s socks. I have 2 of her siblings -one set up to haul outside in the sun to crank and one set up for men’s socks – I am in sock machine heaven. |
It has been said that the pursuit and acquisition of sock yarn is a dangerous addiction – in fact among those of us who have the addiction the saying is the one who dies with the biggest stash of yarn wins (I am well on my way). I have at times had to ask neighbors to sort my mail and throw all the yarn catalogs away before I see them. But the internet has truly been my down fall. What does it say when my best friend is the lady who delivers my mail ? Well you get the picture.
My first pair of socks took 6 months of tearing hair, temper tampers and feeling of great despair then one day I got it – I shall remember the moment forever when I realized not only had I made a perfect pair of socks I could do it again.
Once I finally bonded with my machine I was off and running and soon realized I was going to go broke if I kept buying sock yarn and yet I did not know how to stop. Every flat surface of the house had a stack of socks on it – To say nothing about the fact you could not open a closet without having several skeins of sock yarn jump out. Thus began a new faze – selling the darn things so I could buy more yarn to make more.. I have great success in Minnesota at the craft fairs around Christmas. But when I moved to Arizona I realized I needed to find other ways to sell.– Not that we don’t wear socks here in the winter just its not quite the same fashion statement as in Minnesota , There when you go anywhere you pull off your boots and you need fun socks dress you up. So, here I am Bj’s Hand-cranked Socks Web Site was born. Anyhow that’s my story and I am sticking to it.
Once I finally bonded with my machine I was off and running and soon realized I was going to go broke if I kept buying sock yarn and yet I did not know how to stop. Every flat surface of the house had a stack of socks on it – To say nothing about the fact you could not open a closet without having several skeins of sock yarn jump out. Thus began a new faze – selling the darn things so I could buy more yarn to make more.. I have great success in Minnesota at the craft fairs around Christmas. But when I moved to Arizona I realized I needed to find other ways to sell.– Not that we don’t wear socks here in the winter just its not quite the same fashion statement as in Minnesota , There when you go anywhere you pull off your boots and you need fun socks dress you up. So, here I am Bj’s Hand-cranked Socks Web Site was born. Anyhow that’s my story and I am sticking to it.