The 1910 Socks story

See Our Collection of Shepherd’s Socks!

During most of history, clothing took a long time to make, was made one piece at a time, most often within the household and it was made to last, was cherished and mended when it needed repair. Today, do you find that your clothes wear out quickly? How long do your socks last? Does it seem we throw away more and more clothing each year?  It is often made not with natural fibers, but with man made fibers that do not hold up well, do not breath.

In that spirit, 1910 Socks are born. The materials:  our farm grown Shetland Wool that has not been chemically treated to be machine washable, so it is hand wash only, but comfortable and breathable. It is blended with a bit of nylon for strength. And many pair are knitted with a cobweb lycra stranded along with the yarn to help the socks elasticity and to hold shape and extend its life.

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Artisan Techniques: Stripes!! Pairing 2 colors in an eye pleasing striped pattern. So many combinations..let us design a pair for you!

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Ombrey Stripes begin with one color and it is decreased as a 2nd color is increased.

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Fair Isle. Shetland Sheep are the only breed to inspire its own technique. It is a method of stranding 2 different colors in a row to create designs. Not easy to do on a these antique sock machines, but we do and have fun adding Fair Isle details to the cuffs of our socks. A bit time consuming to do, but so worth it.

In the process of working a Fair Isle Cuff

The method of Fair Isle on the Antique sock machine involves removing the yarn carrier and involves hand manipulating the yarn.

 

Brand new design, Color Block Socks This is a fun modern design that pairs both  natural and hand dyed colors with infinite possibilities. These are just a few. Each person can choose their colors and I can knit it for you.

It is exciting to be able to produce Socks on the farm where the wool is grown. It is like walking in the footsteps of history, as this was common place 200 years ago. Socks and yard goods were used as currency in small villages as few actually had cash money.

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Sock Studio

These socks are knitted one at a time on a 100 year old Legare sock machine… in my studio in our farm house built in..1910.  And we include extra yarn with each pair for darning, to extend the life of your sturdy socks. It is a very rare thing today that the fiber is grown and then clothing manufactured from it, all in the same place.  Treat your Feet to quality wool socks…purchase a pair at one of the festivals we attend, or in the Farm Store.

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