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Socks By Bob Puts Socks on Thousands of Homeless People’s Feet

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Bob Rutherford uses homemade machines to knit socks for the homeless.It’s common to feel a need to change things, to do something to fill the time, when your spouse dies. Bob Rutherford, an 88-year-old in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, started knitting socks, not by hand, but with his own low-cost sock knitting machines.

The machines, made out of tubing and other parts, can knit up to 90 stitches a second and make tubes that are cut down to sock shape and distributed to homeless people across Canada — more than 10,000 pairs, to be exact.

Rutherford knits with his buddies 92-year-old Glynn Sully, 85-year-old George Slater and Barney Sullivan, who’s a young guy, around age 65.

He says the connection to the group of other knitters keeps him doing it, and that the socks have given his life a purpose.

This is such a great story! I just wish he’d release the instructions for how to make the knitting machines so more people could benefit from them; wouldn’t that be something?

[Photo via CBC News.]

Looking for more knitted socks designs and patterns to keep you warm this winter? Check out these knitted sock patterns Etsy. And these Knitting Pattern books on Amazon.

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Comments

  1. Where I live, Windsor, Ontario, a 9-year old girl, Sarah, began collecting socks for the homeless. I think she is 15 now and still going strong. I have never been homeless but I have suffered sock failure and know how special socks can be!

Have you read?

Knit and Felt Some Tabi Style Slippers

The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check out more knit slipper options in this post all about sailor slippers) and they’re still consistently popular with knitters.

Which makes sense because they are fun and fast to knit, and seeing them go from this giant thing to something that actually fits a foot feels a little magical. 

I have always loved felting (in fact my first book was about felting knitting) and it’s always fun for me to see people rediscover this technique. 

If you’ve knit enough plain slippers to fit all the feet you know, maybe it’s time to stitch up some tabi style slippers instead. 

Maymade Knits has designed these cute tabi ballerina slippers, made with bulky yarn and felted. They’re worked flat at first and then in rounds, and are available in 10 EU sizes (the Internet tells me add 31 to your American shoe size to get your EU size). The designer says the slippers are meant to have a close fit and you should choose a size a little smaller than your foot for the ideal fit. 

The pattern includes a video tutorial along with the written pattern. 

You can grab this pattern on Ravelry. The same designer has her own version of the striped felted slipper as well, called Sarah’s Striped Slippers. These are worked in super bulky yarn and have a contrasting foot and a striped body. These are knit flat and seamed and there are 7 size options available. Check that pattern out here if you’re looking for a more traditional slipper shape. They also look roomier so you can wear them with socks if you like. 

[Photo: Maymade Knits]