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Alaska Crafter

A blog from the Great North about Craft and Design

Felted Sweater Socks Tutorial

Today marked the first launch of a Q&A style column I'm calling I'll-Ask-A-Crafter (get it, Alaska Crafter : I'll-Ask-A Crafter - yes, I know I'm a dork). And the first two questions I answered were about sweater socks and crocheting boyfriends- what fun! 


In the article I explain how to make these socks- super-quick felted footwear for lounging around the house.  I originally posted about these socks over at the Craft Addicts page.

Then I wanted to make a second pair and make them long enough for tucking into Xtra-tufs, so I modified the design a bit, and now have a new tutorial featuring the socks pictured below.  So, check out the tutorial after the jump or go here for the shorter version!



Tutorial: From Sweater Sleeves to Socks

For these socks I used a 50% wool, 50% acryclic sweater.  I knew the yarn wouldn't felt properly, but I couldn't resist the less itch factor (I get the major itchies from wool).  So, here goes . . .

Tools: sweater, scissors, sewing machine with thread. pins

Start with a cozy sweater you find.  This time I didn't even use 100% wool- so just see what you can find!

Pull the arms onto your legs like socks and figure out how long you want your socks to be.  With shorter socks, I simply cut the arm and seamed up the toe. 

With these I wanted them quite long to peek out of my boots, so my feet were all the way in the shoulders.  Conveniently the shoulders created a nice little pocket for my feet to fit!

Cut the arm off at the length you need the socks.

From the body of the sweater cut the bottom of the sock using your own foot as a guideline (you can always draw this out first instead of risking your foot's safety like I did, but I live on the edge)

Now take the sock bottoms and place them face up on the floor. 

Put on your sock-arm inside out and place it over the sock bottom.  Pin the bottom of the sock to the upper part.  Again, I did this with my foot modeling the entire time, but I'm sort of risky so you might want to try this with, say, your sister's foot or something.

Now you have two pinned socks that are inside-out.  As you can see these are fraying because they are not wool so they didn't really felt.  I am using a sewing machine so I think it will be okay, but don't try this method if you are going to hand stitch your sockies.

Sew the pinned layers together around the edges.

Use a zig-zag stitch so that it can stretch and move, and so that you really lock and bind those layers together to prevent too much fraying. Then trim the excess outside of the stitched line.

Now flip your new socks right side out and get cozy!

Use them to line your wet weather boots and they instantly become your winter weather boots.  Plus they look oh-so-stylish folded over the top as Tuf Toppers.