I have a thing for old collectibles. The warm woods, the weathered look, the knowledge that these things have been around for a long time. I like poking around in antique stores and flea markets, seeing what treasures I might find. One thing I look for is old darning eggs. I like that people used to fix their socks, instead of tossing them and picking up another 5-pack at Target. Of course as sock knitters, we all know the value of handknit socks and I would reckon that most of us darn any holes that might show up, right? These old darners work great. Once in awhile I’ll see a darner with a silver handle. Very pretty, but too expensive. And a friend gave me an old glass darner, which is cool. Not really the kind of thing you’d throw into your sewing basket, I don’t think. But mostly I just collect old wooden ones.

Another thing I like is antique sock blockers. I’m always looking for unusual shapes and sizes. I like this single one a lot because it has a 10 at the top, which I assume means that it’s a size 10. That was one long sock, as this measures 34″ from top to toe.

I like them in pairs, too. I think that pair without the holes probably took a lot longer to dry socks than the ones with holes down the middle to help the air circulate better. Maybe they just hung them by the fireplace, like Christmas stockings. Anyway, now they’re fun to put up around the shop.

Do you collect anything old related to knitting/sewing/crocheting/quilting?

Sheri wholikesoldsewingneedlebooks,too