The Last Pair Of Argyles (Little Sad and Long)

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

When we immigrated to the US, my Mom knew more English than me and it was a good thing, because she had to help my Dad make a living for me and my bro.

She started out working in a nursing home and then took a job at a hosiery mill which she held for 45 years never making much more than minimum wage. She made all kinds of socks: gym, crew, dress and my favorite, Argyles.

We never hurt for socks, 'cause Mom would always make sure she bought the “seconds” that were offered to the employees. Not only didn’t we lack for socks, all our relatives in Germany got them sent as well! 3-4 times a year a big package filled with smaller boxes containing dozens of pairs of socks would be taken to the Villa Rica post office and shipped overseas.

My mother didn’t have very much schooling when she ran away from home (East Germany. Pre-Wall), but she always took care of those she left behind, and when she met my Dad (American soldier), she made sure a little money got sent back home to the 7 brothers and 1 sister still living with my Oma.

In the States, we were by no means rich (I entered the work force at 14: cotton mill after school), but it made Mom feel like she was doing something for her brothers and sisters, even though the socks were bought for just pennies on the dollar. It was something she made with her hands, and she was always good with her hands.

She retired in 1990, and made one more big “buy” for us all, and then the mill closed down. Anita (Mom) herself died in '98 (shortly after she and I got back from a short vacation in Germany), and I made sure to only wear my argyles on special occasions and always hand-washed them and let them air-dry. I knew the heels on my last pair were wearing thin, but tonight one of the socks finally gave up the ghost, and I had to sit there for just a minute and let the mist clear.

I won’t throw them away. I can’t, but I wanted to do something very special with them, so I would like y’all’s ideas if you don’t mind. I know they’re just a pair of socks, but they represent something my mother was very proud of accomplishing, and I can’t let that go unanswered. Maybe some of you are good with crafts and could suggest something? I know I could have them darned and wear them till they break ;), but I don’t want to do that, so whatcha think?

Thanks

Bill

2

Get someone handy with needle and thread to mend and stuff 'em, and whip 'em into sock bunnies, to be passed on to your offspring or that of your siblings.

(I still have, 20 or so years later, a sock bunny my mum made for me)

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First off, Quasimodem, they aren’t just socks. They are something that reminds you of your mother and her indomitable spirit. I have many things my mother and grandmother made that I feel the same way about.

I like the idea of sock bunnies. You might also make them into sock puppets and use them to tell younger relatives stories your mom told you or ones about her.

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:slight_smile: Thanks for the suggestion, both of you! “Sock bunny” and “sock puppet”, huh? I can’t help but wonder if some kind of alarm might have gone off at Mod HQ when that was posted! :wink:

Q

5

That has to be one of the nicest stories I have ever read.

Thanks, Quasi.

Ditto on the sock bunny or whatnot.

My grandmother did not have much money when we were growing up and she would make us sock dolls with painted faces. I need to try and dig those out again…

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Another possibility - display them in a shadowbox. This could be especially nice if you have a picture of your mother at work.

This isn’t an original idea - a friend of mine found some of her late mother’s equipment from when she was a nurse. My friend made up a display which included a photo of her mom in her nurse whites (circa 1940, I think) and her nurse stuff. We made a similar display case with my dad’s Marine Corps memorabilia after he died.

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I really like the sock bunny. And the elephant’s very cute, if you’re not into the traditional sock monkey (which might not look good in argyle, anyway)
http://breezeb.tripod.com/crafts/sockbunny.html
http://lennytaylor.freeyellow.com/elephant.htm
http://lennytaylor.freeyellow.com/Monkey.htm

Or maybe even a socktopus…
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_dolls/article/0,1789,HGTV_3242_1370684,00.html

Finally–something to do with all my lonely unmatched socks!

ME

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Also, if you are looking for something more multipurpose, a quilter could make a very nice quilt pattern of complementary colors to feature the pieces made from the socks. On the other hand, this would involve cutting up the socks, so I don’t know how you feel about that.

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Cadbury Angel: That’s a great idea, thank you! I wouldn’t mind one of them being cut up at all, and this way it’d be visible in the quilt. Perhaps in the center?

I really appreciate all of your suggestions, and thank you for caring enough to post in this thread.

What would one use to protect a sock monkey/bunny from deteriorating? Can you spray it with a sealant of some kind?

Also FCM (my “orange” crush:)): I have a letter that my mother sent to her future in-laws introducing herself, the pen-manship of which is so precise and beautiful, I am going to add it along with the mate of the sock, and some very special pictures of her and my Dad for the shadow box you suggested. I will do something similar with my Dad’s medals and other paraphernelia (lures, etc) that were so much a part of his life.

Jeez, sometimes I feel like such a Neanderthal compared to y’all! :smiley:

Thanks!

Quasi

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In trying to come up with “Neanderthal”, my brain flashed on an old rock’n roll song my Mom and Dad used to like to dance to. It was called Alley Oop (about a comic-strip caveman), and it was sung by a group called The Hollywood Argyles.

I swear I didn’t plan this! My brain just kinda went with it. When it hit on “Neanderthal”, it morphed into the Jimmy Castor Bunch’s song The Bertha Butt Boogie (“Neanderthal!”) and then I started thinking about “caveman songs”, and Alley Oop cued itself up in my brain, and then I remembered what group originated that song, and there you go.

I don’t how that happened, but I like it. I never would have thought of my parents dancing to that song if it hadn’t been for what I posted.

:Cue Twilight Zone music: (again!:D)

Q

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Sometimes the mix of pain and pleasure in the memories we have of those who are no longer with us is almost too much to bear.

Hugs, Quasi.

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Quasi, I don’t have any tips about saving or displaying your memory, but I do want to tell you what a great story it is. I had to wait for the mist to clear too.

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Correction: In the OP I stated my mom held her job for 45 years. I meant 25. I’m sorry for the error.

Q

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Quasi, do the shadow box project and take some pictures of it with you on your trip to Germany. Share this same tale with your relatives. I wouldn’t be the least surprised if they too have stories about the stockings you mother sent to them. Be sure to have a tape recorder going when everyone starts yakking. I know there will be some priceless memories circulating right then.

Good story, man.

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If you decide to go with the quilt idea there is another way to do it without cutting up the socks. Sew the socks onto a fabric square in a neutral color. Place it in the center surrounded by other squares in the same color embroidered with things that remind you of your mother. Sew all squares together, add a border and background material, then quilt it.

My mother and I made a quilt similar to this with a Christmas theme. We embroidered each square, sewed them together, used eyelet material for the border and christmas fabric for the back. The finished product was beautiful.

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Sealant? I’m not sure what you would use. As far as I know, my sockbunny is not protected in any way. I could check with my mother though.

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You could put scotch-gard on it or something – that would protect it a little but leave it soft and squishy (both desirable qualities in a sock bunny, IMHO).