with Lorelle and Brent VanFossen

First Stray Sock Dolls

Sock dolls handmade by Lorelle VanFossen

stray socks book oneWalking through an Asian bookstore, I feel in love with Stray Sock Sewing: Making One of a Kind Creatures from Socks. What a delight! I’ve made dolls on and off through the years but these were adorable. Above are my first attempts at making the stray sock dolls.

Stray Socks Sewing Book tooIt didn’t take long before I found the sequel, Stray Sock Sewing, Too: More Super-Cute Sock Softies to Make and Love, and went even more bonkers, which I will share later.

I took both books with me to Arizona where my step-mother and I had a great deal of fun, including making one for Alan Dean Foster. They were given to the local children’s hospital.

What I love about making these is that while the patterns get you some fantastic creature shapes, it’s up to you to choose interesting socks and the details that customize the final creature. With little effort, every one is completely unique, and always adorable and huggable.

You don’t need to know how to sew or even use the sewing machine. If you can thread a needle and know how to stitch a hem, you can make these imaginative stuffed dolls, animals, creatures, and who-knows-what.

My only warning so far is to NOT overstuff the animals. Most fun socks are also made cheaply and the yarn stretches, leaving gaps and openings in the material revealing the stuffing. I chose very cheap socks for my initial projects, found at Goodwill which often features new socks not just used. I found a huge collection of different colored and sized brand new socks at Goodwill for only a couple dollars a pair. I found more for a dollar each at the local dollar store.

If you are looking for a great crafty thing to do for the child-like people in your life, or for a fundraising craft project, consider these two books as great resources.

One Comment

  • WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.