Wine Woolly: Slip a (clean) patterned kneesock over the bottom of a bottle, then knot the top to create a decorative carrier. (Better yet, offer your hostess two bottles so she can enjoy a pair of woolly socks.)
Woolly Pad: To soothe an achy neck from over-blogging, fill a sock with rice and a few drops of a relaxing essential oil, like lavender. Tie with ribbon; microwave for one minute.
Woolly Storage: Place a Mason jar into a pretty patterned sock, then tuck excess fabric inside the jar. Fill. (I love this one.)
Woolly Duster: Clean hard to reach places, by attaching a sock to the end of a broom and securing with a rubber band. Lint clings to the sock. (Forget Swiffer.)
Bulb Woolly: If a loose lightbulb has lost its box, slip a sock over the bulb to protect it. (I don't know about you, but we never seem to have any extra bulbs laying around the manor. One's always going out.)
Draft Woolly: Fill a sock with beans or old dish towels and place in front of a drafty window or door. (This will empty my whole sock drawer. The dear old manor is so drafty.)
Thanks to realsimple.com for the woolly inspirations. (my photos)
Wonderful ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love woolly sock season. Alas, it was 94 today. Great ideas. Love the canning jar one, we have lots of canning jars. (Canned 23 quarts of tomato juice yesterday...garden is EXPLODING with produce...)
ReplyDeleteI love woolly socks too and who knew there could be so many uses. At the moment I am low on the woollys so I think for now it is best to keep them on my feet. :)
ReplyDeleteI have to say we have those draft sock things around our old house as well. Also, I have used the rice in the sock treatment and it is nice!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, here in the North Woods
ReplyDeleteit is still in the 60's & 70's, so
perhaps you are getting a tiny
jump on woolly sock hop.
I love your imaginative and practical
uses for those woollies, but there
might be a few more.
Kitty Woolly: Measure up the old
Puss, and create a feline sweater,
either two-legged or four-legged
depending on size of cat or sock.
Canine Nose Warmer Woolly:
This woolly has to include eye
and ear holes, and just tuck gently
over the muzzle; use some elastic
at bottom; makes Fido look a bit
like a raccoon, but he loves it.
Coffee/Tea Koozie Woolly:
This works boffo for keeping those
hot liquids, including hot cider,
steaming, warm, and tasty.
Bing Crosby Woolly Ear Mittens:
For those folks with prominent
ears that stick way out in the
coldness, this pair of woollies
beats ear muffins every time.
Woolly Steering Wheel Cover:
Made to fit any vehicle steering
wheel, sew elastic seam at bottom,
and close into appropriate loop
for cars, trucks, combines, and
even tractors.
Woolly Roach Motel:
Use worn out woollies with holes
at assorted spots, prop open with
toothpicks, fill gently with roach
powder or paste, and place blithely
behind the bureau.
Woolly Self-Defense Blackjack:
Fill a sturdy woolly with quarters
or steel slugs or washers; rubber
band the top, and tie off--carry
in your coat pocket or purse while
using public transportation or
holiday shopping.
Woolly Handwarmer Cover:
Double wrap a thick woolly
over those Ronson metal
hand warmers; much nicer
to reach into one's pocket
and find a very warm woolly
to greet you.
Woolly Christmas Wrappings:
For that special person in your
life, wrap that jewelry, or that
intimate article of apparel in
a colorful woolly; easier to open
and much more personal.
Woolly Holiday Stockings:
Use the knee-high woollies
for the goofy gifts, the lumps
of coal, the wrapped taffy,
the slinkies, the metal toy
cars, the troll dolls.
Woolly Clothes Hanger Covers:
Even those mackinaws and
raincoats and tattered old
leather bomber jackets all
love hanging on a woolly
covered hanger; very festive
and can be left in the winter
clothes closet all year long.
Probably a few more too,
but I can't remember them.
How fun! I had to get up in the night to put on socks I was so cold! yea! It's finally here!
ReplyDeleteGreat sock ideas:-) We still have some of my son's old school socks and my husband uses to when he polishes his shoes, they bring them up to a lovely shine.
ReplyDeleteLove the achy neck cure!
ReplyDeleteHappy season of all things warm, cozy and soft.
Yes it was in the 50's this morning I loved it. This woolly
ReplyDeletetalk makes me remember the time I was working for a theatrical advertising agency, called Wilde
and Wooly.
yvonne
Nr wilde and Mr wooly
Glenn, I don't know which I like better, the Woolly Roach Motel or the Woolly Blackjack!
ReplyDeletePerfect -- and something I'll have to experience vicariously, as we don't have much need for wooly socks here!
ReplyDeleteWoolly socks are perfect for packing an extra pair of sunglasses in your carryon!
ReplyDeleteMay I add 'Emergency Glove Wooly'. Gloves are so used so seldom that we often forget where they're stored. A good pair of thick wooly socks makes a good temporary alternative,
ReplyDeleteOkay, Glenn, did you just make those up?
ReplyDeleteThis is a fabulous post, marking the best of seasons and sockness. I too love the "woolies" and all your marvelous uses. It's getting that chill in the air here too...out come my wine bottles, er....socks too:)
I like the wooly storage idea the best, clever and decorative! Love that sock!
ReplyDeleteWhere's the Zhivago woolly?
ReplyDeleteThanks for socking it to us!
ReplyDeleteWith a broken leg, I need socks more than ever at the moment. I can't wear a shoe on my the foot of my bung leg and our spring time can be chilly.
ReplyDeleteThese ideas are wonderful.
My youngest brother tells the story of how he once stayed overnight with a school friend from primary school. This boy came from a large impoverished family.
At breakfast time my brother found a sock in the vegemite.
That is not a creative use of socks. Thanks, Willow.
Dear Willow, I love the idea of slipping a couple of bottles of wine into a pair of cheerfully warm woolly socks to take as a gift. I shall certainly copy that idea!
ReplyDeletePut a wet sock on a bottle of wine. Hang it from a tree near your campsite and hey presto - a cool bottle of wine. The magic of evaporative cooling.
ReplyDeleteJust had one of our last woolly sock weekends in the mountains inland from here this last weekend (see Giraween Connections). Lovely. Freezing (7 degrees - a joke by N American standards - exciting for us tropical dwellers)
I love Real Simple. Thanks for passing these along!
ReplyDeleteI went barefoot all day yesterday, which means that it's STILL TOO WARM! :-(
I will use the two bottles of wine with socks on idea next time we go to a dinner at friends'. But I am afraid the socks might be as costly as the wine!
ReplyDeleteIm still in cotton socks, but am keeping my eyes peeled for some pretty woollys. Love your ideas and Glenn's additional suggestions. Useful things they are, eh?
ReplyDeleteI think a pair of "wine-woolies" would make a fab Christmas gift!
ReplyDeleteKat
I love RealSimple... and thanks for passing on the woooly sock ideas Willow, some good ones here.
ReplyDeleteWillow!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't believe that I saw a bottle of "Oliver" wine peeking out of that wooly sock! We love, love, love Oliver wine, especially the soft red, and always take flack for it being too sweet. I agree with the angel "Michael" though, "You can never have too much sugar." (From the movie "Michael.") Thanks for this fun post!
How creative! The wooly socks are perfect for holiday wine giving. I think it would be nice for a hot tea gift package. You could include a small box of tea bags, tea cookies and roll up a little scarf. Or maybe find a small little book of poems : ) I think you need to start a woolly sock gift business and call it "Willow's Woollys. You could start on your blog...I will be your first customer : )
ReplyDeleteOldPoet, hehee, actually, the bottle of Oliver wine is one leftover from LadyCat and Bachelor's visit. They are native Hoosiers and love their Indiana wine. I must admit, it is entirely too sweet for my particular taste.
ReplyDeleteThere is a meme there somewhere Willow!
ReplyDeleteHey, I just WEAR them--all seasons--in South Florida!
ReplyDeleteThat's just 'Wooly'--grin!
PEACE!
These are all super cool, and I like the wine one best. My wife used to make something similar but more like a hat, with a brim, and it fit a new roll of toilet paper.
ReplyDeleteLove the ideas, Willow!! Especially the Wine Wooly. I needed my woolies today on an early morning walk with mom... it's definitely time to put away the sandals in my neck of the woods.
ReplyDeleteLove these ideas, especially since my socks are always, always going their separate ways in the wash.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered this crazy fun site for socks. They say this:
"We love socks. Socks are simple cute pets for everyday life to make our feet happy."
http://www.officewiederholt.com/socks/star-sock-7d-m/
Cool ideas and images, Willow!
ReplyDeleteI have to check at my newspaper stand if the new "Real Simple" has arrived (yes, I confess, I love it too - to the tune of 7€ each month).
Great Blog,
ReplyDeleteBravo.
les meilleurs voeux
Ian
Ohhh! I love these wooly ideas!
ReplyDeleteOf course the uses of woolly socks
ReplyDeleteare nearly infinite, only restricted
by one's imagination:
Woolly Golf Club Covers:
This is an obvious one, and has been
used by golfers in northern climes
for decades; the more garish the colors,
the better they make the clubs look.
Woolly Barbie Sleeping Bags:
Barbie and Ken do get cold too.
If you truly love your doll children,
then force them to sleep together
in a communal woolly; and remember
since they have no genitals, all is
moral and upright and kosher.
Woolly Parrot Cage Slip-Ins:
For the real bird lovers out there,
one lines the bottom of the cage
with colorful woollies; but sometimes
the parrots began speaking in
Swedish or
Woolly Snake Handler Mittens:
Yes, for the snake lovers who simply
can't bear to touch their pets,
these one color mittens are a must.
Woolly Tonka Loaders:
Tired of your boys bringing gravel into
the house in their toy trucks?
Then get these rolled up woollies
instead, 3 for small trucks, and up
to a dozen for the bigger brutes.
Woolly Earwax Catchers:
An absolute must-have for those
afflicted with chronic thick earwax.
The woollies cover a balsa inserter,
and come with a small bottle of
earwax melting fluid for dousing.
Woolly Quilts:
There is simply nothing in this
world that feels better on naked
cold skin than these hand-made
Spanish quilts, created by gypsies
in storefronts all over the globe.
Woolly Kilts:
Very snappy, colorful, and hip, these
kilts will show your compeers and
clan members that you are a man
who is not afraid of jock itch.
Woolly Rain Hat Liners:
Sooner or later if one stays out in
a deluge, the old rain chapeau will
soak through; but not with these
carefully constructed woolly insert
liners in those pesky drippy hats.
Woolly Contraceptive Containers:
Never be embarrassed again with
transporting your condoms or
your vaginal sponges, or literally
any other of divers contraceptives.
WCC's are carried inconspicuously
and keep the goodies warm and
ready.
Perhaps a catalog of these woolly
wares is in order, Miss Willow.
As always TC. I would love a pair right now! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHow thrifty of you to find so many uses for your beloved wooly socks!
ReplyDeleteLove the sock design on the jar, Willow!
ReplyDeleteWe're so busy sitting round the house talking to sock puppets that we tend to forget they're for wearing some time.
ReplyDeleteI love all your woolly sock ideas. I just have one question. I don't own any woolly socks. I moved to Missouri from San Diego and never needed them there but I sure do need them here. What are the best type of woolly sock? I am sensitive to itching so that is why I ask.
ReplyDeleteKristen, I'm one of those lucky few that don't mind soft wool against my skin, so I can wear just about any blend.
ReplyDeleteGlenn, you know how I do love all things woolly, but you are very near the woolly deep end!
ReplyDeleteAll very clever ideas regarding the wool socks. Looking forward to weather that will bring out the wool socks and sweaters. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteWhen I was young a friend applied to study architecture at an English university. They asked him in few minutes to describe as many uses as he could think of for a brick and a paper clip. They could and should have added a sock. I was so envious of that exam!
ReplyDeleteLucky woolly sock weather! We're going into summer. I use old socks for dusting. One over each hand like mittens.
ReplyDeleteHee hee. Love your patterned woolly socks and all these ideas! When my son was a baby, I filled a sock with crinkly empty potato chip packets and tied a knot in the end. He played with it for hours! babies love that crinkly noise : )
ReplyDeleteyou and your woolly socks crack me up!!!
ReplyDeletelove it!!
and love sock weather - it was such a pleasure to have to put socks on when I went out yesterday.
yeah to cool temps and soft comfy socks of all fibers! have you tried bamboo socks? they rock!!
My daughter uses woolly socks to put on her fake tan! Who could have foreseen that back in the day!
ReplyDeletethis is wonderful , Willow!
ReplyDeletethere is just something so so appealing about the mason jar one. I don't know why.
Deb, the mason jar thingy is my favorite, too. It's just so, well, woolly!
ReplyDeleteI have woolies on today as I type...anyone who came to my house with two bottles of wine in two woolie socks would be adopted!
ReplyDeleteFun!
Tee-hee! Silly!
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas (although I am not sure how the jar is supposed to close with a woolly layer getting in the way).
ReplyDeletewhat excellent ideas, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSome of these ideas are brand new to me. I so love learning new things especially things that make my life easier.
ReplyDeleteSpaced, the lid amazingly does screw on over the sock!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a wooly sock big enough to make a teapot cosy?
ReplyDeleteYou must LOVE the first signs of colder weather. My children are desperate for the temp to fall low enough to wear their new wooly sweaters.
Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteThis fabulous work with us
Good creations
Dear Woolie (I mean Willow): Oh my gosh you'd love Canada! Hockey Socks! And you can make Woolie Sock monkey puppets out of the socks too. I love those. When they are made from new socks (don't do what I did from old socks, not the same thing at all!). Butkus is really off the wall, I love it! Beauty is there is all that and more uses too. I hate cold feet!
ReplyDeleteI have always found that come Spring my woolly socks need a stitch or two to prepare for their Summer use. They are filled with rice, lentils, beans, and chick-peas, and nailed to the kitchen wall for eventual use in the Autumn. It was an old family tradition in Devon County not to wash (or remove)these socks at all during the Winter in order to maximise the flavour enhancement of their contents over the Summer. I hope you found this instructive, Willow and friends.
ReplyDelete