I knit wool socks to wear during our long, cold winters here in northern Vermont, but ultimately the socks wear out in the heels and toes — even after I repair them a few times.
After all of my knitting labor, and because of my appreciation for handmade, warm wool socks, I still manage to get another practical use out of them by turning them into fingerless mitts.
By the time the socks wear out, the heel usually has a gaping hole that’s perfect for fingers to slip through. I then cut an additional small hole for the thumb. Sometimes I sew a blanket stitch around the openings, or I just leave the openings as they are. I then machine-wash them with a load of jeans, which helps tighten the mitts. I wear the mitts while doing outdoor farm chores, and can slip my fingers in and out as needed.
Norma Bromley
Newark, Vermont
At MOTHER EARTH NEWS for 50 years and counting, we are dedicated to conserving our planet's natural resources while helping you conserve your financial resources. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills, growing fresh, natural produce at home, and more. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. By paying with a credit card, you save an additional $5 and get 6 issues of MOTHER EARTH NEWS for only $12.95 (USA only). 
I use the plans at WWW.EASYWOODWORK.ORG to build my own DIY projects – I highly recommend you visit that website and check their plans out too. They are detailed and super easy to read and understand unlike several others I found online. The amount of plans there is mind-boggling… there’s like 16,000 plans or something like that for tons of different projects. Definitely enough to keep me busy with projects for many more years to come haha Go to WWW.EASYWOODWORK.ORG if you want some additional plans :)