Distaff Day 2023
Baby Socks
Happy Distaff Day! Some say this is the end of the holidays and it’s time to get back to textile work – in days of yore, textile production took a lot of time and energy! I am making tiger striped socks for the impending long-awaited first grandchild of a friend…
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Christmas Sleeping Bags
…and have finished a pair of socks made from a ball of yarn I got as a gift.
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Sleeve
Meanwhile, to make one of my grandmother’s big dolls happy, I altered the sleeves of a dress I made some while ago…
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Combinations
…and made her a pair of combinations so she can turn somersaults if she wants to…
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Friend
…and made a second pair for a distant friend!!!
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Felt Shoes
I also tried my hand at cobbling, using felt for uppers, leather soles, and ribbon ties! The big doll has very silly feet – it wasn’t easy to make a shoe with a tiny foot bed with a giant ankle… I may try again making a shoe with a longer foot bed and stuffing in the toes.
Textile work never stops around here – but happy Distaff Day to all my spinning, weaving, stitching, felting, crocheting, tatting, embroidering, quilting, and knitting friends!
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Quimper Hittys 
I’d never heard of Distaff Day until you and another Canadian mentioned it. Apparently we need to spread the word down here in the States! Love the colors in the booties for the anticipated baby.
The human socks that I made with the orange striped yarn looked like sunsets to me…the baby socks look like little tiger paws!
I’d never heard of Distaff Day until this year (and I’m no spring chicken!). Might have to find a way to celebrate it this year. Love the colors in the new booties for the anticipated baby.
I have heard lots of stories about Distaff Day, but for us it seems like a good opportunity to celebrate any textile work!
We’re so glad that you continue with textile work everyday. You surely have made our lives much more colorful in so many ways.
Thanks! We find it very rewarding to start with strings and end up with cloth…or start with cloth and end up with clothes!
such lovely textile work being done! And as for those tiny feet with large ankles…I have a couple of darlings who are the same….it is a challenge!! But one I am sure you will meet!
Those older dolls can be a challenge! Fortunately I am usually up for a challenge, and this doll is grateful, having spent most of a hundred years shoeless and bereft of clothes!
Thank you, and may your threads never tangle!
Thanks so much! Fewer tangles would be nice, though fortunately I enjoy finding my way out of knotted string up to a point!
textile production still takes time and energy but we now do it for the love of doing and not necessity. That will be one happy, dancing baby. The shoes look like a challenge but you are always good at that and they look great as do the combinations.
The baby will arrive into a family that has been waiting for him for a long time! And yes, luckily most people don’t have to depend on the textile arts to keep themselves warm and dry. I am amazed at how long it takes, and the skills needed to get from sheep to shawl…or from seed to shirt!
Beautiful… so beautiful. I told my Love, if my dear Hitty Lady have a workshop, could I go to there? He said absolutely yes… How I wished now. Thank you dearest, Love, nia
We could have fun together Nia…maybe you could teach me to crochet!