We have not one, but two, new books about darning socks. That's where the similarity ends. For authors Hikaru Noguchi and Celia Pym, these are their second Quickthorn books. 

Hikaru Noguchi is a cult darner with a Japanese-style aesthetic. Her books about the practical matter of mending are popular with good reason: the step-by-step instructions don't assume any prior knowledge and are easy to follow. And for those who know their way around a pincushion, the projects are inspirational and can be quite advanced. Darning Socks is the fourth of her books I've had the pleasure of editing and the second for Quickthorn, and they get better and better. Beyond Darning is just about to be reprinted. 

Celia Pym is an artist darner and her new book, SOCKS imaginative mending, is based on the exhibition commissioned by NOW Gallery, Greenwich Socks: The Art of Care and Repair.

SOCKS celebrates the everyday act of mending socks through darning. Central to the book is a vibrant, colourful library of 488 socks, each stitched and darned by the Surrey Square Primary School community in Southwark using industry ‘warehouse’ waste socks. Children, staff and families of the school, learnt and practised their darning and stitching skills on socks, during a series of 26 workshops facilitated by Pym in early 2024. 

The progression of the work from nursery to year 6 aged children to the headteacher, beautifully demonstrates the dexterity and creativity of the children and how that changes over time, highlighting the importance of practical education for cognitive development, a bit of a bug-bear here at Quickthorn. Celia's previous book On Mending: Stories of damage and repair is one of our best sellers. 

On 20 November both Hikaru and Celia will be in conversation online with me, Katy Bevan founder of Quickthorn, courtesy of Crafts Council. Join us at Midday until 1pm in the UK (9pm in Tokyo) and let me know if you have any burning questions for them.