Celia Pym
SOCKS Imaginative Mending
SOCKS Imaginative Mending
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Celia Pym is an artist darner. The book 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. An illustrated account of what happens when you teach a whole primary school how to darn a sock. 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.
SOCKS also includes Pym’s own work mending socks for friends and family. Celia is a prominent artist and teacher, exhibiting and teaching internationally and her London workshops sell out within minutes. Her previous book On Mending: Stories of damage and repair is one of our best sellers.
Published 2 February 2026, available to preorder, delivery in November. Sign up to the Quickthorn newsletter for information about launches and events.
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
We post our books in plastic free materials using Royal Mail. Please allow 5 days for delivery (though most will come sooner than that).
It’s only me, so please be patient. If I’m away I’ll post that online 😎 and there may be a hiatus.
Local pick up in Stroud: free
UK: £3.99
Europe: £12.00
US and Canada: £15
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ISBN: 9781068321535
Published: February 2026
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Let customers speak for us
from 46 reviewsVery inspiring book. I’ve been wanting to try out botanical printing and this gives me all the information I need. I’ve taken a few courses with Sue in the past and she’s always been a great teacher. This book is no exception. Very happy to have it in my collection.
Love it.
Sue’s instructions are very clear and her overall presentation is vary inspiring
it is a timely and really useful publication with suggestions for how to reuse cloth and be creative with waste
I had a really good service service from you! The book is great! thank you.
A wonderful book full of inspiration strength and thought.We need this book more than ever.Love and power to all who make!!
A great concept, intriguing read and lovely design.
Celia Pym’s sock project and her exhibition were exceptional. The talk was great. Love the book
It’s a lovely book with many perspectives into the flowering of artist blacksmithing over the last 50 years, highlighting the role of the remarkable Alan Evans.
I enjoyed the very fast and transparent Royal mailing process— it beat the time of much within-US mail!
V good prompt service
Well presented book, bought it to post to a friend overseas as you don’t seem to deliver outwith the uk
i find this book a jewel! i am in love with it, with the content and it is so well explained! just magnificent! Thanks a lot
Great book beautifully illustrated
excellent & inspirational book
Loved the heritage wooden darning mushroom! Now I need to go an do some Darning, not just admire the wood!
I had a really good service service from you! The book is great! thank you.
Thanks Paola, enjoy!
Celia Pym’s sock project and her exhibition were exceptional. The talk was great. Love the book
Thanks Sue