Eco Baby Living: upcycled wool wrist and ankle warmers

Things I love:
- simple DIY
- upcycling
- staying warm
- getting outside

If what I just listed is your jam, too, I've got the perfect little upcycle/diy/keep you warm while you get outside project for you today! Woohoo!

Let's start with a problem - my holey, well-loved wool socks.
The moment the temperature starts to drop, I pull out wool socks for hiking, lounging, doula overnighting, and everyday-ing. The end result? A big 'ole hole right under the ball of my feet.  While I could darn this sock, stitches under the ball of my feet just won't work for me. 

My solution? Upcycle these beloved wool socks into wrist and ankle warmers that help keep the whole family cozy when we adventure outdoors.

My directions are super simple - using scissors, cut the sock at the bottom of the cuff. If you are feeling fancy, you can finish it off with some stitching (a blanket stitch by hand or some machine stitching both work equally well). Because I'm often not fancy, I have a lot of holey socks, and I stash these in all kinds of places (car/diaper bag/hiking bag/mitten and hat bin/coat pockets), I leave them unfinished and, for us, they hold up just fine.

How we uses our upcycled wool goodness:
- hand warmer
- filling the gap between glove and coat
- ankle warmer (cover that gap between sock and pant that happens when baby is on your hip or in the carrier!)
- boot topper
- knee covers for crawling babes
- in a pinch, these have doubled for socks (albeit, toeless ones) when my kiddo's socks got soaked on a hike and dry socks were in the car

For us, troubleshooting cold hands and feet can mean the difference between enjoying our time outdoors or not. Having these little warmers in my pack can make certain we get our much-need time in the fresh air, even when chilly winds blow.

Do you upcycle your wool? Share in the comments below how and what you do!

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