[Commentator] In Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

you'll find four senior citizens making socks.

Lots and lots of socks.

[Bob] Socks by Bob have knitted 11,662 as of today.

[Commentator] That's pairs of socks,

which means Socks by Bob

has knitted 23,324 individual socks,

8.8 miles of socks,

and they're all for charity.

The man responsible for all these socks

is none other than Bob Rutherford.

Enter Bob's knitting machines.

These super-powered knitting machines

go at 90 turns per second.

That's pretty fast.

But, what makes these machines special

are that they're self-made.

I'm an experimenter.

I just build things.

And it took a long time to figure out how to do it.

But when you're retired and nothing to do,

it just sorta grew.

[Commentator] Socks by Bob began in 2010

after the passing of Bob's wife Edith.

I was a caregiver to my wife before she died

and my son came home and said,

"Dad you need something to do."

I said, "Well I've made these socks

on this first knitting machine."

[Commentator] And that sparked an idea,

making socks for those in need.

But Bob doesn't work alone.

He has plenty of help.

George cuts the tube length.

Glynn and Barney, they rub-knit tube socks by the roll.

[Commentator] Each week

Bob and his team knit hundreds of socks

that they then deliver to countless homeless shelters

all throughout Canada.

The socks are delivered in Alberta, Saskatchewan, BC,

in Red Deer, Calgary.

Some of have gone to the northern part of the province.

In short, they go to where they're needed.

(bouncy music)

People gotta keep involved.

You just can't give up because of bereavement

or whatever the case may be.

I think that knitting socks for needy people is important.

People have to reach out and touch each other,

I think, as they grow older,

and this has helped me do that.

And I think that's the key to life.

You don't give up.

And find a purpose.

Find something that needs to be done

and do it.