Chris I use Scotch Tape and then turn the sock inside out so the seam is on the inside. I typically go about a row and half wide so when I cut through the tape to remove the waste side. I still have one full strip width of tape holding the seam. The 6 inch embroidery hoops are from Hobby Lobby or a local fabric store and are self clamping to hold the sock. The fiberglass electrical wide pull rods are from Harbor Freight and come in a tube of 10 each. The male end is cut off and the female end I just run an 8-32 tap into the existing metric threads and then use a 8-32 plastic headed screw. The fiberglass rod is a perfect fit into a Cloroplast cell of which I get at local sign shop to make the wind vanes out of. A 2ft X 2ft sheet as typically used for a front yard election sign
will make me four each. Here they are only 2 dollars each and I have the sign shop laminate the two different florescent vinyl colors I chose to each side for a few dollars more. So it takes two of the fiberglass rods for each wind vane. One on the front end to mount to the pivot on the flag stand and one on the opposite end to mount the sock to. The attachment screw for the hoop goes through the opening where the outside ring of the hoop comes to together for tightening around the inner hoop and the sock and it also a perfect fit. I hope that is help full and if you have any questions please ask. The pivots I make out of 1/2 Delrin with one end tapped 1-20 for the flag stand and the other drilled and reamed for the upper half with the brass bearing pin.The upper half having the 1/4 brass pointed pin pressed in with a through hole just down from the top to attach the wind vane to the counter balance weight using a piece of 8-32 threaded rod cut to the proper length.
These are the flag stands that I got from Amazon and I have been using them for several years now and they have served extremely well.
https://www.amazon.com/Photography-...and&qid=1626968496&smid=A2IXKAD5ED4Q12&sr=8-6