Forum member Grumpy's wife knits pipe socks so I ordered some from her. They are very nice and quite substantial. If you're looking to protect your pipes in your bag I can't recommend these creations highly enough. I have no doubt that I'll be able to identify my pipes at meetings.
"Knitted Pipe Socks"
When I read the title of this thread I had a mental image of a group of grandmothers sitting in a circle, their needles clicking, as they discussed their childrens' pipes!