On Sun, 20 May 2012 01:07:41 +0100, talenknot
wrote:

What would be the best type of material for knitting socks?

I use pure wool exclusively. Worsted wool wears best. You get the
longest-wearing wool by buying yarn meant for embroidery.

Instead of heel stitch, I work the heel flaps in the "salt and pepper"
pattern of stranded knitting -- usually speckled because I have a
terrible time keeping two yarns of the same color alternating properly
-- and then switch to what I call "festive knitting" (after a pattern
in one of Mary Thomas's books). I change to plain knitting by leaving
a stitch off at each end to taper the thick part to a point, which
avoids ruffles where the gauge changes.

To work festive knitting, work stranded one round. On the next round,
slip all the stitches that should be worked with the other yarn, then
purl back with the other yarn. The other yarn should follow the main
yarn in both directions, because the second yarn knitted lies on top
of the first yarn knitted, you get vague rumples if the yarns don't
follow the same way on every row, and it isn't convenient to do the
purling before the knitting.

--
Joy Beeson
joy beeson at comcast dot net
http://roughsewing.home.comcast.net/

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