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#1
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Sock yarns: Fiber advice?
I'm a new knitter, and having just finished the obligatory scarf as my
first project, I think my next project will be a pair of socks. I'm looking for advice on the types of fibers that work well in socks, and also for particular yarn recommendations. I was recently given a pair of SmartWool (http://www.smartwool.com/) socks as a gift and they are the most wonderful thing I've ever put on my feet -- soft, warm, and cozy. They're also pretty expensive at nearly $20/pair. They're a wool/nylon/elastic blend. If I can knit myself a pair of socks like this for less than $20 I'll be a happy boy, but I'm wondering if I can do even better. Here are my requirements: - Soft, soft, soft! Ever since putting on these SmartWool socks, my standard cotton socks feel rough and stiff in comparison. Can cotton socks be soft? Do I need to buy expensive pima cotton? - Tough, tough, tough! Can durability be combined with softness? If the socks wear holes in them with frequent wear, I'll never wear them. (The durability of the SmartWool socks is still unknown -- I've only worn them half a dozen times, but there's no sign of wear yet.) I've noticed that most yarns designed specifically for socks have some (25%) nylon or other synthetic fiber blended with the wool -- is this necessary for durability? I notice that KnitPicks has some (cheap!) sock yarns that are 100% merino wool -- how durable would these be? - Machine washable. Anything that touches my feet all day needs to be cleaned regularly and thoroughly, and to me that means machine washing. (Unless you can convince me that I can hand-wash the socks with the same effort it takes to machine-wash, and with equally thorough cleansing.) - Absorbant and breathable. I have a distrinct prejudice for natural fibers, but I'm not going to exclude synthetics entirely. - Weight/warmth: Since we're heading into summer and I live in North Carolina, I'm thinking that wool might not be the best choice -- can I find a cotton or cotton/linen yarn that's as soft and cushiony as wool? Or, if I knit a relatively thin wool yarn, will it be cool enough for all-day summer wear? What about a silk blend? Of course, it won't always be summer, and during the winter months I often travel to colder climates, including ski trips, so it doesn't hurt to have a few pairs of very warm socks. (I am particularly intrigued by a recent thread on this group about wool ski socks felted to fit by drying them on the feet -- I will probably try this as fall approaches!) I understand that alpaca is about the warmest fiber there is -- is it very durable? Would it stand up to the major abuse that ski socks are subjected to? - Available in "manly" colors. A lot of the sock yarns I've seen are self-striping or multi-colored, and usually in bright, girly or childish colors. I need a sock that works with men's business casual attire, which means boring, neutral colors. (They need not be solid colors, but if they're multi-colored, the variation should be subtle, not starkly constrasting.) Browns, dark blues, khakis, greens, and greys/blacks are the most useful. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! -- Randall |
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#2
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Most quality sock yarns are an 80/20 blend of wool and nylon. Wool
provides warmth and comfort, nylon provides durability. Some brands to look for are Opal, Regia, Meilenweit. If you must shop big-box hobby stores the Lion sock yarn is acceptable WRT fiber quality but the dyeing leaves a lot to be desired; it does have the advantage of being cheap. Elann.com has some "manly" solids in their house line... On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 18:20:36 GMT, Randall Nortman spewed forth : I'm a new knitter, and having just finished the obligatory scarf as my first project, I think my next project will be a pair of socks. I'm looking for advice on the types of fibers that work well in socks, and also for particular yarn recommendations. |
#3
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Hi Randall,
Welcome to the group and you sure came to the right place to ask the questions. Since I don't knit socks, you got some great advice from Wooly. Let us know which yarn you decided on and how you are making out with them. Nora "Wooly" wrote in message ... Most quality sock yarns are an 80/20 blend of wool and nylon. Wool provides warmth and comfort, nylon provides durability. Some brands to look for are Opal, Regia, Meilenweit. If you must shop big-box hobby stores the Lion sock yarn is acceptable WRT fiber quality but the dyeing leaves a lot to be desired; it does have the advantage of being cheap. Elann.com has some "manly" solids in their house line... On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 18:20:36 GMT, Randall Nortman spewed forth : I'm a new knitter, and having just finished the obligatory scarf as my first project, I think my next project will be a pair of socks. I'm looking for advice on the types of fibers that work well in socks, and also for particular yarn recommendations. |
#4
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On 2005-02-16, Wooly wrote:
Most quality sock yarns are an 80/20 blend of wool and nylon. Wool provides warmth and comfort, nylon provides durability. [...] Are my feet going to steam-cook in wool socks during the summer? I don't have much experience wearing wool socks, hand-knit or otherwise. And what do you think of the 100% merino wool for socks? Not durable enough? Too hard to wash? (Knitpicks.com has some very cheap merino sock yarns in beautiful colors.) Elann.com has some "manly" solids in their house line... Not currently in stock, alas. Seems the low price on the solids has been rather sucessful in wiping out the stock. I might try some of their multi-colored sock yarns. Thanks for your advice! I will definitely report back to the group on my results, whatever they may be. -- Randall |
#5
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On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 22:04:00 GMT, Randall Nortman
spewed forth : On 2005-02-16, Wooly wrote: Most quality sock yarns are an 80/20 blend of wool and nylon. Wool provides warmth and comfort, nylon provides durability. [...] Are my feet going to steam-cook in wool socks during the summer? I don't have much experience wearing wool socks, hand-knit or otherwise. And what do you think of the 100% merino wool for socks? Not durable enough? Too hard to wash? (Knitpicks.com has some very cheap merino sock yarns in beautiful colors.) No, you won't cook in wool during the hot season. I live in central Texas and wear my wool socks year round. You need some reinforcer of some sort, at least in the heels and toes, probably other areas you'll find out about once you start wearing holes in your socks. You can use wooly nylon serger thread to reinforce heels and toes, or look for Froelich Blauband reinforcement yarn, which is...wooly nylon put up in sock-size quantities. Also, 100% merino will shrink like nobody's business if it isn't superwash. You'll be happiest with one of the wool/nylon blends - why spend all that time knitting just to shrink or wear out your socks? |
#6
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I am not a sock knitting expert but I will tell you that I wear my wool
boot socks any time I wear my field boots. That means summer or winter. They are great as they wick away moisture and really help prevent blisters. We are talking boots here - steel toe work boots as I was a forest practices board member for eight years with lots of field time involved over rough ground. These socks are lopi wool and long enough to cuff over the top of the boots. My fancier Noro socks are pretty. Next time I will knit in a nylon reinforcing thread in the toes when I make them as they are wearing there and I have repaired them once already. They are soft and comfy though. ( I suspect pretty is less of an objective for you. ) I don't mind washing out my socks but if you do, look for something machine washable. Otherwise they will sit around dirty - yuck. Judy Randall Nortman wrote: I'm a new knitter, and having just finished the obligatory scarf as my first project, I think my next project will be a pair of socks. I'm looking for advice on the types of fibers that work well in socks, and also for particular yarn recommendations. I was recently given a pair of SmartWool (http://www.smartwool.com/) socks as a gift and they are the most wonderful thing I've ever put on my feet -- soft, warm, and cozy. They're also pretty expensive at nearly $20/pair. They're a wool/nylon/elastic blend. If I can knit myself a pair of socks like this for less than $20 I'll be a happy boy, but I'm wondering if I can do even better. Here are my requirements: - Soft, soft, soft! Ever since putting on these SmartWool socks, my standard cotton socks feel rough and stiff in comparison. Can cotton socks be soft? Do I need to buy expensive pima cotton? - Tough, tough, tough! Can durability be combined with softness? If the socks wear holes in them with frequent wear, I'll never wear them. (The durability of the SmartWool socks is still unknown -- I've only worn them half a dozen times, but there's no sign of wear yet.) I've noticed that most yarns designed specifically for socks have some (25%) nylon or other synthetic fiber blended with the wool -- is this necessary for durability? I notice that KnitPicks has some (cheap!) sock yarns that are 100% merino wool -- how durable would these be? - Machine washable. Anything that touches my feet all day needs to be cleaned regularly and thoroughly, and to me that means machine washing. (Unless you can convince me that I can hand-wash the socks with the same effort it takes to machine-wash, and with equally thorough cleansing.) - Absorbant and breathable. I have a distrinct prejudice for natural fibers, but I'm not going to exclude synthetics entirely. - Weight/warmth: Since we're heading into summer and I live in North Carolina, I'm thinking that wool might not be the best choice -- can I find a cotton or cotton/linen yarn that's as soft and cushiony as wool? Or, if I knit a relatively thin wool yarn, will it be cool enough for all-day summer wear? What about a silk blend? Of course, it won't always be summer, and during the winter months I often travel to colder climates, including ski trips, so it doesn't hurt to have a few pairs of very warm socks. (I am particularly intrigued by a recent thread on this group about wool ski socks felted to fit by drying them on the feet -- I will probably try this as fall approaches!) I understand that alpaca is about the warmest fiber there is -- is it very durable? Would it stand up to the major abuse that ski socks are subjected to? - Available in "manly" colors. A lot of the sock yarns I've seen are self-striping or multi-colored, and usually in bright, girly or childish colors. I need a sock that works with men's business casual attire, which means boring, neutral colors. (They need not be solid colors, but if they're multi-colored, the variation should be subtle, not starkly constrasting.) Browns, dark blues, khakis, greens, and greys/blacks are the most useful. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! -- Randall |
#7
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smileysyarns.com has Cervinia Calzetteria which is 70%wool and 30%
nylon on sale for $2.50.They have some dark, plain colors if that is what you want. The disadvantage of Smiley is that they have a minimum purchase for online buying - but they also have some low prices. Kroy is a decent sock yarn and is also machine washable. You can get it online at http://www.yarnfwd.com/kroysocks.html (other places too, I'm sure.) I think it is 75% wool and 25% nylon. |
#8
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On Wed, 16 Feb 2005, Randall Nortman wrote:
- Machine washable. Anything that touches my feet all day needs to be cleaned regularly and thoroughly, and to me that means machine washing. (Unless you can convince me that I can hand-wash the socks with the same effort it takes to machine-wash, and with equally thorough cleansing.) I've knit several pairs of socks both for myself and for my husband & brother-in-law. Wool with another fiber in it for strength works best. I've found that my hand-knit socks can go through the washer just fine as long as we keep them out of the dryer. While this applies especially to the superwash self-patterning yarns, my hand-dyed Lamb's Pride has done fairly well too. Next sock project for me is in olive drab yarn. You might want to check with Lion yarns or the Red Cross -- they've been selling a WWII replica GI sock kit. It comes in a great tin with some awful-looking plastic dps and olive wool. Jenn -- Jenn Bernat |
#9
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"Jenn Bernat" wrote in message cal... I've knit several pairs of socks both for myself and for my husband & brother-in-law. Wool with another fiber in it for strength works best. I've found that my hand-knit socks can go through the washer just fine as long as we keep them out of the dryer. While this applies especially to the superwash self-patterning yarns, my hand-dyed Lamb's Pride has done fairly well too. I only use 75% superwash wool 25% nylon sock yarn and always throw it in the washer AND the dryer without a problem. Shelagh Next sock project for me is in olive drab yarn. You might want to check with Lion yarns or the Red Cross -- they've been selling a WWII replica GI sock kit. It comes in a great tin with some awful-looking plastic dps and olive wool. Jenn -- Jenn Bernat |
#10
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"Randall Nortman" wrote in message nk.net... I'm a new knitter, and having just finished the obligatory scarf as my first project, I think my next project will be a pair of socks. I'm looking for advice on the types of fibers that work well in socks, and also for particular yarn recommendations. I have bought sock yarn at elann.com (enough for 14 pair) in superwash wool 75%/nylon 25%. It is their own brand called "Sock It To Me" and priced at around $2.70 US/ball for plain colours, and $3.50 US/ball for patterns (plus shipping). I wear the wool socks winter and summer. Right now, I think their supply of plain colours is quite limited. You could e-mail them and ask when they would be getting more in. I wouldn't recommend 100% merino even if a super wash since it wouldn't wear well and would probably pill. If you bought merino that wasn't superwash, you'd have to hand wash the socks and lay them flat to dry. HTH, and good luck. Let us know how you make out. Shelagh |
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