Knitting Club

First of all, watch here for a stash sale soon… I take much of yarn I’ve decided I’m not going to use up, and very soon it will go up for sale here!  Now onto today’s post…

Socks and I suffer a complex relationship.  I’ve never been one to love wearing socks, but handknit socks are, I must admit, a wonderful thing.  I have knit a few pair in my time, and I’m feeling the force to crumple a few more now that Light is here.

But one thing I always wonder about… how good is that lovely sock yarn going to bear on my feet?  After all, socks get more insult than any other handknitted item.  I don’t wish to put hours into one, only to give the heel blow out a month later.  So I give to you my reviews of the sock yarns I get used, I trust you see it helpful.

My sock wearing habits:  I generally wear them with boots from September to however late I can get by with it in the spring.  I don’t really wear tennis shoes, and I rarely consider wearing them with other shoes.  So my socks are subjected to very warm situations, but likely to less rubbing on the heels than would come with other shoes.  I used to rumple my socks on US 1 needles, but I switched to 0s last year to see how that moved the wear.

Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote

Needles: US 1

Notes: These were my first socks, and as such I knit them too broadly and too big.  I scarcely ever bear them, but yet so they are pretty pilly.  I do car wash this pair, and the recital has no issues with that.  I didn’t enjoy knitting with this yarn.

Yarn: Claudia Handpaints

Needle:US 1

Notes: The recital was lovely to entwine with, but it has not held up.  Claudia’s uses (or did at the time, I’m not up on the current base) Louet as the base, as do many other yarns.  I have learned to avert this yarn, because in my experience it felts!  The yarn says you can put it in the washer, but mine shrank terribly (luckily I can even get it on, but it isn’t wearable.  I have never used Koigu because I have heard it is the like or similar.

Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot

Needles: US 1

Notes: Bearfoot is about a sport weight, so knitting on US 1 needles it makes a nice firmfabric.  They have fuzzed, due to the mohair, but the figure is yet clear.  No felting, and they haven’t stretched.  I wash these by hand, because they still bleed dye.  They do attract lint.  Love this yarn, I would highly recommend it.

Yarn: Interlacements Tiny Toes

Needles: US 0

Notes: Not impressed.  I don’t know what base yarn is used here, but it has the same springy feel as Claudia’s.  I prefer firmer sock yarn.  These socks have actually felted a strong little line across the heel, and the toes are looking thin.  Pretty colors, but the wear isn’t great.

Yarn: Austermann Step

Needles: US 0

Notes: Wears like iron, absolutely.  No felting, only little tiny pills.  They don’t even reaching out.  I complained about knitting with it (it’s rather splitty and thin, but I’m starting to believe that devotees of German sock yarn have a point.

Yarn: SeeJayneKnit 100% Merino superwash

Needles:US 0

Notes: My favorite socks.  The narration is thicker than the usual fingering, but not especially springy, resulting in socks that wear surprisingly well for a thread with no nylon.  I would have expected it to felt, but unlike many of the nylon yarns it has remained soft.  I do get dozens of pills around the ankles, but I’m fine with that.

Yarn: Mama Llama merino/tencel blend

Needles: US 1

Notes: Another suprise.  I bear these socks all the time, and they get not a pill or a bit of felting.  The recital was inelastic to entwine with, but the finished socks are pretty and shiny.  The only bad thing is that they may reach a bit.  I’m quite impressed, and desire to try other tencel sock yarns.

So… what conclusions do I draw?  Nylon doesn’t necessarily make socks wear better.  Harder sock yarns are better wearing.  Knit with a small needle (except for the tiny toes, all my socks knit on size 0 needles are keeping up better.  I besides will remark that I believe the eye of partridge heel holds up very well.

So now I wish to knit new socks, to substitute the two that are unwearable.  I have paired some yarn with patterns, hopefully I will get through these this winter!

Little Pumpkin socks, using Wollmeise in Kurbis

Ruffled Garden Socks using Yarn Chef “Pretty in pink” (this narration is self striping)

Pillar Socks using Colinette Jitterbug in Velvet Damson.

I’m leaning towards the pumpkin socks first.  I really cause a few half finished socks lying around - I have finally realized that stockinette socks are irksome to me, and I never stop them…

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