Fiber Fool

Last week I got to raid Amanda’s sock drawer and take photos of her hand knit socks that still reside in her household. I took photos (sans lightbox, which I found was a mistake, but I was lazy and didn’t want to drag it over to her house) and she kindly wrote up a review of the yarns she has used. Due to some photo troubles a few of the sock yarns have been left out. For that I apologize.

In case you missed it, my reviews from this year can be found in the Oct 31st post, and last year’s reviews can be found here. Now, onto Amanda’s assessment of several sock yarns…

I’ve probably knit 30 pairs of socks by now, including those that have been gifted. I don’t believe in handwashing my socks and treating them delicately - they are on my feet all day after all. So, I generally opt for superwash fibers that I then throw in the washing machine (usually on cold or cold/warm) and will even put them in the dryer a bit on low temp to help speed the drying process before hanging them or laying them flat to dry (depending on where I have space). Here I’m sharing the wear of socks that live in our house and are subjected to these conditions. They’ve been knit over the course of several years. I prefer a tighter gauge so that I can’t feel the stitches on the soles of my feet. My husband on the other hand, doesn’t tend to have as tender a foot so I opt to knit his socks at a looser gauge to get them done faster. However, you can see this has had an impact on the longevity of some of his socks. Comparing our socks is a bit apples to oranges though considering he wears handknit socks nearly EVERYDAY and I actually will wear commercial socks which means mine aren’t on quite the same frequent rotation as his are.

We wear our socks in everyday shoes so I choose to knit fingering weight. The heaviest socks I’ve knit are the Socks That Rock medium weight which is a heavy finger weight to light dk/sport weight. For a sweater gauge I would probably use a US 3 although I knit these socks on a US 2.

Silja

8.5 sts/inch
Although not widely available I’ve found this yarn to be a great option if you’re looking for a wide range of solid colors. Check out
the selection at TheKnitter.com. Overall I’m very happy with the wear on these socks (some piling but this is what I would consider normal) and would use this yarn again although I wouldn’t say it was a favorite yarn to work with. It didn’t have a magnificent hand, but at the same time it didn’t have any drawbacks.

Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn

Color SY-100 Rock ‘n Roll
75% Washable wool, 25% Nylon
7 sts/inch
This is another yarn that is available in several solids, barber pole styles (bi- and tri-color twists), and variegateds. Unfortunately, this yarn can be a bit splitty and notice that although the two socks are from two skeins that are the same color and dyelot they do not truly match. I started the socks on Swallow casein needles and found that the combination caused some headaches as the yarn stuck to the needles too much. The socks have worn well, some felting has occurred on the heels (where I used reinforcement thread as well) but nothing major.

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight

Mist
100% Superwash Merino
Pattern: Weekend Knitting, Petticoat Socks by Veronik Avery
7 sts/inch
This yarn of fairly recent fame grabbed my attention when The Fold sold out of nearly 800 skeins in the first few hours they were open at The Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival a couple years ago. Sadly, my socks are already showing considerable wear after only a few wearings/washings (this is the youngest pair of the bunch here). Of course this is due in part to my care for them. On the inside of the ball band it does say: “Superwash yarn is machine washable. However, we recommend for a longer life turn inside out and handwash in warm water with mild detergent.”

I have not followed this suggestion. However, I’ve found most of the wear to coincide to my Dansko Mary Jane style clogs. Where the strap rubs against the foot I have a furry abraded bit, in addition to the allover halo the sock has developed. So, sure you can blame the shoe, however, I wear these same shoes with all my handknit socks and so far this is the only pair of socks to show this anomaly. Still the yarn is a joy to work with and I have and will continue to use it for nonsock knitting. Currently, on the needles are a few baby hats and they look great. I can get three of these hats out of one skein.

Lang Jawoll & Lang Jawoll Color

75% New Wool, 18% Nylon, 7% acrylic
830198 (green) 8.5 sts/inch
820089 (multi-color) 8 sts/inch
The green socks were knit in 2002 and were in heavy rotation when I first completed them. They sort of got forgotten when the sweater they matched perfectly (from J. Crew) shrank a little in the wash. They are worn inside out for a smoother fabric against the foot. No noticeable halo on these socks and only slight felting on my pressure points. The yarn shows great stitch definition and as a bonus comes with a spool of matching reinforcement thread in the center of the skein.

The multi-color ones sadly have not held up as well as my green pair. I think this is due mostly to the gauge difference. This yarn certainly benefits from a tighter gauge. But, this pair has also been worn far more than mine. I will be darning the balls of the feet before they are worn again.

Fortissima Colori Sock Color

Color 2412
75% Virgin wool, 25% Polyamide
8 sts/inch
What a fun yarn to work with - very much like Trekking. This yarn had a great soft hand. There has been some haloing, but again I feel this is due more to the gauge than the yarn itself and with as much regular wear as it is put through I think that the amount of age the sock shows is perfectly appropriate.

Lana Grossa Meilenweit

80% New Wool, 20% Polyamid
Meilenweit Fantasy Color 4710 (Rainbow) 8.5 sts/inch
(purple/mustard/brown/orange stripes) 8.5 sts/inch
Meilenweit Multiringel Color 5090 (Pinks/Yellow stripes) 10 sts/inch
Meilenweit Fantasy Color 4760 (Green/Blue/Orange) 9.5 sts/inch
Not only is this a reliable yarn I might even venture to say it’s my favorite, or tied for first place. I’ve knit it in several gauges and
found that it lasts regardless. The colors are bright and have lasted. There has been no haloing or piling to speak of. A few of the most heavily worn pairs have shown slight felting in the high wear areas, but nothing major. I’m still impressed with the lack of haloing and piling.

Regia

75% New Wool, 25% Polyamide
Regia Line Steps Color 5363 (Cream) 8.5 sts/inch (see here)
Regia Jacquard 5294 (Pastel) 8.5 sts/inch (see here)
(blues/greens) 8 sts/inch
(Blue w/ color bursts) 7.5 sts/inch
This is a reliable yarn. Every pair of socks I’ve knit from them (I can think of 8 off the top of my head) have worn well. The newer ones show little haloing, but nothing more. The ones shown here are the first pair of socks I knit for my now husband (Valentine’s 2002). Since they were his only handknit pair of socks for nearly a wear they have seen more washings than I can count. At least two wears per week for a few winters. Now, they aren’t as pretty due to some slight felting and piling. But, they haven’t lost any of their color. In fact, they still match the left over yarn - which is great since I need to darn the balls of the feet before their next wear.

The photo at the top of the post was my first pair of socks I ever knit. They’ve had lots of wear, and are probably my favorite. Even though the heel is knit in St St rather than a “heel” stitch of some sort it still looks good. Sure there is some slight felting, but it’s very minor and there is no halo to speak of, even at this relatively loose gauge.

If you were around last year for Socktoberfest you know doubt recall a sock yarn review I did. If you weren’t around then, go check it out, I suspect you’ll find it useful. Today, the last day of Socktober, I am giving you part one of the 2007 yarn review. Since most of the sock yarns I’ve used this year haven’t experienced much wear yet the review will be mostly on how it was to work with and how it washed up with my usual method of hand knit sock washing - cold water, gentle cycle in a front loading washer, in a lingerie bag, and hung on a drying rack.

Tomorrow, or perhaps next week (seeing as how I was plagued with headaches all day yesterday) I’ll be ringing in with a report on some yarns I haven’t worked with or haven’t been able to witness durability on. A friend has kindly allowed for me to photograph the wear and tear on the socks she’s knit in the last several years. So there will be a belated part two to look forward to.

Since last Socktober I have worked with Lana Grossa Meilenweit Mega Boot Stretch Softcolor, Dale Baby Ull, Fleece Artist Sea Wool, Knit Picks Gloss, Regia Silk, Crystal Palace Panda Wool, Brown Sheep Wildfoote, and currently Bonker’s Superwash Merino Mini.

Mega Boot Stretch Softcolor

Meilenweit Mega Boot Stretch Softcolor (Ravelry) is a gentle ombre striping fingering weight yarn of 70 % superwash wool, 23 % polyamide, 7 % elité (some sources list as elastic). You get 366 yards from a 100 gm ball, which should yield an average adult pair of socks. I knit a knee high version of Balance socks from it this time last year and used more than one ball, but significantly less than the two I purchased. It retails for around $18 a ball, so it is about average priced for dedicated sock yarn.

Knitting with Mega Boot Stretch was pretty nice. I did not notice the elastic content. In fact, I recall thinking it was a bit inelastic. Though now that it is knit up there is definitely some extra bounce back to the sock, which is a great asset in a knee high. It is not plied very tightly, so it is a bit splitty which can be a bit problematic when doing increases, decreases and twisted stitches as in this sock. It was not so splitty that I wouldn’t knit with it again. But it is not a good yarn choice for poor lighting or inattentive knitting. If I ran across a colorway that really spoke to me I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase it, though I wouldn’t go out of my way to locate a source either.

The knee highs were worn quite regularly during the winter last year and so far there are no real signs of wear. They fluffed slightly with the first washing, but no pilling or felting is evident at this time. That said, for whatever reason I am not very hard on my socks. It even takes me several years to wear out cheap commercial socks. Your mileage may vary.

Dale Baby Ull

These socks at left were knit from Dale Baby Ull (on Ravelry)which Kristen dyed for the Dye-O-Rama swap back in 2006. It is a fingering weight 100% superwash wool from the Norwegian yarn company, Dale. It is put up in 180 yd/50 gm balls, so two balls are required for an average pair of adult socks. A ball retails for $6-$7 making a pair of socks costing roughly $12-$14, making it a quite affordable sock yarn.

The yarn was fantastic to knit with. Baby Ull is the softest superwash I’ve worked with so it was fantastic to knit with. It is also quite elastic and resulted in a very nicely cushioned sock. I completed these socks in January so they too have received a fair bit of wear and washing. They look as new as when they came off the needles on the top of the foot and leg, with just a slight look of fuzziness on the bottom of the foot. The only drawback I see is that the color palette favors baby knitting. But, my understanding is that it was just as nice to work with for dyeing so I may go that route myself in the future.

Fleece Artist Sea Wool

Fleece Artist Sea Wool (on Ravelry) is 70% merino wool and 30% seacell, a sea weed derived fiber purported to have anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties and a sheen like silk. I knit my Siren Socks from the Moss colorway in late spring. It is put up in 115 gm hanks containing roughly 380 yards and retails for about $25 US, so it is at the higher price spectrum for a pair of socks.

My personal experience knitting with it was fantastic. It is very soft and smooth. Some might find it a bit too slippery for metal needles, though I experiences no problems knitting on turbos with it. There were occasional and very small areas where the seacell didn’t draft smoothly into the machines so there was a small blip that was unnoticeable in the final sock. I do know others have run across much larger versions of that and/or knots, though that wasn’t my experience with the yarn. It is very soft and moderately plied so there were no troubles with splitting the yarn. The color sections appear quite short so I experienced no noticeable pooling or flashing, which is a huge bonus in my book.

My socks were completed in late spring and then had to await their photo shoot until September when I could release the pattern on my web site so they have only had a little wear. They appear to have withstood my normal washing methods unscathed and that are quite comfortable to wear.

Knit Picks Gloss

Knit Picks Gloss (on Ravelry) is a 70% merino and 30% silk fingering weight yarn sold in 50 gm balls containing 220 yards for $4 a ball. An average pair of adult socks will require two balls for a total cost of $8, definitely at the cheapest end of the sock yarn scale. I knit the dark blue version of Mashup Madness from this yarn in the Dusk colorway.

While I completed the first sock knit from Gloss in late 2006, it has seen no wear or the normal washing. I was slightly disappointed in how the darkness of the yarn swallowed up the pattern of the sock, so when I knit sock number two I used the yarn listed next. So far, neither sock has a mate because I tired of the pattern after two socks in row. I should get back to that. The knitting of Gloss was fine. In my opinion I prefer my sock yarn to be plied a bit more, but it wasn’t terribly splitty and did not require extra attention to knit with. The silk content gave it a nice sheen and slickness, but not so much so that I had any troubles knitting it on turbos.

Regia Silk

With 55% wool, 25% nylon, and 20% silk, these 218 yds/50 gm balls of Regia Silk (on Ravelry) cost about $9 or $18 for an average pair of adult socks.

Again, I knit only one Mashup Madness Sock from this yarn. So, I an unable to report on the washing and wear of the yarn. Knitting with it was not a pleasure. My one ball used for my sock contained two very large blobs of fiber where the nylon and/or silk didn’t’ draft evenly into the spinning equipment. It made me very mad, as I do not understand how a blob of fiber the size of a marble in a fingering weight yarn could pass through the entire mill process without clogging equipment and end up in my ball of yarn. Nevermind how two of those blobs could! I got no response from the company when I shared the photo I had of one of those blobs.

Aside from the monster blobs, knitting with the Regia Silk was very similar to knitting with the Knit Picks Gloss. Though the nylon content of Regia Silk in theory should give the yarn higher durability, especially for socks, I would think twice before buying Regia Silk again. It is one thing to pay rock bottom prices and run into yarn in that poor of condition, but when I pay $9 for only 218 yards I expect it to be good yarn. I understand that yarn doesn’t go through a mill without a break or a jam here or there. However, I am not fan of doing business with a company that does not acknowledge a complaint let alone make things right when there is a mistake.

Panda Wool

At 170 yards per 50 gm ball, Crystal Palace’s Panda Wool (on Ravelry) yarn is a blend of 46% bamboo, 43% wool, and 11% nylon that retails for roughly $7.50 or $15 for a two-ball pair of socks. Though adults with larger feet who like tall socks may need a third ball. I knit my Coyote Ridge Anklets from two balls, with a significant amount of the contrast ball remaining.

Despite the high bamboo content, the yarn did not have as much sheen as I would have expected. However, even knit at 9 sts/in the final socks still had an amazing amount of drape to it. It was fantastic to knit with. I was disappointed slightly upon washing them as I got a lot of felting. Though I have to confess that they went through an amazing amount of abuse on their first washing because they got forgotten in the washer. So, I am not comfortable saying that they would normally felt in a single gentle cycle wash in a front loader, though I can say that the only other yarn that also felted when that happened was some indie yarn with a base of Kona Superwash. Yes, I also manage to felt superwash wool. But, almost all of my handknit socks were a part of that wash, so interpret as you wish. I still plan to knit another pair from Panda Wool at some point as I appreciate their efforts to coordinate the solids and prints and it was wonderful to knit with. It will also give me a chance to see if it felts under my normal washing conditions.

Brown Sheep Wildfoote

Brown Sheep’s Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn is put up in 50 gm skeins containing 215 yards of 75% washable wool and 25% nylon. Again, it takes two skeins to get an average pair of adult socks, so that would cost about $12 for a pair.

I just knit two baby sized Archimedes hats and the baby socks I posted about yesterday so I can’t really comment on the durability. Hand washing in the bathroom sink made no difference in the appearance of the knit fabric. Knitting with the Wildfoote is fairly average. It is a bit splitty which only causes problems when doing increases, decreases, or twisted stitches. It is a tad inelastic as well. But, the price is good and the color selection is quite broad. I have lots more in my stash from this year’s spring break trip to the mill so I’ll be knitting with it again and hopefully be able to report on the durability.

Pattern: Charlie’s Wiggle Socks from New Pathways for Sock Knitters Book One
Designer: Cat Bordhi
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote, SY700 Soft Jazz (seconds)
Needles: 2 - 16 inch US0 Knit Picks Classic Circs
Gauge: ~10 sts/inch, if I remember correctly
Size: Largest Given
Mods: I knit at a much tighter gauge, so the result matches the table at the back of the book for newborn to 3 months rather than the 9-12 months. Since the intended wearer is due in a week, I thought it would be fun to have handknit socks he/she could wear right away.
Recipient: Newborn of the owner of the coffeeshop where we knit on Monday nights. It matches the baby Archimedes she will also be getting from me.
Completed: October 22nd, 2007

Notes: The cable pattern shows up soooo much better in person. I tried many different ways of lighting the photo, but just couldn’t get them to pop. Despite the semi-busy yarn the cable adds a lot of character to the little socks. I think these may be my go-to baby socks for gift knitting (at a looser gauge), and then I can sub in whatever cables I’d like. I’m curious to pop in the X&O cables.

Also, I mentioned yesterday that just because I was on vacation did not mean that I didn’t knit. I decided to take a no-obligation, no-design project with me. It is rather rare that I knit a sock pattern by someone else. But I learned a lot in knitting my Tibetan socks, which were a mod of one of the new Bordhi sock constructions. Charlie’s Wiggle socks were another (thought I can’t try them on to see how I like the fit). So, I decided to knit another pair of Bordhi socks for myself. I’m nearing completion of the first sock, though it won’t be completed before the end of Socktoberfest. You’ll have to wait to see which pattern I chose. Feel free to guess if you would like!

Also note the knails…. I was a green witch at the Halloween party on Saturday (complete with green cleavage - still) so it only seemed appropriate to also have green knails. I had only painted my toe nails with this particular shade, but I think having it on my fingernails is growing on me! I may have to do this at other times of the year as well!

This weekend was almost a weekend off. I got little to no work done the whole three days. *sigh* It was probably good for me. I did manage to wrap up my Coriolis constructed socks (Ravelry) late last week though. It is based off of the Tall Tibetan socks in Bordhi’s New Pathway’s for Sock Knitters: Book 1. There are problems with the socks that I’ll get into in the Notes section below. I don’t think any of the problems really have to do with the spinning of the yarn that Deb did though.

Pattern: Tall Tibetan Socks (Ravelry) from New Pathway’s for Sock Knitters: Book 1, with many modifications
Yarn: Handspun Flame Sock Yarn from Deb aka Chappy’s Mom
Needles: 2 - 2.75 mm, 16-inch Circulars
Gauge: 7 sts and 9 rows per inch in stockinette stitch
Mods: Whirlpool toe; a second spiraling band on the leg by mirroring the set up of the instep needle on the sole/back of leg needle after the completion of the heel; eye of partridge reinforced heel; second sock had high instep modification; double stranded bind-off.

Notes: The socks are work to put on. Probably impossible to put on if your feet are even slightly damp from your morning shower. I did the second sock with a high instep modification to see if that made it easier to get the sock on. But, it seems the majority of the problem is in the inflexibility of the fabric when you have two spiraling bands. Perhaps that was why such an obvious play on this sock construction wasn’t included in the book? I wouldn’t recommend that mod, unless perhaps you are working with a highly elastic yarn.

I like the fit of the whirlpool toe more than I expected to. The double stranded bind off also still curls, and the lack of ribbing at the top does cause the socks to slip down. Again, that may be less of an issue with a highly elastic yarn. With the handspun and its marled appearance I loved the Eye of Partridge heel reinforcement. It is nearly invisible!

Overall, not my best pair of handknit socks in the sock drawer, but the colors are nice and autumnal and I like how they look when they aren’t slouching. In fact, I’m wearing them today. I also learned more about the Coriolis sockitecture knitting them. I think I’m in love with this construction technique, even if this pair didn’t turn out the best. But it is a great way to have a sock that is *almost* all stockinette, but it still has some interest in the knitting and in the final appearance.

You may remember back to early summer and my knitting with some fantastic green Fleece Artist Sea Wool. Well, I can finally share with you what I was making. It was a pattern design for Yarn 4 Socks sock club in August. Now that it is October and I am finally allowed to share with you the completed sock and the pattern!

Knit from the top down, you see the foamy sea bubbling around your cuff as it does around the rocks near shore, which leads into three columns of tails swimming down towards your toes. These Siren socks are knit from Fleece Artist’s Sea Wool which contains seacell (a seaweed derived fiber). The color Moss was used in these photos. If you enjoy the sea, these socks are for you. If you also enjoy a relatively easy knit which isn’t boring, these socks are also for you.

Pattern: Siren Socks (on Ravelry so you can queue it up or see other’s version)
Designer: Myself
Yarn: Fleece Artist Sea Wool, Moss
Needles: 5 DPNs in 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm
Gauge: 8.5 sts/in in Stockinette Stitch on 2.0 mm
Size Shown: Women’s Large (see Women’s Small)
Notes: I *love* this yarn! There is an occasional area where it seems the seacell hasn’t been carded into the wool quite right, but it was minor in my skein. Other than that, I am very impressed with the lack of pooling or striking taking place in the yarn and I don’t believe it was due to the lace. The yarn is nice and soft and the sheen from the seacell really makes textured and lace patterns pop. I have another skein on hand that I am really looking forward to knitting with.

It seems with it being the first day of Socktoberfest, and my getting my 4000th legitimate comment over the weekend that a contest is in order!

The first person to knit a full-sized pair of Siren Socks in the proper gauge (no shortly socks, or DK weight yarn) will win a skein of Fleece Artist Sea Wool. There will also be prizes for the second and third places. You do need to have a blog, Flickr or Ravelry account to qualify so you can post FO pictures and trackback or leave a comment to this post with a link to view your completed pair of socks. You are welcome to switch up the heels and toes and 2-circ or magic loop knitting are also allowed. If you were a Y4S sock club member in August, I am sorry you are not eligible as there is no way to know that you did not start prior to the beginning of the contest.

Happy Socktoberfest Knitting!!!!

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Special thanks to DH who was the camera operator for the modeled shots!