Socks and Sock yarn

I started this blog when I began knitting after a hiatus of many years. Socks have been a major knitting obsession for me these past few years. I tried knitting socks at first because commercial socks hurt my feet. Most commercial socks seem to have a big hard seam across the toe that I find quite irritating.

Of course a second reason I decided to make socks was because I really love sock yarn. It comes in glorious colors. A single skein can usually make a pair of socks or even a small shawl. Each skein is like a small delightful gift.

But, all sock yarns are not created equal, and quite a few "sock" yarns are not entirely suitable for socks.

Socks are often knit from fingering weight yarns. These yarns might be of different fibers and blends of fibers. Most often they contain 75-80% wool and some nylon for strength. They are often "superwash" meaning they should stand up to frequent washing, at least by hand in cool water. Better yet if they can take some machine washing, at least a cool wash.

My first favorite socks yarn was Tofutsie. It was made from a blend of wool, soy fiber and chitin. They don't make Tofutsie anymore. I know why. It really did not stand up to wear. The socks I made from it were wonderfully comfortable, but sadly, not for long. I have darned most of the socks I made from Tofutsie until there was nothing left to darn.

Very basic Tofutsie socks

Another once favored sock yarn that is no longer on my list is Knit Picks Stroll. It comes in a lot of colors. It is supposed to be "superwash". I have some skeins of it that are felted before they are even used. It shrinks and felts unless you care for them very carefully.

But I did make some interesting socks from Stroll. These might be my favorites, but they are a bit felted now.

The next pair of socks may be the ones that took the longest. I had a lot of difficulty with fit when making them. Stranded color work is less elastic, less stretchy than plain knit socks, so one must reach a balance between snug enough to wear and loose enough to get on and off.

These socks use a number of colors and quite a few different sock yarns. I tried to stay with yarns that are specifically made for socks and that contain some nylon for strength.

I have made nearly 40 pairs of socks. I am still learning about them and trying different yarns. I will may never make socks from 100% Merino, thought I have some in my stash. It will be great for shawls.

Butterfly and Turk's Cap complete

This is the quilt I made in September 2015. It began as a photo I took several years ago. I thought it would make a good subject for a pictorial quilt, but was stalled when it came to the execution. I started this in early September and finished it on the last day of the month.

Often the hardest part of making a pictorial quilt is deciding on the subject and taking those first steps. This went together without too much difficulty once I got started. Of course there are always things one might do differently but that is the nature of art and of craft. We are always learning.

I am very happy with the end result.

Note: I tend to call these flowers tiger lilies but I believe they are known as Turk's Cap.