Favorite Sock Yarns

This is one of my favorite pairs of socks, made in 2001 from the brand new Opal yarn (no color numbers back then). I have a sensitivity to scratchy wool, so my favorite sock yarns have to be soft. I can't knit with, much less wear, mohair blends, Shetland Wool, Peace Fleece or Lopi.

I have a lot of different sock yarns in my stash waiting to be tried. The first test in the LYS is to feel the yarn, then look at the colors (and price). I have to say that STR is the best feeling sock yarn ever! It feels like silk, but it's somewhat expensive. I have one finished pair, but they are a little thick to get in my shoes, even though I used the lightest weight.

I absolutely love the wool/cotton blends of sock yarn. One of my favorite socks is made from Online Linie's cotton/wool blend in the Petticoat pattern. 100% cotton sock yarn is too hard on my feet, but the blends feel like cotton and have all the benefits of wool. They wash and dry well, too. I stocked up when I found them on sale because I was afraid they would be discontinued. Sockotta is a great price and makes nice socks. Fixation is a little thick to get in my shoes and I find it hard to knit with, plus it bothers the soles of my feet a little.

The pearled superwash wools like Fleece Artist, Claudia, Opal Gems, CTH Supersock, Koigu etc. are definitely soft enough. I am using some of Lisa Souza's Sock! right now but I haven't test worn them yet. I have some Anne yarn, but it may wind up as a shawl instead of socks. I knit the Pomatomus socks from Fleece Artist last year and they are also one of my favorite socks.

Superwash 100% wools like Cleckheaton are much softer than the wool/nylon blends like Opal and Regia, but I do wear my Opal and Regia socks and give them as gifts to people with less sensitive feet. I also have some KnitPicks Gloss to try which feels great. I am very interested in trying SWTC's new Tofootsi's yarn, made from soy silk.

I did love my first pair of hand knit socks, made from Mountain Color's Weaver's wool, but my husband washed one of them with the regular laundry. It was loosely knit, so it still fits, but I am afraid to let the other sock be washed in case it shrinks too much.