Tips for Choosing Sock Knitting Yarns

Sock knitting is fun. Knitters and crocheters love to make them as gifts and for personal use.

Sock knitting is fun. Knitters and crocheters love to make them as gifts and for personal use. Ideal for all seasons, a pair of socks stitches up quickly. One thing that can be tricky for sock knitters, though, is choosing the best sock yarn. With the ideal sock knitting yarn the process becomes easier, the project done faster and you enjoy what you create. Most sock makers, want a yarn that is super stretchy, super flexible yet durable. A blend of superwash merino wool plus acrylic is simply the best combination out there.

The weight of the yarn is mostly a deciding factor but for socks it is more than that. You need to look at the fiber content, construction and other factors. To help you make the right choice, here are a few tips to choose a yarn for your next sock project.

1.      The Purpose of the Sock Yarn

Do you want your sock to super warm? Or super thin to fit your shoes? Or have motifs for a special day? The purpose of your yarn will greatly affect your choice. Ultimately, there’s no perfect sock yarn for every person and every purpose. The ideal summer sock is not the best option for winter as the ones you wear to dress up may not be enough for staying at home.

2.      Pick The Right Thickness

Yarns are categorized according to their thickness from lace, fingering, DK, worsted weight, etc. Sock knitting yarn are often found under fingering weight yarn in the US and four-ply in some English-speaking countries. Under usual sock-knitting circumstances, they are the ideal choice that produces socks that are warm enough, light enough and stylish enough. It works with needle sizes of US 1 (2.25) –US 3 (3.25mm) and crochet hooks C (2.75mm) - D (3.25mm). While you can stick to this choice whenever you are casting socks, you can also experiment. A gauge swatch will give you right stich count if you plan for yarn substitution with a particular pattern.

3.      Analyze the Absorption Qualities of Yarn

When you’re knitting socks, it’s important to analyze the absorption qualities of the fiber you’ve chosen. Wool is the best natural fiber for sock as it is warm, absorbs sweat and moisture and works well for knitting. Cotton is a difficult fiber to work with and absorption is not ideal but then is a comfortable fiber. Acrylic is preferred for socks as it handles moisture but most knitters and crocheters do not feel the same way as the fiber is not natural. The ultimate choice depends on the maker and use of the yarn in different environments.

4.      Evaluate The Durability Of Your Sock Yarn’s Fiber Content

Socks are the most susceptible to wear and tear. Choosing the right sock yarn depends on the durability of the yarn. Machine washability is a good deciding factor as you need to launder them frequently.

Now, as discussed before, there’s no perfect sock yarn for every person and every purpose, just like there is no perfect sock knitting method for every person. You can only try to make the right choice for your needs and your unique circumstances with the best sock yarn that fits your requirements.

Now, that you have tips to choose the best sock knitting yarn, there’s a wonderful choice designed for socks by lifelong knitters and crocheters. The best choice is the hand-dyed Terra yarns from the Symfonie yarn collection. The superwash merino wool has a blend of 25% nylon that gives it durability and stretchiness in a wide palette of semi-solid and variegated colors. The machine washable fingering weight yarn is designed for socks and projects that require frequent wash and durability.

Happy stitching!

Source: https://www.zupyak.com/p/3746517/t/tips-for-choosing-sock-knitting-yarns