How much does it cost you to knit a pair of socks?

#1

What do you pay for sock yarn? How much yarn is needed to make a pair?

I was in Michaels for a ball of wool to make a headband today and some Kroy sock yarn caught my eye. I’ve been thinking I might try socks in the new year.
Since I’ve never made them before, I flipped through a book there to get an idea of how much yarn I’d need. It suggested 200g per pair. At $4 per 50g ball (on sale from $5), a pair of socks would cost $16. (Canadian funds)
I’ve paid $70+ for wool for a sweater before, but this price for socks seemed steep and surprised me. So what do they cost you?

#2

It really depends on what kind of yarn you use…I got a gift certificate to my LYS once and got a couple of skeins of Koigu to make a pair of socks. If I’d paid for that myself, it would have been about 20 bucks (US)!!!

But on the internet, you can often find really good deals.

Elann.com has sock yarn for about $5.00 US for enough to make a pair.

http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp?NAME=elann.com+Sock+It+to+Me+4+Ply&Season=&Company=&Cat=ALLY&ProductType=5&OrderBy=&Count=39

Webs also has closeouts and they sometimes have really nice sock yarn for cheap:

http://www.yarn.com/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns/

(On the menu on the left, go to closeouts and/or Grandpa’s garage…I have yet to figure out the exact difference between these two).

Lion Brand also makes a sock yarn that is fairly inexpensive, although I’ve never used it myself.

#3

the more I love the yarn (feel, colors or fiber content) the more I’m willing to pay. I regularly pay $20+ (US) for yarn to knit socks with, but that’s not a lot IMHO, because it’s only $20 to knit an entire project that’s several hours worth of knitting entertainment. If the yarn is fingering weight, most sock patterns can be made with about 420 yards of yarn. Knitpicks has some really good quality sock yarns that are inexpensive.

#4

Thanks Jax–I totally forgot about Knitpicks! Their Gloss sock yarn is really nice. :slight_smile:

#5

I love knitting socks. They’re my favorite thing to make. My initial reaction to sock knitting was the same as yours-pricey for a pair of socks! But people tell me they’re very comfy (I’m only now knitting a pair for myself!) and they’re FUN. Red Heart makes sock yarn now that’s pretty cheap. I mostly get my sock yarn from Knit Picks.

#6

I know what you mean! I was really surprised at the cost of sock yarn, too, when I started knitting socks. Like Marria, I like Elann yarns, and they are reasonably priced. I have made several pairs of summer socks with Elann Esprit. It’s a cotton/elastic/nylon blend. Mom bought me some KnitPicks Felici self-striping yarn for my birthday last year. I think it was about (US)$6 / skein. I haven’t knitted the socks yet, but the colors are lovely.

#7

It depends on who they are for;) . I use nice wool yarn for dh and for gifts. For me, I get cotton or a bamboo and get it on sale. I have paid as much as 20 bucks for sock yarn for a pr for dh in wool. But I usually have leftovers, so I put that to good use for smaller projects. I have also knit them for 8 dollars a pr and my cheapest 5.00 with yarn I found on close out.
Granted, not as cheap as Target socks, but like one poster said, they are fun to make and you get a lot of knitting entertainment.

#8

I’ve only made three pair of socks so far. My knitting instructor told me nicer yarns make for nicer gifts. It all depends on what your willing to pay. I have paid as much as $20 for alpaca and wools . The cheapest so far was $5 a skein.

eBay has the best deals on yarns. You can find any type of yarn on ebay and not pay top $ for it.

#9

I use Berroco Comfort Sock yarn. I can’t handle wool and I really like this yarn. I can knit a pair of socks with one ball and it costs me about $7-$8USD.

#10

The most I’ve spent on sock yarn was the one I’m working with now, which is my favorite so far. Only cost me $8.50! It just depends on how much you’re willing to spend :slight_smile: I was able to complete my first pair for $1.49.

#11

A skein of Patons Kroy Socks should be enough for an average sized sock. So to make a pair of socks you’d need two skeins. Around here it’s usually priced at $5.99/skein so $4 is a good price.
Kroy socks is my standard sock yarn but I have used others. Knitting your own socks is going to cost more then buying a pair at the store but hand-knit socks are so worth it.

#12

Ohhh, pretty!:inlove: knowing my luck it has some sort of animal fiber in it, right?

#13

As you can see you can spend a little or a lot, it just depends on your budget. Most womens socks can be made with 100g of fingering weight. If you have large feet or are making men’s socks you may need more than 100g.
I have gotten a lot of use out of the wool socks I made from KP yarn. We have had a monster winter so far.

#14

It’s 50/50 Wool/Bamboo. I’ve never tried bamboo yarn before, but it’s definitely one of the softer yarns I’ve gotten to work with. And shiny! The colors look SO much better in person than they do on the monitor. I literally gasped when I opened the package :smiley:

#15

I have spent as little as $5 and as much as $50+ on a pair of socks… it all depends on who the socks are for and how much I love the yarn. For general purpose, I usually purchase from KnitPicks. I thought the prices of most sock yarns were insane until I started wearing hand-knit socks. (Cashmere and alpaca blends feel [I]incredible[/I]!) Now I think the store-bought socks are a waste of my money and would much rather pay a little extra for hand-knits.

#16

$50?! What kind of yarn was it?

#17

200 gms? Must be a pattern for Big Foot! Most of 100 gm skeins (sock yarn) will make a pair of socks…so appx 450 yds give or take will work fine. Other weights vary though.

The most expensive I’ve made is about $15 and that seems to be about average from what I’ve experienced. More companies are making sock yarn now so that average is probably going to go down now.

#18

You need a 50-gram ball for each sock, so 100 grams for a pair.

#19

I would love to know what kind of yarn it is?

#20

Here you go! http://juliasyarn.com/5050bazayano5.html

Also, search for Julia’s Yarn on eBay and sometimes you can get an even BETTER deal!