Mens wool socks a question on construction

This is a question about mens wool crew socks. During COVID I had to change brands from a local maker called Wigwam to Fox River Mills.
The product is pretty much the same except for the top banding. The top banding on the new Fox River pairs is so tight it clearly affects my leg circulation with a noticeable mark much like having a rubber band holding the socks up.

I’m not going to go through returning a partial order even though they are premium price.

Looking at this top band, there appears to be a thin elastic woven into
that top band different from the wool weave. I just want to know if I could use a thread puller to get that elastic out without making the sock sag on top and get my use out of them.

If it were me I would remove the part that’s too tight and reknit it with more stitches or a larger needle or both. I knit socks toe up so I would just unravel the offending rib and redo it. If you knit them cuff down you’d have to cut the yarn below the rib (or whatever stitch pattern you’ve used) I think. Either way would mean recapturing the live stitches to rework the top of the cuff. I think trying to pull out part of the yarn could lead to real problems, at least for me.

Others might have much better ideas.

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Welcome to the forum!
Can you trace the elastic at the top and see if it’s possible to snip it out?
If the socks are uncomfortable to wear and you’re not going to return them, then you have nothing to lose by cutting the elastic. It may be that the socks won’t stay up but that’s better than having them too tight.

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Thanks for the welcome,

I have no experience with knitting. That elastic appears to run through what you’ve called the “cuff” on just a single row. I see the term " recapturing live stitches " in your reply. About the only stitch I know is an overcast which I’d do on a mend of trousers and so on. Maybe the cuff row without the elastic is secure enough to keep that row “live.”

Thanks for answering.
If I decide to go for it, I’ll mention the result.

In this instance, just trying to physically stretch out the top won’t work-- it’s that elastic thread that will snap back all the time.

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I’m sorry. I totally misunderstood your question. I didn’t realize you meant socks you’d purchased.

No apology needed. I did not know a good place to ask this and landed on knitting help. If there’s no advice I was just in the wrong place. I do see that elastic string in the band. Someday I’m going to man up and finely sever that string which is threaded through the wool top ‘row’. I don’t feel good about actually querying the manufacturer (not like I’m going to get any more). :-/

thanks for answering :slight_smile:

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While you’re here you can get get tips for learning to knit. Or crochet. :smiley: We love having new needlers and hookers. Try it. You might like it.

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Thanks for the invitation. I would just close by saying my needs are more for mending things and if there’s a good place for that you know of.

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Today as promised I can report that I was able to get that elastic string severed and mostly removed from the sock band with a thread puller and snipped with a very sharp and accurate barber shears. I think this will provide more comfort.

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