Hi Everyone, I have been looking online on and off for weeks and can’t find a sock yarn that is self striping that is 100% natural fiber. I’m flexible if it’s animal or plant fiber or a mix… but I can’t seem to find anything that doesn’t have at least around 20% man-made fiber. I’m also flexible about the weight: sock weight, DK, ect is all fine. I just would love to make socks with the cool self striping look but I need 100% natural fiber. (I understand why most manufacturers add in at least 20% of the man-made fiber to help with longevity of the socks, but it just doesn’t work for me). Thank you!
I don’t do socks, can you tell me what makes it a “sock yarn”? Is any 100% cotton/natural self striping yarn okay or is there some particular aspect that makes it sock yarn (I thought ijky it’s the added man made aspect to strengthen it but like I say, I don’t do socks)?
I can find 100% cotton for instance, or 100% wool.
A link for silk, silk/wool, silk/alpaca
A link for 100% cotton (the first page isn’t so exciting but pages 2 to 5 have some jive looking options)
A link for wool (14 pages to browse. My son would love tutti frutti on page 14!)
On woolwarehouse if you begin with “yarn” from the menu then use filters for colour “mixed” first you’ll get the self patterning. Then filter fibre. Then if you want to filter yarn weight you can. There’s a good range there with some subtle colour changes and some very contrasting rainbow designs.
Good luck in your hunt
Since you don’t want 20% man-made fiber, you needn’t specify sock yarn since that generally does have some percent nylon or other man-made fiber. (Sock yarn commonly contains about 25% nylon for elasticity and durability.)
You can do a search at large yarn stores like WEBS for self-striping yarn then check the box on the left for natural fiber. The search isn’t perfect (some man-made fibers sneak in) but it narrows the choices. Jimmy Beans is also a good source although you can only specify “mostly animal” or “mostly plant” which isn’t as specific.
Good luck with your search! If you find a likely yarn you might also try using yarnsub.com to see if there are similar suggestions.
@Beth_Leatherman @GrumpyGramma, any suggestions?
@salmonmac is correct. You could also search Google and get several online results. Just search for cotton or wool or bamboo and the desired weight instead of sock yarn. Personally I like to make sock with less than DK weight. I already buy larger shoes to accommodate my hand-knit socks. Others use thicker yarn but I don’t know what they wear them with!
Michael’s carries a rayon from bamboo sock weight self-striping yarn. I used some for a water bottle cozy and it does not have any elasticity. I wouldn’t recommend it for socks but it sounds like it matches your search.
Patons Grace is a nice cotton yarn but I do t know if it comes in stripes.
Since I avoid self-striping yarn I had to take a look at Little Knits. Here’s a 100% superwash merino that might be self-striping. It does say long-color repeats so I dunno. If I were in buy yarn mode I’d spend some time looking around on the LK site - it’s much different since I last looked there. I think they may ship within the US (I didn’t check) only these days and don’t know where the OP is located.
ETA I’d do more looking but it’s dangerous activity since I already
have more yarn than a small LYS.
Self striping sock yarn is created specifically for knitting socks: you have lovely stripes within the sock as you knit – (they do the mathematical calculation so this is how it occurs.) Someone looking at the sock would think the knitter had use multiple yarns because the stripes are at least a centimeter each. It’s different than variegated yarn.
Thank you!
IME the stripes are iffy. I gave up trying to make matching socks. I’m not interested in cutting the yarn to make it work.
So, does this count then?
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/gleungc6/toe-up-3-short-row-tutti-fruitti-socks
It’s the tutti fruiti I spotted (page 13, not 14), seems to stripe as you suggested it should with a centimeter or so of colour.
Here’s another colourway
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/mskittyfantastico/towanda-socks
I have to stop looking at socks!
I don’t know where you live, but this link to mohair sock yarn has a striping colour way.
Alternatively, if you find a nice self striping 100% merino, you could hold a strand of lace weight mohair together with it for the sole and heel. That might give you something more hard wearing at the pressure points, and still have the stripes on the cuff.
Onion do a nice nettle / wool sock yarn but it’s not self striping.
West Yorkshire Spinners ColourLab DK: perfect!! I just ordered. Thank you so much!!!
That yarn looks amazing!!! I am in the USA, so I think getting it shipped from Wales would cost too much of a pretty penny. But, thank you so much!
Glad to be able to help.
Knit Picks carries self striping yarn called Stroll that is 75 % Superwash merino wool and 25 % nylon for durability. I think Knit Picks ships internationally.
Thank you so much. I am looking for 100% wool.