Yarn Question?

#1

So today was the day. I have been sort of sock-obsessed and decided that after making mittens on DPN’s and reading Silver’s Sock tutorial that I would try a pair of socks.

I went and got some nice green print yarn in sportweight. I came home and cast on. Well, it turns out that I bought cotton yarn. Not a blend. It is sort of “shiny”. I wonder if the lack of fuzz is going to make the finished product less than socklike?

Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing? I can’t believe I only looked at the weight of the yarn and not the content! Will my socks still turn out like socks? I am concerned that the lack of fuzz will make a more “lace-like” fabric than “fabriclike” fabric…

Anyone got any ideas? In the meantime, I am going to proceed and see what happens. It also could be that with a turn in the gentle cycle the sock may become ultimately more socklike… Thanks guys.

#2

More than the fuzziness issue, I’d be concerned that cotton has no natural elasticity. That could make for really saggy socks.

#3

Well…it’s a good learning test thingy. Ya know they could be good to wear with Birk kind of shoes. I made socks out of mercerized cottononce (which sounds like what you got) and they’re OK. And if you like hte color and you like working with it… then who cares. The NEXT pair you can get some more socky yarn. And then you’ll have even MORE socks. WOO HOO!

#4

You guys both have a point.

But the yarn seems to do okay in the ribbing. I mean, it seems like it will stay up as much as any hiking socks as long as I wear them clean ( you know how storebought hiking socks sag the dirtier they get?!?! I suppose it also has to be true of handknit items. Well, nothing’s PERFECT :stuck_out_tongue: )

But FemnistMama, I think/hope you are right. They are already behaving ok. I am wondering if I should knit ribbing for the whole leg of the sock, or if I should switch to stockinette… I think I am going to continue the ribbing, but I’m not sure yet. Of course, like a true novice I probably bought too much yarn. So I can probably have two pairs of socks… then some more “socky” socks. Yay! I have this suspicion that I may never knit anything ever again except socks… How fun!

Oh except I want to make a shawl, and a skirt, and a poncho that is really a serape… and… but I really do like socks… And some pop-off mittens… ow.

I think I hurt myself. Keep knitting, guys. :wink: