Yummy sock yarn

#1

Here’s the thing…

So far, I’ve only used yarns that I’ve picked up at Michael’s or JoAnn’s. Mostly Lion Brand, which I love, and some Bernat and Caron Simply Soft. But, I’ve just found a LYS right up the street from where I work (I know - right?! :thumbsup: ) and am thinking about buying/trying a more expensive yarn for socks. Something soft and gloriously colored I imagine. My quandry is, whatever sock is shown made with these beautiful yarns, such as at Knit Picks or Patternworks, they are always short socks (6"-8" from top cuff to ankle before heel). And then they go on to say something like “takes 2 skeins/hanks for one adult pair of socks”. However, I like knee socks and modify most patterns to be knee socks except for summer socks, of course, so I’ll buy 4 skeins to be safe. Am I in a minority? I cannot be the only one who likes knee socks, can I? When I go out in wintertime I’m just not warm unless my calves are covered. Why do sock yarn companies believe that we only make short socks? I can understand it for men, but not women.

Ack, just venting I guess. And curious. Anyone else?

#2

I only wear ankle socks, can’t stand anything higher. In the winter, I would rather wear 2 pairs of pants than deal with socks falling down all day. I usually modify sock patterns to be shorter and tighter around the ankle. My guess is we are opposite ends of the sock spectrum, so the yarn companies split the difference and fall somewhere in between.

#3

Hiya Sunshine,
I made my hubbiness some OTC sox for Christmas and I used the KP gloss (wool silk blend). He has huge feet (size 13) and wide and his calves are humongous. So, needless to say, his sox would have to be friggen huge, especially if they were OTC.
For his sox, I basically used 3/4 of a hank of the gloss for each of his sox. Sooooo, if you are making a pair for yerself and unless yer peggy hill, two hanks at the most should suffice for your OTC sox needs. Of the gloss that is. Other’s might not have as much yardage as that one. You might want to check it out and see.
Also see if your LYS has “Lonesome Stone” Mountain Feat sock yarn. It’s superwash, supersoft and there are 400 yards in a hank. It’s not cheap though, but if you think about it, you would have to buy 3 balls of regular sock yarn to equal just this one hank. So I think it evens out in the end.

#4

Peggy Hill - Hilarious!!! Thanks for the info. I’ll ask about Lonesome Stone.

#5

I’m a man and I ONLY want socks that go over the calf winter or summer.

If they’re not over the bulge in the calf they fall down.

The slipper socks I crocheted are over the calf. I like them better than any slippers I’ve had before.