Sock School: Lesson 1 - The Yarn
I know, I know: you probably expected the first lesson the include some actual knitting. We'll definitely get to that.
I want to you be happy with your socks when they're done, and I want you to get plenty of use out of them. And the key to that lies before you even pick up the needles: the yarn.
For the purposes of this article, when I talk about yarn I'm referring to ones made with animal fibers, mostly wool, unless otherwise noted. Acrylic, cotton, linen, etc. all have their roles and places in the world of knitting (and crochet), I just don't prefer them for socks.
What is sock yarn?
The first thing to know is that there is a difference between sock yarn and sock-weight yarn. The first refers to the fibers that the yarn is made of, and the second refers to how thick it is. You can have sock yarn that isn't sock-weight, and you could technically have sock-weight yarn that isn't sock yarn, but I think that would just be confusing and potentially misleading.
Sock yarn is yarn that has an additional fiber added to it for durability. Socks are constantly being rubbed against floors and shoes, and most animal fibers can't hold up to that kind of wear.
I made these socks out of 100% wool. This is what they looked like after only a couple of days of wearing them:
Synthetic fibers on the other hand like nylon, can put up with this kind of abuse. Nylon can be up to 75 times as strong as a wool fiber, so it takes a lot more to break it. When blended with the wool we want for warmth and other properties, the result is a yarn that can last years, even in socks.
A tighter twist of the plies in the yarn also makes the yarn more durable, and knitting at a tighter gauge can help. In my opinion the reinforcing fiber in the yarn is the most important feature. Of the Finnish knitters and designers I know, no one knits socks without nylon or polyamide in it.
My Sock Yarns
Since this is my website and shop, I'm sure you'll understand that I'm going to focus on the sock yarns I carry.
Lankava
Lankava was founded 100 years ago in 1925, and offers a wide variety of different yarns and related tools. My very first product selection was their sock yarns, and they remain a cornerstone product in my shop.
All of Lankava's sock yarns are a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and polyamide. There are 23 base colors that are available in each weight, plus three extra colors in Lysti and several multi-colored options in each.
Viking Nordlys
Viking of Norway has lots of different yarns, but my favorite, and the one I carry in my shop, is Nordlys. It is a fingering-weight yarn made of a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon. It comes in several gorgeous colorways inspired by the Northern Lights. It pairs wonderfully with Lankava Sulo for colorwork projects.
CEWEC Blossom Fade
Blossom Fade is another multi-colored yarn in my shop, this one is DK-weight. It also has a beautiful, gradual change of shades in its colorways. Also a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon, it pairs beautifully with Lankava Mainio, but is also beautiful just by itself.
Homework
It's a lesson, so yes, there is homework.
Your first assignment is to browse the options of Lankava Lysti and pick a color to use for your first two pairs of socks. In the sock school lessons we will be making two different types of socks. They'll be a smaller size so you'll be able to make both pairs from one skein. But if you want to pick several colors, you're certainly welcome to do that.
And if you already have Aran-weight sock yarn in your stash, use that!
Let me know in the comments what color you've picked.
