I have a very special sock yarn review to share with you today- it's Cherry Tree Hill's Possum Sock Yarn. Possum is a highly prized fiber- warm and soft- and Cherry Tree Hill hasn't had this sock yarn available for almost 7 years. There are a few thousand skeins being dyed, and already bought out by just a few yarn stores, and I'm happy to say that I'll soon have it in the store. I'm also happy to share that I received one of the few sample skeins of this and sent it to Vickie a few months ago for her review.
Presentation:
There were no problems to note in how the skein was put up. It was easy to wind. I couldn't stop petting it, so that did slow me down a bit...
Texture:
This yarn is wonderful to knit. It is simply the softest thing I've ever worked with- feels kind of like cashmere. I had no problem with splitting or twisting. It was very smooth knitting. However, because of the softness there was practically no stitch definition. It's quite fuzzy, but nicely fuzzy- not the kind that makes your nose itch. My only complaint about the yarn is that the color I knit (Caribou Creek) was very dark and was hard to see, but then my eyes are not as young as they used to be. A younger person my have no trouble with it!
Knitted Fabric:
As I said, this is a very dark colorway. I think pattern work would disappear. I used a 2x2 rib and the socks fit nice and snug, but not tight at all. The sock probably fits me better than any sock I've knit so far and I think it has a lot to do with the fabric. The fabric has a lot of elasticity and a nice spring. I can't explain it well, but somehow it feels more like fur than yarn. It's enough to make you swoon! (I am a little gushy about this luxuriousness of this yarn.)
At first, I didn't think anything this luxurious could hold up. But we had a cold snap here and I wore these socks with and without shoes every evening (with appropriate time off for washing- me and the socks!) There is a bit of fussing around the heel (I used a standard slip stitch pattern on the heel flap) but mostly they do not show signs of wear. They are holding up much better than I expected. They do not bag out, but maintain their fit very well. They also make great bed socks.
In closing, this yarn is heavenly and my socks are heavenly. I don't want to take them off. Although I've had enough of cold weather, I wouldn't mind a few cold days so I can wear my possum socks a little more.
* * * *
I'm so envious that Vickie got to knit this yarn before me! I have to admit that if I had small feet like her, I would have kept the yarn for myself. But my size 10-11 feet aren't dainty enough to get a pair of socks out of one skein.
Yes, that's right.... Vickie just used one skein for her two socks. Footies, really. Each sock = 1.5 inch cuff, 2.15 inch heel flap, and a 9.25 inch foot (from back of heel flap). She cas on 64 stitches on size 1 needles and had only 2 feet of yarn left. As she says, "It was close."
The possum sock yarn is on the pricey side but if you have tiny feet you can knit a small pair of footies on one skein. I'm going to splurge on 4 skeins though, a pair for me and a pair for Joe. And we'll both need 2 skeins for a pair of socks.
If you think you might want a few skeins, keep your eyes peeled here at the blog, b/c I'll post here when I get it in and up on the site. It's likely that I won't be able to get this yarn again, and Cheryl the owner of Cherry Tree Hill has this explanation,
"Do you realize how hard it is to convince a mill to combine possum with superwash merino and mill it to fingering weight? Impossible! No one has the equipment, no one wants to do a run that small (4500 skeins), no one wants to run yarn that thin- plus the US Dollar is dropping like a rock in that part of the world. It's taken me about 5 years and a lot of whining and wheedling- so we're going to get a bit one more time."
I can hardly wait for this to arrive. Even with the 90 heat today, I want to knit this yarn--sounds heavenly.
Posted by: Nancy | July 15, 2008 at 02:16 PM
I love your shoes! Do you remember where you got them?
Posted by: | July 15, 2008 at 03:15 PM
My shoes are Keen's. I got them at onlineshoes.com. They are super comfortable and great for showing off socks. And I'm still swooning over the yarn. I've even considered turning the A/C down so low that I have to wear them all summer! I am very grateful to Allison for giving me the chance to knit the yarn. You can bet I'll be in line for more.
Posted by: Vickie | July 15, 2008 at 07:07 PM
Glad I checked the comments -- those shoes are adorable, and I was going to ask about them.
Posted by: Julie | July 15, 2008 at 09:15 PM
Just curious? When you say pricey- how pricey? The yarn looks totally yummy!
Posted by: Jan | July 16, 2008 at 10:27 AM
me! me! me! - jumping up & down & waving my arms about - I want enough for a scarf!!! And maybe mittens.
Posted by: mwknitter | July 16, 2008 at 05:01 PM
those socks look so wonderful - and yeah, I'd splurge on that yarn too if I was you :-)
Posted by: Teyani | July 17, 2008 at 10:52 AM