Observations

I've been thinking about my hand knit socks a lot lately.  Since I gave up on sandals in early Nov (What?!  It was warm here til then!  Really!), I've worn only hand knit socks- no store bought ones.  Since knitting only for myself in 2010, I now have a drawer full of perfectly fitting hand knit socks.  I have a wide array of colors, styles and fibers, and I've enjoyed seeing which ones hold up the best and which ones are the most comfortable.

Of all the socks I've knit, the ones that have held up the best, with little or no pilling or fuzziness and no color loss after dozens of machine washes (air drying) are Trekking XXL (color 126 is what I wear), Opal (in several lines including Hundertwasser shown below, Feelings, Antonia), and Alchemy's Juniper (Vintage Jade).  I'm super impressed with the Opal colors, because I tend to choose the brightest colors from their lines with greens, reds and hot pinks, and the colors have held their intensity over dozens of washes.

It seems the same with Trekking XXL, but the color I chose wasn't very bright, so I can't tell if it's faded much over time.  It seems not to have though.  But the sock has a large portion of white/natural, and the colors definitely have not bled into the white over time.  Very good.  And Alchemy's Juniper (shown below in Vintage Jade and Underwater Moonlight) still has fabulous stitch definition after many washes and wears- so much so that I now have one of the socks on display in the store next to a never-worn Alchemy sock, just to show that the two still look the same, even though one has been through many washes/wears.  These are yarns that I know I can definitely gift to anyone and know that no matter how they are washed, my hard work will still be appreciated.

When it comes to the hand dyed colors and luxury fibers I carry and have knit, I've found that they have all held up quite well.  Fleece Artist/Hand Maiden Casbah was the first cashmere blend sock yarn to be widely available, and it's continued to be one of the most popular.  The socks I knit from SSYC's Anniversary kit in 2010 have held up wonderfully.  They have a slightly fuzzy halo and the bottoms are a bit felted, but I think that's to be expected of a sock yarn that doesn't have a tight twist.  They are among my most soft socks, and the color has not faded over the past year and a half of washing and wearing.  I have two pair of Cherry Tree Hill socks- one a solid teal, and one is the Herbs and Spices color of Fingerpaints (shown below).  I snagged the bottom of the teal socks, so I rarely wear them (I will sometimes fix them), but I wear the Fingerpaints socks often.  I have noticed some slight fading of the socks- one sock more than the other, which I can't explain because they came from the same 100g skein.

I've also been enjoying my three pairs of String Theory Colorworks Continuum striping yarn (sorry, none available til Caitlin moves and gets a new studio set up- early-mid 2012).  They are soft and colorful, and I loves me some stripes.  I noticed a bit of color bleeding from the red into the white stripes for the row where the two touch (for my Christmas socks), so I can't say I'd knit gift socks for someone if the yarn had a white stripe to it- I think I'd be scared that the color might bleed onto the white.  But for me, I love my three pairs of these socks and the stripes make me smile.

As far as gift socks go, I've knit Pagewood Farms Denali (shown above worn by the recipient), Fleece Artist Merino (at least 4 times for gifts, shown below in Amethyst worn by the recipient), Jojoland Melody Superwash, and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Nearly Solid, and I've seen the recipients wear them and they still look good.  These all made good gifts.

I've knit many other yarns for myself and gifts, and each sock yarn I've knit I've been happy with.  Some are softer, some hold up better, some still have intense color after years, but I do believe that each one has been worth my time and money.  The most important thing I've learned over the years is that if I really want my socks to last, I need to go down a needle size on the foot.  Getting a thick, dense fabric really makes a huge difference in how the socks wear over time.  I rarely (if ever?) knit the foot of a fingering weight sock on anything larger than a US 1, and often enough using a US 0. 

Comments

[Vickie]

I agree completely about the Trekking and Opal. They never fade and take years and years to wear out. If they get too loose, I throw them in the dryer. Too tight and I hang them to dry. (Not everyone has that awesome sock drying drawer in their laundry like you do...ahem.)

[Sara Lee]

I like the Trekking and Opal as well, but for sheer delight, my pick would be Madelinetosh ! the fiber is expensive but the two pair of socks I have knitted with that yarn look better every time they are washed ......

[bonny]

What a helpful and informative post! Thank you!

[Paulette]

Thanks for sharing this info--very helpful in choosing sock yarns. I haven't made many socks yet (have lots of sock yarn, so more to come!) I've got 2 pairs in Trekking that I love, too. It's good to know which are longer lasting for gifts---thanks!!

[April]

You are kidding me....I LOVE Soulmate and NOW have to buy Trekking and Opal? Going on my wish list! Thanks for the idea of smaller needles on the foot...definitely will try it!

[Ginette]

Tks Allison for the tip you give as for one down needle size the foot... I will try this tip for my next pair of socks...
I love your blog!
Ginette from Ripon, Quebec

[Sweetnees22]

Allison - I love the look of the Fingerpaints Herbs and Spices socks. What pattern did you use?

[Roger]

Thanks for the great information! Also, as a male knitter who knits his own sock, I can truely appreciate your Man's Man sock yarn! Like your husband, I don't get crazy with the colors I wear on my feet.

Glad I found your site!!!