Less Traveled Yarn now available + a contest!

We've added a new dyer to the fold, husband and wife team Sarah and Matt of Less Traveled Yarn! 

Barbie Goes Hunting on Sport

Sarah originally wanted to open a yarn truck, bring yarn to the masses, hence the original name Traveling Yarn if you follow her on Instagram, and now she instead focuses on hand dyeing and making colorways inspired by adventure, travel and wanderlust. 

Canyon on Sport

I have for you her 757 Sock and a base that many of us have been waiting for.... a merino/nylon SPORT WEIGHT. It's hard to find this combo predictably, and I'm super happy that Sarah dyes this Sport base. It's great for just a bit heavier socks that you still want to hold up to wear. I use a US 1 on a fingering weight yarn, but I'd use a US 2.5 on this Sport.... maybe go down to a US 2 on the ball of my foot for a really dense fabric, since that's where I first find holes in my socks.

Diplomat on Sport

Sarah shared a few projects knit in her yarn so you can see how it knits up. Here are my faves...

A simple hat knit in what I believe is the Nordic Narwhal colorway

A beautiful sweater knit in Nightfall and The Sheldrake.

Sock started in Harlequin Robot (cool name, eh?!)

Adorable sweater in Spring Bouquet

Want a chance to win your very own skein of 757 Sock in the Diplomat colorway? All you have to do is tell me what is one of your favorite sock patterns in the comments below (please comment here on the blog, not Facebook or Instagram to be entered). Perhaps tell us one that you may not think many people know about, or one that you couldn't live without. And paste a Ravelry link if you'd like to make it easier for all of us to add to our queue. We all love a bit of inspiration!

I'll share that my go to is just a simple stockinette sock, but I really enjoyed knitting the Zigzagular Sock and really need to do that one again.

Leave me a comment below before noon EST on Wednesday, Feb 27 and I'll e-mail the winner and announce it here. Thanks for playing!

Comments

[Julie Vance]

I love the Artichoke Socks (free on Rav). Simple and perfect for solid/tonal colors.

[Brianna]

My absolute favorite are the Rose City Rollers

[Nancy]

Well, for fingering weight yarn in variegated colorways, my all-time favorite is Monkey by Cookie A.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/monkey-socks

It looks great in any yarn, solids, semi-solids, and especially variegateds.
I have made it several times, and it never gets old.

[Cheryl]

I haven't finished my first pair of socks yet (plain stockinette ones) but I want to try Filey next.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/filey-3

[Maureen]

The time traveler pattern by Jennifer Raymond is one that has caught my eye.

[Kate Greenwood]

I'd like to try the Vanilla is the New Black sock pattern by Vanessa Fletcher (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vanilla-is-the-new-black). I love the heel detail!

[Lara]

I’m currently making Kate Atherley’s Wise Hilda’s Basic Ribbed Sock and I like it a lot. I have only made a few pairs prior to this but it is working up quickly and the pattern is easy to follow. The other pattern I really like knitting is Virginia Rose-Jeane’s Vanilla Latte Sock. This one has fit better than any of the others I have made. I like snug socks, no floppy bits, so the ribbed variations are my favorite type.

[Joann]

My favorite heel pattern is the Fish Lips Kiss heel. I like doing this heel as my toe also.

[Heather Cunningham]

Fluourite

[Vickie]

It’s so hard to choose just one but there is one I’ve knitted recently that was so much fun that I know I will knit again. It’s the “Vintage Fairy Lights” by Helen Stewart. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vintage-fairy-lights.

[Karen P]

I am getting back into knitting socks after a looong time. I am reading Ann Budd's book "Getting Started Knitting Socks". I plan to knit her basic sock to get started again :-)

[Jenny K]

On your toe socks by Ann Budd is my go to pattern

[Diane N.]

I love the Watermelon Socks by Wendy Gaal.

[junglewife]

I love Socks on a Plane for a simple sock with a bit of interest to it 😊
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/socks-on-a-plane

[Anne]

My go to pattern is Gusset Heel Basic Socks by Wendy D Johnson. Dead Dimple Lace Socks also by Wendy are easy, stretchy and look good in lots of yarns including Speckles.

[Jeanne Bush]

Wow, what great colors on all these yarns! One of my favorite sock patterns is Business Casual by Tanis Lavallee - https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/business-casual. I think it would be great in Diplomat.

[Elizabeth SanMiguel]

My go to is just a simple stockinette sock, but I really enjoyed knitting the Baby Fern pattern by Charlene Schurch.

Yeah! A sport weight sock yarn!!!!

[Alison M.]

The Hermione pattern, which I learned about here!

http://dreamsinfiber.blogspot.com/2009/07/hermoines-everyday-socks-free-pattern.html

[ritainalaska]

I seldom knit the same pattern over again … but one I have made several times to give is a recipe pattern: use your fav toe, heel sneaker sock with an icord cast off to keep the sock from sliding into the shoe. fast, easy and can be gussied up.

[Diane]

I love Helen Stewart's newest sock pattern: Shell Cottage Socks - can't wait to knit a pair of those beauties.

[Carol]

I liked Nancy's Toe Up Socks (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nancys-toe-up-socks), which I knit with Mineville Wool Project DK from SSYC, for its flexibility with yarn weight, gauge, and straightforward, easy heels.

[Tiffany]

I can't believe you're going to make me choose my fav sock pattern. Since cables are my first love, I most enjoyed knitting Ash Alberg's Flying Dutchman last year. Otherwise my fav go-to mods are rounded toe and FLK heels.

[Sarah R]

I really enjoyed the Simple Skyp sock pattern and the Speckled Space sock pattern. Hermione socks are versatile too. I'm currently doing Harris Tweed as toe up to add texture to some self striping yarn. My to-do list includes Furrow, Tsunami and Vanillus Interruptus...and By The Seine River and Flying North. It's a long list!
I think The Diplomat colourway would look great on Flying North.

[Sue]

My go to is always a simple afterthought heel stockinette sock but I'm really intrigued by Diagon Ally for something new.

[Kristen Badowski]

I love a vanilla sock, but I just test knit a really fun pattern called "Bobbles and Bezoar" by Knitty Natty that I highly recommend!

[Sarah Sloan]

So I've yet to make my first sock, I cast on for the Extranilla Sock which seems like a great beginner pattern, but I misread the cast on instructions and pnlycast on half the number of stitches which meant my sock was going to be for a baby not for myself 😂. I got sidetracked by some other projects so I'll give it another go soon. I also would like to try the Hermione sock pattern!

[Dawn]

How beautiful and how generous you are to offer the pattern for free. Thank you 🙏

[Lisa]

I love the vanilla sock pattern on ravelry. It is easy to use. And one that you can netflix or hulu binge watch and knit without messing up the pattern.

[Claire Sleeman]

Retro Rib socks. I've made them so many times and they look good in all the yarns I've tried

[Suzie]

Wendy Johnson's toe up family of socks. Her book was the first one i bought after a total loss house fire.💓

[BJ King]

I love knitting socks! Lately I have been working from a book I bought. New Directions in Sock Knitting. Great book!

[carolyn]

My favorite sock pattern is the first one I did when I learned to knit socks. It was a sock class from Come to Silver. The only change I made was to continue the ribbing down the top of the foot for a better fit. It's my go to...nothing fancy, but reliable, easy and quick!

http://www.cometosilver.com/socks/

[Nicole S]

I rarely knit the same socks twice because I like trying different patterns, but one that I'd knit again if I needed a good basic with just a bit of added interest is Petty Harbour by Rayna Curtis.

[Suzanne jewison]

Hi lovely blog and superb choice if shades what a lovely find! ❤️

[mellenknits]

I find I keep going back to the Gusset Heel Socks
by Wendy Johnson - easy to customize, a nice fitting heel, and toe-up so you can use the most of your yarn
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gusset-heel-socks

[MarthaO]

My all-time favorite is an oldie Peak Experience. I've knit it many times in self-striping yarn with a long color repeat. For yarn like Less Traveled Yarn, however, I would choose Harvest Socks, a newer favorite, with a very interesting construction.

[Lizzie]

My all-time favorite sock pattern is probably Jaywalker. I also like Hermione's Everyday Sock, which I think would be perfect in Diplomat!

[Kristin Vien]

I am currently msking lovesocks which I love.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lovesocks
I would like to make Shark Bite II next.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shark-bite-ii-the-revenge

[Rachel]

I have mostly been working on my plain, sized to my feet sock. I have made a worksheet with heel stitch chart and spaces for key numbers.

[Ondreya Gillingham]

I have never tried a pair if socks before, but I would love to try! This yarn is absolutely gorgeous!

[Terri Cochran]

Any sock pattern from Susan B Anderson!

[Debra]

Jaywalker by Glenna C

[Judy Carpenter]

I’ve only used stockinette so far with one exception but I’m anxious to try the toe up method. And the after thought heel technique...but it’s scary. I’ve got to go for it though.

[Diane]

Last week I saw a pattern for Essential Boot Socks that would be perfect to try. But it would be difficult to make socks instead of a shawl .... Living in Southern California.

[Kristi]

Vanilla is the New Black is a fun one!!

[Mel]

I really love the fish lips kiss heel pattern toe up, and generally just do that and add whatever stitch pattern I'm into at the moment to the cuff

[Melissa Cox]

I'm a convert to toe-up Fish Lips Kiss Heel on a plain vanilla stockinette sock for patterning and striped yarns. Using a template lets me shape toes perfectly. My dad has a long, conical toe section, while my best friend has a short, trapezoidal one, and I can easily accommodate both with custom-fitted socks!

[sue swartz herr]

My favorite pattern is the Hermione sock, and I mostly like plain vanilla because I like to see the yarn. I have a hard time knitting cables and lace on socks that no one sees! I’m learning to knit an afterthought heel.

[Colleen D'Allura]

I really like Andrea Mowry's Tuku Honey sock pattern.

[Sue]

Vanilla latte sock on Ravelry. There’s enough of a pattern to keep me interested but it’s simple enough to let the yarn be the star😊😊

[Susan]

Coexist by Claire Ellen was so much fun to knit. Star Trek, Supernatural, Harry Potter, Ferris Buehler, Lestat! So many options!!

[Angela La Grasta]

I love Hermione's Everyday Socks.

[Melissa]

One sock pattern I keep coming back to is Monkey, by Cookie A. Works well in just about any yarn, and really easy to keep track of. (That said, I almost always have a plain old ribbed sock on the needles, for something portable and completely brainless.)

[Lisa]

I’m currently knitting my own pattern Manhattan but one of my favorites is Tesserae by Anne Hanson.

[Susan]

My husband loves the Africa’s Socks by Gina Doherty, it’s a free pattern on Ravelry. I had to adjust the pattern to fit my husband, but that was easy enough to do.

[Joyce Donaldson]

I rarely knit the same sock pattern twice, but Aunt Agatha's Asymmetrical sock is so much fun, that the men in my family will be receiving more of them. Those that don't like "Fancy" socks!

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/aunt-agathas-asymmetrical-socks

[Cindy Smith]

My go to sock pattern is a simple rib, K1, P1. It works for any self striping yarn or any yarn with a dominant dye pattern. It fits nice and snug but with a lot of stretch.

[Kathy]

I love the blueberry waffle pattern by Sandy Turner, especially in a sport weight/DK yarn!

[Donna Dye]

Thank you, Less Traveled Yarn, for making a sport weight sock yarn. It's my preferred yarn for making socks! Wisconsin winters demand this weight.

[Kelli L]

I love “nine-to-five” socks on Ravelry...gives some textures especially with some darker yarns. I also love “Bellatrix”, especially for some of the variegated yarns that’s don’t pattern well. I think both are free in Ravelry!

[Liisa]

Cool colours. My favourite sock pattern is my go to plain stockinette that I have modified to fit my foot perfectly. My second favourite would have to be Hermiones sock.

[Anne Barnes]

Vanilla socks

[Michelle Mccrillis]

I like my own plain old socks pattern. I love knitting socks, and this is my go to for mindless knitting when I have to navigate for the spouse who doesn’t believe in GPS.

[Debbie]

I haven't knit a lot of socks. I learned to knit socks from Cat Bordi's book 'Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles' and I've used her basic pattern 'Simple Sock in Three Sizes' ever since.

[Clare Gieck]

I like the Swirl E. Socks by Prairie Girl designs.

[Cindy]

I really enjoyed knitting Hemenway recently.

[Anne Yampanis]

I have been making socks for years and my kids/grandkids call them grandma socks and they love them! I’ve made lots of different patterns but my favorite for kids is a simple 2x2 rib.

[Hilda]

I just finished knitting Twizzler found on ravelry (don't know how to attach a link -- sorry). Really works up well for a busy yarn and is an easy pattern. Used my favorite heel and toe rather than following pattern exactly.

[Wendy Chase]

Susan B Anderson's SOS sock pattern is my favorite. Plain vanilla and so easy. Works great for self patterning yarns.

[Martina]

I have a go to template for Wendy Johnson's toe-up slip stitch heel socks which I use with my favorite sock yarns like Opal. I let the yarn do the talking rather than worry over making adjustments for new patterns to fit my 'long, narrow, high arched' feet. I also worked out a template for my daughter's feet as well. They're longer, narrower, but not quite as much arch as mine.

[Mary Anne Tucker]

I like the stockinette stitch sock pattern. I knit to relax and when I knit these I am not fretting over a pattern. Besides the beautifully dyed yarns create their own pattern and working a pattern gets lost in the dyed yarns.

[Bonnye Bulla]

I am working on a stockinet pattern. Simple and quick.

[Cheryll Weiner]

I’ve been knitting toe up socks with an afterthought heel but I like how a gusset and heel flap fits so much better.
I couldn’t figure out how to do a toe up sock with a heel flap without W&T’s so I went searching on Ravelry.
Here’s what I found:
My new favorite pattern is a free Pattern on Ravelry called Keel Heel Socks by Renee Strouts.

[Amy Holterman]

I use the Classic Sock for the family from Yankee Knitter Designs. It’s a vanilla, stockinette pattern for all sizes in all yarn weights. I always use the Eye of the Partridge heel which is not included in the pattern. It wears so much better.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/29-classic-socks-for-the-family

[Teri Kepner]

My all time favorite sock pattern is Duckies which just happens to be a sport weight sock! So this new sock dyer's yarn will be perfect for this pattern! Win!

[Beverly Davis]

One of my favorites is Petty Harbour by Rayna Curtis Fegan.

[Susan R.]

Absolutely beautiful yarn. Would make a great stockinette sock. It is really the only ones I have made and haven't made any in a long time. But this wilk definitely inspire me. My daughter, on the other hand, is even trying her hand at designing but nothing written out yet.

[Savannagal]

One of my favorites is Call Them Cherry Blossoms. They are so pretty. I haven't made them yet, but I plan to some day.

[Lynn Nicholson]

I’m currently knitting another pair of Hermione’s Everyday Socks, one of my favorites. Also, I’ve tried several heels and my favorite is now the Fish Lips Kiss heel. It’s the best short row heel I’ve come across.

[Kimberly Wiggin]

The Simple Skyp socks https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/simple-skyp-socks
are a good pattern for showing off a nice yarn but are also easy and interesting to knit.

[Nancy F.]

Chevron Lace Toe-Up Socks - good for self striping yarns

[joyce hancock]

I like Susan B Anderson's simple socks.

[Jan]

Ooh, Diplomat was my favorite color that you showed! Since I’ve yet to complete a pair of socks other than for babies, I think I’ll pick https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/so-simple-sport-socks.

Thank you for the contest!

[Teri]

I've been knitting my own version of Socks on a Plane, sometimes with a cable and sometimes with a lace insertion, for about 20 years, and it's my go-to. Recently started the Fish Lips Kiss heel - love it!

[Annette Poole]

I rarely make same sock pattern twice. One that I enjoyed was Queen of Cups. It looks like it is hard but it is really very easy.

[Jeri]

I love the lacy edging on Blattwerk: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blattwerk, but I still haven't tried actually making socks yet!

[Lynn]

I love knitting socks, but I am a vanilla sock pattern girl, most of the time. Hermione's Everyday sock pattern is lovely, though. I may have to get bold and try some of the patterns mentioned here.

[Jessica]

I like Vanilla Latte, free on Ravelry. I like wild yarn and the simple pattern lets the yarn stand out.

[GeniaKnitz]

Yarn Harlot's Plain Vanilla Sock, Glenna C's Nice Ribbed Sock, and JECK. (Oddly enough, I have seem to have one of each OTN right now -as , ahem, frequently happens.
But I'm thinking seriously of casting on Cookie A's Monkey Socks - now if only I could find the exact gorgeous shade of green she used!

[Cynthia Carpenter]

I love just mindless plain vanilla toe up, 2 at a time socks that I could just about knit in a coma. No muss, no fuss, easy peasy.

[Kat Gatzke]

So far I have only used Ann Budd’s basic cuff down pattern but I really like Hermione’s Everyday Socks and Hedgerow Socks and want to try those soon.

[Vasiliki]

I love to knit socks.I think my next one would be Sarsaparilla by Cookie A. I have knit a lot of her socks and I LOVE cables, so this one would be right up my alley.
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sarsaparilla-socks

[Alice]

I'm currently designing my first pair of socks with help from a Japanese stitch dictionary. I also love Hunter Hammersen's patterns

[Lisa M Barrett]

My go-to patterns are Sideswipe by Kate Gilbert - https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sideswipe and Stitch Surfer by Louise Robert - https://www.ravelry.com/projects/lisabarrett/stitch-surfer

[DB]

I like simple k2, p2 socks. The colors stand out. The pattern is easy to see and when working in an interesting colorway, it is not boring.

[Gloriane]

I like Smooth Operator Socks by Susan B. Anderson when I want something mindless. If I want something more complicated, the Jaywalker.

[Donna]

I think I may have found a new FAVORITE sock yarn. All of those colorways speak to me! As for sock patterns, while I love Monkey & other Cookie A sock patterns, I tend to knit mistake rib socks more than any other. I more or less base mine on this pattern (I can’t seem to ever knit a pattern exactly as written): http://www.knittingonthenet.com/patterns/socksmistakerib.htm This pattern looks good with just about any yarn it is especially great for variegated yarns.

[Tracey Wescott]

I like Blueberry Waffle sock pattern. I will knit any sock pattern though. I just like making socks.

[Teresa Knittingdancer]

I like the Basic Ribbed Sock pattern by Kate Atherley. I am knitting a pair of Coffee Talk socks by Tracie Millar now.

[Megan]

What pretty colors! Most of the time I knit basic socks because I like crazy colors that work best with simple patterns. But I recently got Interweave’s 100 Knits as a treat to myself, and there some awesome sock patterns in it! I have the Slippery Slopes sock on my needles now and next up is going to be the U-Turn...and then I guess I better buy another Zauberball!