Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Question 17 1007

This will be the LAST Question 17...

Tell me about your favourite sock yarn?

My parents came to visit a few weeks ago and my father had on a lovely pair of handknit socks. They had subtle earthy tones and were extremely soft. I had never seen a sock yarn like this before. My mother said the yarn contained aloe vera and jojoba oil. Unfortunately she didn't know the type of yarn.

I figured it out! It is Austermann Step Sock Yarn. I especially like the earth tones of colour number 12.


Special notice: This month I will be picking three entries, at random, each one to receive one ball/skein of sock yarn* (enough to make a pair of adult sized socks). The prize winner will be chosen on November 16th, 2007. If you would like to be included in the draw please send me your email address to fingersfancy at inbox dot com once you have posted your submission to the comments section of this post.
*1 each of Step Yarn, Opal Yarn, and Posh Yarn Emily Sock Yarn.
ETA: If you wish to email me, please put "[FF]" in the subject line (without the quotes). Otherwise your email will be lost.

27 comments:

Amanda D Allen said...

The last Question 17:(. I have never answered a Question 17 because I'm such a new knitter, but I've found so much great stuff from all the comments. I'll be sad to see them go.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for you kind comment Amanda. Perhaps sometime next year I will start something similar. I really love reading people's comments too. Unfortunately, after a 6 month trial this project didn't really generate as much interest as I had hoped.

Anyway, send me a line at my email address and I will include you in this month's contest!

Anonymous said...

Oh, wow, those are gorgeous yarns. *wants to pet them*

The current socks I'm making are with colinette (http://www.colinette.com) cadenza... which is DK but works well enough for socks :) I really really like the feel of it, both as I'm knitting and as a finished fabric, but I'm not as happy about the visual effect -- the color changes are fast and unbalanced, so I'm getting large pools of one color and then other colors that last a stitch or two. I might try the yarn again but in a more subtle color range (this one is summer berries-- primarily a maroony purple but with some blue and red and gold thrown in).

...yes, I know the question is "favourite sock yarn" and not "current sock yarn", but it's the only one I've knit up so far. ^_^ I have others that I really like the feel/look of, but can't tell how they'll be as a finished product.

Anonymous said...

So far my favorite is from an Etsy shop called my small wonders but of the major types that I have tried so far I would Cherry tree Hill. I like the tight twist.

I want to try some of that Step Yarn for hubby's feet though.

Christy

Samantha said...

Right now I'm loving Knitpicks sock yarn. I'm working on a pair with Dancing and I really like the elasticness of it. I also like their Memories line because there's such nice color combos (I have a some with purples and red in my stash for use later). And Essential Tweed too..in plum =D

Unknown said...

favorite sock yarn? i don't know if i have one yet..

I love the price of Lion Brand (discontinued, i found some balls on sale for 50¢--and I LOVE THAT PRICE)

Kroy comes in such pretty bright colors.. Hot Pinks, and rich orange and sunny yellow.

Opal? so soft and squishy

On Line? such lovely colorways.

Austermann Step Sock Yarn? such a pleasure to knit with (even if the yarn is a bit splity.. your hands end up so soft!

and Hand dyed and hand painted? Oh my!

sock yarn is just wonderful.. all of it.
(my email address is on my blog..)

Susan M. said...

My favorite is Fly Dyed Lace Wing Sock yarn, dyed by Pat Fly of Angora Valley. Her color combinations are amazing, and the price is right ($16 for over 500 yards of fingering weight yarn). I can knit knee socks for that price!(My email is on my blog too)

Anonymous said...

I am making a pair of socks with Lorna's Lace yarn, and I am anxious to finish them so I can enjoy wearing them. They feel like "butter!" Another good one for a some hunting socks is Mission Falls 1824 wool 100% merino superwash. My husband is anxiously awaiting these. Socks can become addictive : )

Anonymous said...

My favorite of completed pairs of socks are Koigu. I think it is more for the construction of the yarn then the colors. I have 3 balls in the stash that are begging to be cast on. I may toss them in a ring and let them duke it out. Trekking Color (a 50g ball in teal with short spots of other colors), Austermann step and Shaeffer Anne. I did see a ball of Lana Grossa at my LYS that I may pick up for a reward that would push to the head of the line.
-Rachel B.

Anonymous said...

I'm fairly new to knitting and very new to the world of socks. i just completed my 2nd pair with a very basic pattern.

i haven't yet used "sock" yarn.

the first pair i finished i used caron simply soft. which was fine for a first.

the second pair i used worsted weight knit picks bare that i hand dyed and striped 2 colors.

i had alot of fun with the softness of the knitpicks! i will surely be using it again.

and when i get better at knitting socks i plan on trying some lorna's laces or tofutsies.

rainberry said...

I only made one pair of socks (almost 2). I used ONline Supersocke 100 and it was really pretty so that is my favorite but my LYS has really pretty sock yarn too. Right now I am working on the 2nd sock of a pair with Cascade Fixation which is really pretty.

Anonymous said...

I am also new to sock knitting, but it is SO addictive...my first pair was from an Etsy seller called Thank Ewe, and it is gorgeous! But my new favorite is Panda Cotton, is has really nice colorways and enough stretch to be really squishy, although it is a little splitty :(

Morelli said...

I do love all the fancier yarns I've tried - Posh Yarn Emily, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock, Natural Dye Studio's BFL from Ebay, but sheer favourite has to be Opal. It's seriously affordable, you get your choice of plain colours or variegated or self-striping and it wears so damn well for work (that's all important). I've practically ruined more luxurious yarns on my feet at work, but Opal stands up to it time and time again.

Angela

Piglottie said...

Favourite sock yarn?! How to pick from all the beauties around? Easy for me - Posh Yarn Emily. When I knit socks with it they just fly by in no time. The yarn is so soft and luxurious, and so well behaved. I never have holes with the pick up when I use this sock yarn. I love it so much I have a whole stash box reserved just for it lol.

My email address is piglottieATyahooDOTcoDOTuk. Thanks!

YarnSnob said...

favourite sock yarn?? Can I pick two? My favourites are Lucia from PY and Koigu...lovely

Amanda D Allen said...

I just finished my first pair of socks last month. I used Patons Kroy, so I guess it is my favorite by default ;).

LizzieK8 said...

I want to pick two, too! I just finished a pair of socks made with yarn from http://Knitivity.com Wonderful to work with, washes up nicely....A joy to work with.

And I recently finished up a pair with Trekking XXL color 100. The yarn is really nice, but the color is what makes my heart go pit-a-pat!

susan said...

Hi, I'm from Posh Knitters,
Oh Gosh where do I start! I love the Yarn Yard yarn and it's really hard wearing a bit like Opal, but delicious colours. I liked working with Emily, but too much cashmere for me it makes me itch, but great for pressies.

So my favourite so far has to be Lucia from Posh Yarn. Mind you someone is sending me some Lornas Laces in Aslan from the US, so I don't know if that will change.

Anonymous said...

Definitely Lucia from Posh Yarn - gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. Colours are to dye(!) for and the feel on your foot... Too good to gift!!!

Anonymous said...

I love, in alphabetical order; Emily from Posh Yarns, soft, lofty, squishy and lovely colours; Fleece Artist, fat and squishy and beautiful colours; Fyberspates, merino tencel, gorgeous colours and such a lovely sheen; Yarn Yard, gorgeous colours with a small skein of toning/contrast.

marysaline said...

I think my all time favorite yarn for socks is STR yarn. I can't afford it very often but the colors are great and the socks are very comfortable.

jeanius said...

:) I love just about every sock yarn i have met! I haven't knitted enough though! Currently knitting a pair out of the Fortissima sock yarn for dh. Just finished a pair with Magic Stripes from Lion Brand, and up next is a pair for me and my niece using Bare donegal from KP i dyed a nice yellow!

I have a skein of 05 Step (Surf) that will become ankle socks for me and dh, and possible dd if i have enough left over!

I usually look for great colors, nice wear and good yardage! I prefer one skein to be enough ,but that doesn't stop me from buying double skein sock yarns like Lorna's Laces and Fortissima ;)

I have more sock yarn then a new, and slow knitter should have ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm going to have to go with Socks That Rock, with Cherry Tree Hill running a close second. I just can't get enough of the hard twist base yarns with rich dying. My favorite colored sock yarn is from fearless fibers on Etsy. (If only she would get some hard twist, life would be perfect. :) )

m said...

My favourite sock yarn is the one that complements another to give me that unique colour blend. See my blog for socks knitted with simple stripes of two variegated yarns. All I ask is that the yarn composition and thickness is similar enough to work together.
And when I am in doubt, I'll dye up the complementary colour.

Anonymous said...

Posh Yarn's Emily Sock Yarn! So luxurious!!!

heidi said...

so far my favorite is knitpicks "felici", but i'm only on my second pair, so i don't have too much to compare it to yet. but it's a joy to work with!

hassam said...

favourite sock yarn?? Can I pick two? My favourites are Lucia from PY and Koigu...lovely