sock yarn question

[MamaMonica]

I'm knitting socks from a pattern in Knitting for Dummies that calls for Harrisville -Highland style knitting yarn- which I figured is worsted weight, so I subbed my worsted weight wool yarn.

Is there a non-wool yarn I can sub? My sister is allergic to wool. Is there such a thing as cotton worsted weight? Would that work for socks?

Thanks!

[Queen Gwen]

I have absolutely no experience knitting socks, so take this for what it's worth...cotton isn't very elastic, so it may not have the right amount of give for the pattern.

You might need to go with (gasp) acrylic.

[MamaMonica]

that's what I feared... the dreaded acrylic :LOL

[pinky]

Hi, Monica...I just started knitting socks myself and I'm totally hooked, and have been obsessing about different kinds of sock yarn...which, by the way, is generally lighter weight/thinner than worsted, so I don't know so much about worsted weight substitutions...the socks I have made so far have been from sport or fingering weight yarn.

I'm particularly interested in trying Cascade fixation, which is cotton with a little elastic in it, made especially for socks.

Here are a couple of links to sock yarn that I have been having fun with...I have ordered from One Fine Yarn but not the other...but Carodan Farms has an amazing variety of sock yarn.

One Fine Yarn

Carodan Farms

Happy knitting, I'm dying to pick up my socks right now but I MUST finish my mother's Xmas scarf first!!

[MamaMonica]

Thanks, Barabara I'm really interested in that Cascade fixation. I'd need a new pattern. Do you know any for 6 stitch inch/on size 4s? Socks are so much fun! I got over my sock phobia by knitting a Christmas stocking and realized how satifying they are to knit.

[pinky]

I think that One Fine Yarn sells a sock pattern by Cascade that's specifically for the fixation yarn.

I've been using the sock pattern from "The Knitters Handy Guide to Patterns" (or something like that) by Ann Budd. It's great because it has multiple sizes and gauges.

Oh, and I'm loving knitting two circulars...I just cast on my first pair of two socks on circulars at the same time, which I thought would be really confusing but is actually fine, and it's great to know that the socks are the same size!

I don't know what it is about sock knitting, but I'm hooked!

[MamaMonica]

Thanks, Barbara. I think I'm getting that pattern book for Christamas :LOL so I'll wait to buy a sock pattern. I've been using 4 double points- I liked circulars at first, but the dps were more relaxing for me. I'm interested in knitting two at once, though.

I also found a sock calculator:

http://www.princeton.edu/~ezb/sockform.html

I don't like the pattern, but it seems like it would be great to give the number of stithces to start with and go from there...

OK...off to buy some yarn...

[Queen Gwen]

You might also check out www.socknitters.com/patterns.htm I was scanning it for cotton patterns, but no luck so far. They also have a yahoo group called socknitters wherein folks talk about sock knitting adventures.

I just went to Hobby Lobby and bought some Wool Ease...on Christmas Day my present to myself is going to be plunging into the world of sock knitting using Joan's pattern (although I have done Christmas socks before this will be my first pair of official socks...and my first knit-for-myself in way too long).

[MamaMonica]

Thanks for the link Queen Gwen, and have fun knitting your socks!

[OceanMomma]

I got dh some hemp socks once. I think they were actually hemp & wool but I have seen somewhere on the net that sells hemp & cotton blend yarn for knitting. I think they were called Lana knits or something like that. I think hemp & cotton would work very well for socks myself. Look how good hemp diapers are

Edited to add I did a google

http://www.lanaknits.com/samples.htm

[mehndi mama]

This is the sock pattern I use: Fiber Gypsy sock worksheet patterns
It is written so you can knit socks to fit anyone, using any size yarn or needles, and it's VERY easy to use. I don't use anything but worksheet-type patterns anymore, because I find I need that kind of flexibility.

[MamaMonica]

Thanks, Stell. I'm especially interested in trying a toe up sock. Is the Fiber Gypsy pattern good for a sock beginner?- in that I mean I can knit regular socks and follow patterns but the concept of toe up is something totally new to me.

[doulamoon]

I use Lamb's Pride worsted weight (wool & mohair) to make thick, chunky socks. You can use many different weights. These knit up quickly, too. I can get a pair out in 2-4 days. The pattern is pretty simple, too - by the third or fourth pair I didn't need it any more.

[mehndi mama]

I learned how to knit socks from the top-down pattern, so yeah, it should be pretty easy to learn from it. The patterns are in booklet form, and have a lot more explanation o technique than most patterns that you can buy. It's like a mini-book on sock knitting.