Eden cottage yarns have a few options! To just name two I have knitted with: Bowland 4ply is 100% BFL and Milburn 4ply is 85% BFL and 15% silk. They are a small company and everything I have ever bought from them has been stunning and long lasting - though I have not used them to knit socks, my gloves are holding up fabulously despite being well used (and even the dog getting at them once!).
As a spinner this is so helpful! I like to design my yarns with what I'm knitting in mind, and your tips about twist and choice of sheep have me excited to experiment.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about knitting socks with no nylon. I knitted a pair of socks using 100% merino wool almost 10 years ago and still wearing them today. They still look new, I hand wash them, and they have no holes, or much sign of wear. I had the yarn company tell me on Instagram that knitting socks in this particular yarn line would not hold up for socks as it was meant for garments. The yarn I used was Ambiente Yarn by Schoppel Wolle that I purchased at my local yarn shop and looks like I proved them wrong.
Very interesting. I understand there are different wools, as one who finds wool typically feels like wear steel wool, I am hoping to findca wool I can wear. Avoiding plastic makes so much sense.
I am a fairly new knitter and want to try sock knitting, so this is very helpful! I only use natural fibres, and was worrying that knitting socks would result in a lot of mending. I am keen to try some of these tips.
I use a small circular needle but also use combinations of yarns if they are too thin. If I have a thin yarn, I will even double it to get tight stitches. I agree 100% on not using nylon or acrylic. I have been knitting all my socks and I am about to get rid of all the other socks I have store bought. I knit myself 6 new pairs in a month from Alpaca, merino wool, all kinds of different wools with zero manmade fibers. I also keep a little bit of each kind for future possible repairs. I do a waffle style heel and include that for the turn. Often I use a strong wool for toes and heels that looks nice with my chosen sock yarn. The blends I like are silk, cotton, mohair or bamboo and even linen blended with wool. Its not popular on my knitting group on facebook I belong to. Most of them enjoy the nylon blended yarns and don't think natural fiber yarn is strong enough! So glad to see your video, thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your sock knitting process, there is so much valuable information in your comment! 😊 You knitted 6 pairs of socks in a month? Wow, that's quite impressive.
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you so much. I had to knit a pair for my husband and son after those 6 pairs for me and so I knit 3 more pairs in the next two weeks after. I was on a trip. knit on the plane and in the car.
I avoid sock yarn with nylon and can absolutely attest to the superiority of all-wool socks in staying fresh. Honestly, they’re amazing. I slip stitch the toe area as well as heel, as holes tend to develop there for me, but will try an additional strand of silk mohair too. Thanks for the tips and for sharing the word.
People used to use human hair when knitting mittens and socks in my country to make them stronger. If I understood it correctly they took strands from their brushes and used that as you would use mohair today.
How interesting, I haven't heard of this before! I assume that since women used to have longer hair, it was probably easier to use the hair for knitting.
I agree with you on the needle size issue. I've always used a size 2mm needle size for socks the tighter the gauge the less rubbing of the fibers because it locks the yarn in better.
Hello, Annika! You raised some good points about superwash wool-nylon blend yarn and the environment. Unfortunately, my only experience thus far has been with this type of yarn as far as sock knitting goes. I will definitely have to give natural wool yarn a try on my next pair of socks. Your wool & mohair socks looked absolutely dreamy!
I am so happy to hear that you are planning to use all natural sock yarn in a future sock knitting project! And I can definitely recommend a silk/mohair + wool yarn combo. It really makes for the coziest socks!
I'm a hand-spinner and would never spin merino for socks. The micron count is very low that makes wonderful soft yarn but is not durable. I would use Romney (luster long wool) that would take the part of nylon and blend it with Suffolk or South Down wool that does not felt. This is just one combination that will make wonderful sock yarn. I agree with addition of adult mohair to the wool mix to take the place of nylon is wonderful.
Thank you so much for your valuable comment! 👍 Being a (although still rather new) spinner myself, I completely agree that there are sheep breeds whose wool is a lot more suited for sock yarn. I am currently knitting a pair of handspun socks out of Southdown fiber. I do have to add, though, that the German Merino wool from my own sock yarn bases is not comparable to the usual, Australian Merino. It is a lot more durable and less soft due to the harsher climatic conditions in Germany. It's a completely different breed.
Thanks for explaining about German Merino... I wondered about it, too, and am glad to know about the difference. I am a spinner, too (hand spindles)! Our fibre world is so rich and varied; there are many ways to love it! 🐏🐐🐏🐇 @@AnnikaScheer
@@AnnikaScheer I would love to try German Merino. I enjoy processing and spinning different sheep breeds. In my area of northwest Canada, we have a lot of Finn Landrace sheep since they do well in our cold winters and give birth to multiple lambs per ewe so they are popular with farmers here. The fleece from these sheep are relatively soft and very low in lanolin so they are not to difficult to process at home.
@@catherinen6766 That is so true! If you are interested in learning more about German Merino wool, there is a blog post on my website all about this sheep breed. You can find it here: www.rosemaryandpinesfiberarts.de/merinolandschaf-german-sheep-breeds/
@@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761 I completely agree! As a spinner, it is so wonderful to be able to try out different sheep breeds and learn about their differences and your own preferences. Where exactly in Canada are you located?
Holes never happen on the back of the heel, sometimes under the heel, where patterns are not reinforced, but usually on the toe, the big toe. Best solution sofar? Making the sock, the toebox, higher over the big toes.
Thank you for the great suggestion! 👍 I think it differs from foot to foot where you usually get holes first. For me, for example, holes usually happen on the underside of the foot.
@@AnnikaScheerSo true. I get wear on the bottom of my feet at the heel and ball of the foot. You've shown many solutions that can be applied wherever needed on our socks. 🧦 I'm so happy to have discovered your channel. 😊
Hallo Annika, ich habe auch schon probiert eine Socke aus reiner Schurwolle zu stricken. Dafür habe ich mir das Socken Garn vom finkhof ausgesucht und das mit 2,5 mm nadeln verstrickt. Das gibt ein sehr dichtes Gewebe, aber leider haben sie trotzdem nur ca 10 Stunden tragen gehalten bis beide spitzen durch waren. Ich habe dann neue spitzen in "normalem" Socken Garn angestrickt. Die halten. Nach dieser Erfahrung habe ich beschlossen lieber bei sockengarn mit nylon zu bleiben, weil die einfach über Jahre halten, trotz hoher Beanspruchung
Hallo Sonja, das tut mir sehr leid zu hören, dass du so schlechte Erfahrungen mit der reinen Schurwoll-Sockenwolle gemacht hast. Vielleicht probierst du beim nächsten Mal die Kombination aus Sockenwolle + ein Strang Seide/Mohair aus? Das sollte definitiv länger halten.
I hoped you would mention not only your own yarns but also the interesting other brands that sell no nylon, non superwash yarns suitable for socks, with the same wonderful content. Thank you for mentioning Ovis etcetera (btw currently not active). I have knit socks with Schoppel-Wolle Alb Lino, non superwash, no nylon but linen, biodegradable and lovely heathered colors because the linen takes up the color different fom the wool content. I will let you know how these socks hold (we are friends on Ravelry so I can send you a personal message). Another interesting sockyarn could be Retrosaria Mondim. I would like to know more yarns suitable for socks that have the same wonderful qualities! Those yarns are very suitable to do colorwork in socks because of the non superwash properties! Would you consider to make a video about that? Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback! I agree, it would be awesome to have a list of brands that offer all natural sock yarn. Maybe we can all weigh in with our own experiences and create a list together? I could pin it as a comment so that everybody can easily find it. To be honest, I don't feel comfortable recommending yarns that I haven't knitted with and seen how they wear over time in a dedicated video. When I started looking for all natural sock yarns years ago, Ovis et cetera was the first brand I discovered and used quite a bit back then. Soon after, I started getting into natural dyeing and ever since then I have been mainly using my own yarns for sock knitting. I did purchase Mondim from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar this year. But so far, I have only made mitts with it so I don't how it will behave as a sock yarn. I have also knitted a couple of socks with Nutiden from Höner och Eir this year. But since I have only worn the socks a couple of times so far, I didn't want to recommend it in the video because I don't know how the socks will hold up over time.
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you for your clear answer! I totally understand and thank you for the list you have made. Yes we all have to learn how surten yarns work for us. Good idea of you to share our individual experiences!!
I have knitted 2 pairs of socks with Retrosaria Mondim (at the time, I had to send all the way to Portugal to get it! 🤭). I believe I used 2.25 mm DPNs and it produced a beautiful, tight fabric. This was several years ago (maybe 5+?) and so far they have worn very well. As an aside, I love the illustrations on their yarn labels and actually collect them. 🙂
@@catherinen6766 Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Mondim! I am really looking forward to knitting a pair of socks with this yarn now. ☺
The list is growing! I recently remembered having knit 2 pairs of socks with Onion Nettle Sock. This yarn has a pretty shiny silky look and the colors are fabulous. The pattern I used for those did not have a sturdy heel construction(an integrated heel) and they bothered me in my shoes so I gifted both pairs. I do know this yarn is a great yarn to use for socks and would like to use it again!
Brands that offer natural sock yarns:
Ovis et cetera - Igneae (60% wool, 20% ramie, 20% silk), Herba (80% wool, 20% ramie), Dimidium (50% wool, 50% ramie), Corriedale Mohair (50% wool, 50% mohair)
Retrosaria - Mondim (100% Portuguese wool)
Schoppel - ALB Lino (85% wool, 15% linen)
Woolly Mammoth Fiber Co. - Natural Sock (50% BFL, 50% Cheviot), Hearth Sock (50% BFL, 50% Jacobs)
Eden Cottage Yarns - Bowland 4ply (100% BFL), Milburn 4ply (85% BFL, 15% silk)
Eden cottage yarns have a few options! To just name two I have knitted with: Bowland 4ply is 100% BFL and Milburn 4ply is 85% BFL and 15% silk. They are a small company and everything I have ever bought from them has been stunning and long lasting - though I have not used them to knit socks, my gloves are holding up fabulously despite being well used (and even the dog getting at them once!).
Isn’t Milburn superwash though?
Thank you so much for your valuable comment! I have added the sock yarns you mentioned to the list. 😊👍
As a spinner this is so helpful! I like to design my yarns with what I'm knitting in mind, and your tips about twist and choice of sheep have me excited to experiment.
Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤
Thank you, that’s really helpful.🙋🏼♀️🇦🇺💕
I'm glad to hear you found value in the video! 😊👍
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about knitting socks with no nylon. I knitted a pair of socks using 100% merino wool almost 10 years ago and still wearing them today. They still look new, I hand wash them, and they have no holes, or much sign of wear. I had the yarn company tell me on Instagram that knitting socks in this particular yarn line would not hold up for socks as it was meant for garments. The yarn I used was Ambiente Yarn by Schoppel Wolle that I purchased at my local yarn shop and looks like I proved them wrong.
That's so interesting that they told you not to use this yarn base for knitting socks and that they had held up so well! Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting. I understand there are different wools, as one who finds wool typically feels like wear steel wool, I am hoping to findca wool I can wear. Avoiding plastic makes so much sense.
Do you find all kinds of wool to be scratchy?
If so, you could look into using a cotton/wool blend, this should feel a lot less rustic.
I am a fairly new knitter and want to try sock knitting, so this is very helpful! I only use natural fibres, and was worrying that knitting socks would result in a lot of mending. I am keen to try some of these tips.
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad to hear that the video was helpful for you. 😊
I use a small circular needle but also use combinations of yarns if they are too thin. If I have a thin yarn, I will even double it to get tight stitches. I agree 100% on not using nylon or acrylic. I have been knitting all my socks and I am about to get rid of all the other socks I have store bought. I knit myself 6 new pairs in a month from Alpaca, merino wool, all kinds of different wools with zero manmade fibers. I also keep a little bit of each kind for future possible repairs. I do a waffle style heel and include that for the turn. Often I use a strong wool for toes and heels that looks nice with my chosen sock yarn. The blends I like are silk, cotton, mohair or bamboo and even linen blended with wool. Its not popular on my knitting group on facebook I belong to. Most of them enjoy the nylon blended yarns and don't think natural fiber yarn is strong enough! So glad to see your video, thank you!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your sock knitting process, there is so much valuable information in your comment! 😊
You knitted 6 pairs of socks in a month? Wow, that's quite impressive.
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you so much. I had to knit a pair for my husband and son after those 6 pairs for me and so I knit 3 more pairs in the next two weeks after. I was on a trip. knit on the plane and in the car.
@@romy4593 I am truly amazed at your knitting speed and love for sock knitting! 😃
I avoid sock yarn with nylon and can absolutely attest to the superiority of all-wool socks in staying fresh. Honestly, they’re amazing. I slip stitch the toe area as well as heel, as holes tend to develop there for me, but will try an additional strand of silk mohair too. Thanks for the tips and for sharing the word.
Thank you so much for your valuable comment, Nicola! Such a good idea to slip stitches around the toe area as well.
People used to use human hair when knitting mittens and socks in my country to make them stronger. If I understood it correctly they took strands from their brushes and used that as you would use mohair today.
How interesting, I haven't heard of this before! I assume that since women used to have longer hair, it was probably easier to use the hair for knitting.
I accidentally knit my hair into socks all the time 😂
@heatherstiara8033 🤣 Now that you mention it - I might have done that unintentionally as well from time to time...
Well done! I’m convinced 😊 thanks for all the detailed information!
I‘m glad to hear it! 😊👍
I agree with you on the needle size issue. I've always used a size 2mm needle size for socks the tighter the gauge the less rubbing of the fibers because it locks the yarn in better.
I completely agree! 🙂
This is very useful information. I will definitely try this method of sock knitting.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. 😊
Hello, Annika! You raised some good points about superwash wool-nylon blend yarn and the environment. Unfortunately, my only experience thus far has been with this type of yarn as far as sock knitting goes. I will definitely have to give natural wool yarn a try on my next pair of socks. Your wool & mohair socks looked absolutely dreamy!
I am so happy to hear that you are planning to use all natural sock yarn in a future sock knitting project!
And I can definitely recommend a silk/mohair + wool yarn combo. It really makes for the coziest socks!
Thank you for sharing a lot of great information
You're very welcome, I'm happy to hear that it was helpful! 😊
beautiful, thank you
Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
love this! Thanks for the tips!
You're so welcome! 🙃
Thank you 😊
You're very welcome! 🙃
I'm a hand-spinner and would never spin merino for socks. The micron count is very low that makes wonderful soft yarn but is not durable. I would use Romney (luster long wool) that would take the part of nylon and blend it with Suffolk or South Down wool that does not felt. This is just one combination that will make wonderful sock yarn. I agree with addition of adult mohair to the wool mix to take the place of nylon is wonderful.
Thank you so much for your valuable comment! 👍
Being a (although still rather new) spinner myself, I completely agree that there are sheep breeds whose wool is a lot more suited for sock yarn. I am currently knitting a pair of handspun socks out of Southdown fiber.
I do have to add, though, that the German Merino wool from my own sock yarn bases is not comparable to the usual, Australian Merino. It is a lot more durable and less soft due to the harsher climatic conditions in Germany. It's a completely different breed.
Thanks for explaining about German Merino... I wondered about it, too, and am glad to know about the difference. I am a spinner, too (hand spindles)! Our fibre world is so rich and varied; there are many ways to love it! 🐏🐐🐏🐇
@@AnnikaScheer
@@AnnikaScheer I would love to try German Merino. I enjoy processing and spinning different sheep breeds. In my area of northwest Canada, we have a lot of Finn Landrace sheep since they do well in our cold winters and give birth to multiple lambs per ewe so they are popular with farmers here. The fleece from these sheep are relatively soft and very low in lanolin so they are not to difficult to process at home.
@@catherinen6766 That is so true! If you are interested in learning more about German Merino wool, there is a blog post on my website all about this sheep breed. You can find it here: www.rosemaryandpinesfiberarts.de/merinolandschaf-german-sheep-breeds/
@@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761 I completely agree! As a spinner, it is so wonderful to be able to try out different sheep breeds and learn about their differences and your own preferences. Where exactly in Canada are you located?
Holes never happen on the back of the heel, sometimes under the heel, where patterns are not reinforced, but usually on the toe, the big toe.
Best solution sofar? Making the sock, the toebox, higher over the big toes.
Thank you for the great suggestion! 👍
I think it differs from foot to foot where you usually get holes first. For me, for example, holes usually happen on the underside of the foot.
@@AnnikaScheerSo true. I get wear on the bottom of my feet at the heel and ball of the foot. You've shown many solutions that can be applied wherever needed on our socks. 🧦 I'm so happy to have discovered your channel. 😊
@@catherinen6766 thank you so much for your kind words! 🥰
Hallo Annika, ich habe auch schon probiert eine Socke aus reiner Schurwolle zu stricken. Dafür habe ich mir das Socken Garn vom finkhof ausgesucht und das mit 2,5 mm nadeln verstrickt. Das gibt ein sehr dichtes Gewebe, aber leider haben sie trotzdem nur ca 10 Stunden tragen gehalten bis beide spitzen durch waren. Ich habe dann neue spitzen in "normalem" Socken Garn angestrickt. Die halten. Nach dieser Erfahrung habe ich beschlossen lieber bei sockengarn mit nylon zu bleiben, weil die einfach über Jahre halten, trotz hoher Beanspruchung
Hallo Sonja, das tut mir sehr leid zu hören, dass du so schlechte Erfahrungen mit der reinen Schurwoll-Sockenwolle gemacht hast. Vielleicht probierst du beim nächsten Mal die Kombination aus Sockenwolle + ein Strang Seide/Mohair aus? Das sollte definitiv länger halten.
I hoped you would mention not only your own yarns but also the interesting other brands that sell no nylon, non superwash yarns suitable for socks, with the same wonderful content. Thank you for mentioning Ovis etcetera (btw currently not active). I have knit socks with Schoppel-Wolle Alb Lino, non superwash, no nylon but linen, biodegradable and lovely heathered colors because the linen takes up the color different fom the wool content. I will let you know how these socks hold (we are friends on Ravelry so I can send you a personal message). Another interesting sockyarn could be Retrosaria Mondim. I would like to know more yarns suitable for socks that have the same wonderful qualities! Those yarns are very suitable to do colorwork in socks because of the non superwash properties! Would you consider to make a video about that? Thank you!
Thank you for your feedback! I agree, it would be awesome to have a list of brands that offer all natural sock yarn.
Maybe we can all weigh in with our own experiences and create a list together? I could pin it as a comment so that everybody can easily find it.
To be honest, I don't feel comfortable recommending yarns that I haven't knitted with and seen how they wear over time in a dedicated video. When I started looking for all natural sock yarns years ago, Ovis et cetera was the first brand I discovered and used quite a bit back then. Soon after, I started getting into natural dyeing and ever since then I have been mainly using my own yarns for sock knitting.
I did purchase Mondim from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar this year. But so far, I have only made mitts with it so I don't how it will behave as a sock yarn.
I have also knitted a couple of socks with Nutiden from Höner och Eir this year. But since I have only worn the socks a couple of times so far, I didn't want to recommend it in the video because I don't know how the socks will hold up over time.
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you for your clear answer! I totally understand and thank you for the list you have made. Yes we all have to learn how surten yarns work for us. Good idea of you to share our individual experiences!!
I have knitted 2 pairs of socks with Retrosaria Mondim (at the time, I had to send all the way to Portugal to get it! 🤭). I believe I used 2.25 mm DPNs and it produced a beautiful, tight fabric. This was several years ago (maybe 5+?) and so far they have worn very well. As an aside, I love the illustrations on their yarn labels and actually collect them. 🙂
@@catherinen6766 Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Mondim! I am really looking forward to knitting a pair of socks with this yarn now. ☺
The list is growing! I recently remembered having knit 2 pairs of socks with Onion Nettle Sock. This yarn has a pretty shiny silky look and the colors are fabulous. The pattern I used for those did not have a sturdy heel construction(an integrated heel) and they bothered me in my shoes so I gifted both pairs. I do know this yarn is a great yarn to use for socks and would like to use it again!
❓️you sell the dk sock yarn. Do you knit that with a 2mm hock for socks or what hooksize?
Yes, I do knit my DK weight sock yarns with a 2 mm (US 0) needle. But I have to add that I knit continental and am a bit of a looser knitter anyway.
@@AnnikaScheer Thanks for the answer, continental knitter here too.
🌈❤️
Thank you, Alexandra! 😊
💜🧦💜