Thursday, January 18, 2018

Nothing lasts forever

Despite my knitting attempts, the sock collection is becoming depleted. It seems the life span of a pair of knit socks is directly related to the yarn used. Lesson learned!

The yarn for these baby cable socks consisted of wool, bamboo, and nylon. I liked the gradient color so am disappointed they are wearing out, not just at the toes but across the soles as well. My SO has a pair like these, same pattern, same yarn, that are also fading.

Knit in 2011

I liked knitting socks with Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn because of the stitch definition. BUT the yarn is 100% merino wool, no nylon or other reinforcing fiber, so the fabric doesn't just wear out, it rips. There are two other pairs that also have died, one remaining. Since the tops are still good, I may recycle parts of these socks.

Knit in 2009
I can't find a reference to these socks in Ravelry, but I think they are the "Clara Barton" socks. The yarn is merino, silk, and nylon. The red color runs when wet, even after years of washing. There is no way I will try to salvage any of it.

Knit 2007

Most of my remaining socks are self-striping, which means they look great with jeans or solid colored pants but not so much with colorful leggings. The self-striping sock yarns lends itself well to knitting plain socks, but I think I'll knit some solid colored socks in more interesting patterns. At least, that is the plan.

1 comment:

kayT said...

My Cherry Tree Hill socks also wore out and I loved LOVED the colors so it made me sad. Now I occasionally get seduced into knitting socks of 100% merino but I do so knowing they're going to wear out early. It's a little easier if you're prepared.