I am not surprised about the Africa socks, as they were knit from some cheap undyed stuff I bought on etsy (no slam on etsy, but the stuff was really cheap and simple--which is what I wanted at the time)
The Fleece Artist socks surprised me. I know that they say superwash (ie: wash on cold, air dry) and I did that--maybe I should have been more sock scared and just handwashed only.
For those who don't knit socks and might, I want to tell you about some of my favourite yarns, so as not to scare you away.
Opal. I love the Opal.
I have made 2 pairs for myself, 1 pair for hubby and 1 pair for little man from Opal yarn.
The yarn is not the softest to the touch, but it wears like crazy.
I have washed (sometimes in *gasp* warmish water) and put them in the dryer many many times and have never had a problem--ever.
They do not fade, do not fuzz and my flamingo socks look exactly the same as when I knit them 2 years ago.
The price is right as well--for about $15 you can get a man sized pair of socks and kid socks.|
I right now have leftovers to be able to make about 3 pairs for each of my kids.
(I found my original Opal Rainforest sock yarn on ebay for about $15 for both balls which included shipping).
Regia: My Jaywalkers are the second pair I've knit from Regia. This stuff feels like OPal and i'm sure will wear the same.
Koigu: Love the Koigu. I was gifted one skein in my first Sockapalooza and made some footies out of them. I just found the footies the other day and the sole is eaten (i'm not thinking from wear, so I'm wondering if there is a phantom moth that eats my socks in my drawers, in the wash and/or in a knitting stash drawer.....hm.....)
My own Superwash: I've knit socks for Princess B out of some of my own dyed stuff. I've washed them in the machine and dryed them in the dryer--and have had no problems.
There is another Indie dyer that I bought sock yarn from and although the colours ran horrifically, the yarn itself has lasted. I still wear the socks because I spent a lot of $$ to try out this yarn and I'm not going to let them go to waste!!
I'm sure she uses the same wool/nylon blend that I do, which basically means I need to knit more from my own dyed yarn (duh)
Knitpicks bare: This is what I started learning to dye with and is the same yarn as their Memories yarn. This stuff will felt if you look at it funny. Seriously.
I have a pair of S'more Jaywalkers that I finally just threw out last week because I realized if they are that badly felted and it takes you 3 minutes per foot to put them on, they are too small.
Handspun: Domestic wool can be used, lots of people do. My handspun socks were the first project I ever knit from my handspun yarn. The twist was likely not tight enough to withstand the wearing. A 3-ply yarn would be better, but would reduce your yardage as well.
Superwash handspun wool: Most people think this is ideal--but think of the Merino factor.
Merino pills like (insert random name of a pill popping Hollywood actor or singer...um... let's just go with the easy one: Courtney Love)
So, that is a rundown on some of the sock yarns that I have used.
I have knit about 28 pairs of socks, but I can't for the life of me think of any more brands other than what I have mentioned above (some local hand-dyed, and some stuff that you won't find--would be included on this list)
The solitude part of this post??
Hubby is gone for 2 days at a (local) retreat centre for work leaving me with the kids.
Both kids are going to a Church group tonight (yeah for A being 3!) and I will have almost 2 hours to myself. I'm thinking of taking myself out for coffee and knitting on the home stretch of my jaywalker (I am turning the heel now and will get a good chunk done tonight).
I am goign to a Ladies Retreat (capitalized because it IS that special) all day Saturday and hubby is taking the kids to Ottawa Saturday/Sunday/maybe Monday am-- to see his Mom and do some supportive Pastor/Youth Leader type stuff--which leaves me all day Sunday to myself!!
Other than being at Church (9am-12:30pm or so) I will have the day to do whatever I want.
I'm making myself a list of stuff to do (don't think it's weird, It's not a to-do list, but a "hey have fun and see if you can do all this stuff that YOU like to do)
- Spend as much time in my pajamas as possible
- Eat whatever I want, whenever I want--make the food choices as weird as possible (sushi with garlic bread--okay! Coffee AND Dr Pepper at the same time, sure. Chocolate for breakfast, yes please!)
- Sleep as much as I want (no 4am wake up calls or little girls having bad dreams)
- Spin as much as possible (CMF, and Spindle some Spunky Eclectic (which by the was was named after a suggestion I made on Ravelry)
- Finish jaywalkers
- Watch movies (anyone got a good suggestion for a recent movie, and please don't say Sweeney Todd or August Rush)
- Finish sewing A's blanket (really all I have to do is sew it together and "stitch in the ditch" (and I thought knitters had weird phrases)
- read outside with the sun shining on your face
- or, don't do any of it and just couch it for a while.
Tell what you would do if given 24 hours on your own??
4pm edited to add: okay, so the Opal isn't indestructible. I just got back from being at the park and trying to go letterboxing with the kids (Princess B just wants to make her own box and bury it in our yard, for her...sigh)--and had walked through some pretty muddy puddles.
I took my socks off for washing and found, you guessed it, a hole in the sole of the Ladybug socks.
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