Boot Sock Yarn
A couple of weeks back I posted about the need to find some yarn that would be good for boot socks for a man who gets cold feet on his daily downtown commute. I got a lot of great responses and I used some of those suggestions to make some initial purchases to help me get started.
1. Regia 6-Ply Marokko Color, Colorway #5497. This yarn is advertised as a DK weight yarn. Like most Regia yarns its 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon. After doing a recent survey of my handknitted socks, I can, indeed, say that Regia wears like iron and that even my Regia socks that are several years old look great, and I received a number of suggestions about looking into their 6 ply yarns. This yarn is a marled yarn that will have white, beige and blue stripes. When I found it, I didn't think John would want anything to do with it because of the stripes. But he actually liked it and picked this colorway over a more subdued one. I purchased this yarn from Carodan Farm
2. Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Heavyweight, Colorway "Mudslide". This yarn has about half the yardage per unit of weight (i.e. it's heavier weight) than the Regia so warmth and thickness shouldn't be an issue. The color has also been determined to be man-acceptable. I haven't told him yet that it's likely to pool and create some striping... I'm hoping that the "all brown" thing will win out. This yarn is 100% merino superwash, but it's a tightly plied three ply, and my experience with other Blue Moon Products suggests that it will have good durability. I purchased this yarn from Toni Neil at the Fold -- she has a very nice selection of STR heavyweight colors right now.
3. Regia Silk Color, Colorway 190. Clearly this yarn is not for John. However, given that it has 20% silk content, I figured it was possible that I might get the warmth of a boot sock from a thinner sock due to silk's superior insulating properties. However, I've heard rumors that this yarn doesn't wash well, so I wanted to try it out in a pair for myself before using it for John. One excellent thing about this yarn? It comes in solid colors. So if I like the socks I knit for me, there's a good option for John as well. This yarn is also from Carodan Farm.
Since there were some other very good suggestions for boot sock yarn in the comments to the post where I asked for suggestions, if you're looking for some similar yarn options, here's the link to the post. Given all the interesting comments, I'm sure that if you're looking for the same thing you can probably find some useful information to help you on your way.
Lana Grossa has a yarn called Boot Stretch which might work as well. I have not knit with it but I have seen it knit up. The colors are a stripey tweedy look.
I heart that "Mudslide" colorway! Nice choice. Also, I'm keen on seeing how the Regia silk knits up.
the regia silk is heavenly to wear. i think that my socks that i made from it are much warmer than the regular wool socks. good thing too, since it is currently below freezing here in seattle.
I have knit Lana Grossa's Boot Stretch, and it is only a bit heavier than normal 4-ply sock yarn, so it is a good compromise between 4-ply and 6-ply. Since I gave the socks away as a gift I don't know about its durability, but I guess it is fine.
If you want boot socks that will keep the feet warm no matter what the weather use dog hair spun with wool. I have made socks from Newfie, Chow, and hybred wolf spun with wool. These are so warm my husband swears he can take off his boots while ice fishing and still stay warm. There is a lady in Ohio that spins these-If you would like her name and info just e-mail me.
I'll be hanging around waiting to see how that mudslide knits up. It's lovely in the skein but I'm wondering about the pooling/striping. Could be beautiful....or a fizzle.