Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns

pictish · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:47 am Post subject: Secret to longlasting socks?

Have just had another pair of Posh socks wear out after not a lot of wear - maybe worn 20 times mostly in the house with slippers only Confused

Bit more understandable perhaps as these were pure cashmere and maybe I shouldn't have worn them so much because of that but what's the point of making them if you don't ever wear them?? But it's a lot of effort isn't it for not a lot of use Confused

So what is in your experience the best way of making socks last (apart from not wearing them that is Laughing

)? Is it to knit at a tighter guage maybe? These were knitted on 2.75mm. The Posh Lucia that wore out were knitted on 2.5mm. Both only hand washed.

Or is the answer just to knit with standard sock yarn with nylon in it?? My first pair of Opals are just coming to the end of their 3 year life. That's not bad!!

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Ali xxx

Sprite64 · Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 2879

Mmmm - I think there are quite a few different opinions on this one! Opal yarn does seem to wear brilliantly well. Cashmere is gorgeous - but not a strong fibre - but lovely for bedsocks! (I made some bedsocks in some Alpaca - we have a cold house and I hate having cold feet). I usually knit my socks on 2.5mm - but I'm getting some 2.25mm needles at the weekend (off to Socktopus for a workshop). When I popped into Socktopus a few weeks ago I asked Alice about it - gave her a quick flash of my socks and she reckoned I should definately go down a needle size. I don't know how true it is that a firmer fabric lasts longer - I have another friend who reckons it's rubbish. I'm going to try it and see what happens.

All the socks I've made from Opal and Regia yarns have done well. I've got a couple of pairs which were merion sock yarn and they do felt quite quickly on the heels/sole but I haven't worn any through yet.
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Sharon

franney · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:57 am Post subject:

I have one pair of pure merino socks, the rest are wool/nylon mix i think and they are all still going strong. I wash them in the machine and dry them on the radiator and wear them with crocs. My oldest pair were knitted in June 2006 and they aren't showing any signs of wearing out yet Confused

I knit loose so i tend to knit my socks on 2mm or 2.25mm needles but other than that i don't reinforce the heels with anything.

Hope this helps Ali, i think i will cry when my socks start wearing out Sad

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terri · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:01 am Post subject:

I haven't had any of my handmade socks wear out yet, even the posh Lucia pair of river rapids are still going strong Confused

I mainly only wear socks made with a nylon mix inside shoes though....., and my softer ones, just around the house, often with no slippers on. I handwash the more delicate pairs, but all standard sock type yarns go straight in the machine and the tumbler Confused

I nearly always use 2.5mm needles................
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Terri xx

pictish · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:11 am Post subject:

I do knit quite tight - in fact I thought the Lucia were too tightly knit on 2.5mm Confused

The Posh Sophia (cashmere ones) were definitely a looser fabric but still quite dense. These now have a big hole in the heel - I hadn't noticed they had worn thin tho Sad

My LL and Opal are doing best of all and just get thrown in the machine tho not tumble dried. I haven't finished any in pure merino yet.

I suppose they are all getting a lot of wear as I only have 8 pairs Shocked

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Ali xxx

melody yarns · Site Admin Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 8688 Location: UK

Well my first pair of Regia socks have almost got to the end of their life and they are wearing thin at the toe. But I did knit them in 2005 and have worn them continually for the last three winters! My pink Kim socks knitted in Online sock yarn only lasted a year though and they were a wool nylon mix Sad

They faded in the washing machine as well Sad

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Melody's blog
Ravelry name ~ melodyyarns
22 out of 24 completed in 2009 - only 3 to go!

Annerosemary · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 79

I'm like you and go through socks quickly, we were discussing this at our knitting group and it was suggested that if you wear loose fitting shoes or wellies it might increase the amount of friction. A possibility, but I think it's more likely to be because I always wear them.
I've gone through the first pair I ever knitted and they were Opal, so my recommendation is Regia as another friend's husband who is in the army and only ever wears handknitted socks (and sometimes they have more wear and less wash than most !) has never worn a pair out.
Oh yes and I have at least 30 pairs so they only get worn once a month now which should keep them going a lot longer.
I'm sticking to sock yarn with 25% nylon with no exception from now on as it's really annoying to have to have holes in your socks
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Anne

melody yarns · Site Admin Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 8688 Location: UK

By the way I only have four pairs of socks... well three now the Kim ones have been sent to that great recycling bin in the sky... Sad

Time to knit some more methinks, ready for next winter Wink

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Melody's blog
Ravelry name ~ melodyyarns
22 out of 24 completed in 2009 - only 3 to go!

pictish · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:48 am Post subject:

Thanks everybody!!! I found a thread on Ravelry and Regia do get a high recommendation for lastabilty - also Trekking and Opal and LL. But some people have some very old CTH and Koigu too!!! And knitting everything on 2.25mm Shocked

not sure I want to do that tho. I suppose the Posh Yarns are definitely luxury socks as nearly all contain cashmere or silk or something quite delicate and not very hardwearing. I shouldn't maybe have used them as everyday socks Rolling Eyes

Actually I have 9 pairs so they are all definitely getting a lot of wear - 52 times a year on average I suppose. I think I definitely need to knit more!!! Laughing

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Ali xxx

melody yarns · Site Admin Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 8688 Location: UK

Hmmmm could be something in that - all my remainnig socks are Regia Very Happy

and I've got an Opal pair otn at the moment to replace the pink Kims!

I like knitting with Regia though, it's luvly Cool

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Melody's blog
Ravelry name ~ melodyyarns
22 out of 24 completed in 2009 - only 3 to go!