It’s funny how things unfold. A couple of weeks ago, when I reviewed my goals, I finally gave in to putting my impulse bought yellow BFL in the stash and ignoring it. However, only a few minutes after I published the post where I fessed up to that plan, I looked at my twitter feed and spotted Jolie’s no nylon sock KAL.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot (an awful lot) about sock yarn with no nylon. I believe the right breeds of sheep, or mixture of breeds, can produce a better, more environmentally friendly, sock yarn than those with nylon. If you don’t know, nylon is a standard content of most sock yarns.
My key question was, What breed(s) would work best to produce a soft enough, but tough enough, yarn for everyday socks? And this is exactly what Jolie’s KAL is working on.
It’s not that I hadn’t thought of knitting socks with the yellow yarn before. In fact, I think some of you guys have suggested it to me too. However I considered BFL too soft for anything other than bed socks. But Joeli’s KAL has enticed me to see what sort of everyday socks it makes, because the No Nylon Sock KAL is followed by ‘The Project’.
The Project involves Joeli, and anyone else who wants to, wearing and exploring how well the different fibres they use in the KAL stand up, compared with socks knitted with yarn that contains nylon.
YEP! the project is a scientific bit. And I just love a bit of science. As I say, my hypothesis is that the BFL won’t be tough enough. But hopefully I’m also going to have time to knit some socks in what I think may be more suitable yarn too.
I started my yellow sock knitting last week – but the Secret Sweater took priority, then life has stopped me knitting anything this week. So this all I’ve done…
The KAL started on 8th April, but it runs until June 10th, so there’s still time to join in if you fancy it!
How do you feel about nylon being used in sock yarn?
I LOVE knitted socks, even if I am not enough of a knitter to make my own! However, I am yet to find a wool sock that I can wear next to my skin. I generally wear a pair of thin cotton socks underneath, which is fine because I love cosy toes. My partner seems to be able to wear any wool sock comfortably but I really can’t, I tried BFL gloves and they were no good either.
I have some amazing wool socks that were knitted for me by a german university friend some (cough) 18 years ago and they lasted me for years and years, I still wear them now despite a couple of holes, I wish I knew what she had made them from! I still have to put the cotton socks underneath though. Mary x
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a shame – sounds like you really don’t get on with wool. Wool is wonderfully hardwearing, which is often the point people miss when complaining about the cost of wool vs manmade. I think it’s such a shame that the current preoccupation with ‘softness’ means a huge amount of yarn and woollen garments are made out of merino and BFL which don’t wear was well as other breeds – one of which presumably your lovely long lasting gloves are made from.
LikeLike
I don’t know about nylon in sock yarn but I do know there is no way I would have a pair of socks knitted by the 10th June 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha ha! Just scanning the post you put up and clearly you have a quilt to concentrate on not sock knitting. But must run, physio appointment, so will read it properly later 🙂
LikeLike
I do like nylon in sock yarn. I have a single pair of non-nylon socks, which feel very rough, The yarn has definitely been over-plied to compensate for it 🙂
LikeLike
Do you know what breed of sheep the wool from your non nylon socks are? The right breed wouldn’t need over-plying.
LikeLike
Yay! It will feel so good to wear them AND to complete another project!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh this does sounds interesting. I know that I wear my socks very hard so would be interested in the results (when I do finally get round to knitting socks) but I think any i am likely to knit will probably contain nylon still.
Yours are looking good x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. I’ll keep you posted about how things go – I too am hard on socks, so hopefully the KAL will come up with something that is equal to or better than nylon.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting post. It’ll be fun to see how you like the feel of your yellow socks once they are knitted. Being yellow, at the very least, they will look super cute! xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. That’s the great thing about socks, you can really have fun with then 🙂 x
LikeLike
Your socks are looking good, and I agree on your take of the heel. Does not sit quite right together, both a pretty stitches, but they dont seem to work together.
I dont mind a bit on nylon in socks, but then, I love my handknitted socks and they have lots of wear. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Good to know it’s not just me with the stitches. I’d thought as they were both small and pretty they’d go well. Just goes to show.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will they be itchy without nylon? Interesting project.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, nylon adds strength, not softness.
LikeLike
I love my handmade merino socks more than anything shop bought and NO to nylon! My extra long big toes always lead to holes in no time though, which is upsetting in handmades:(
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great to hear you’re still loving you handmade socks. Sorry to hear you toes are so naughty 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
They’re looking great Bekki. You should be fine with a bfl without nylon as the length of the fibres is a lot longer than merino and from what I’ve gleaned it makes great sock yarn on its own 🙂 Have a great weekend. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. Hope so. Hope you’re having a good weekend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
just read this older post, an interesting project! I wonder what the outcome of the No Nylon Sock KAL experiment was. I followed the link to Jolie’s website, but it leads to a not-found page.
I know a friend of mine who knitted some socks in a DK/aran pure wool, though I didn’t think of asking her about their durability.
Have a nice weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, a good project when we now know all the man-made fibres are entering the aquatic food chain from our washing machines. I followed the KAL in Ravelry, but the organiser wasn’t interactive during the KAL and didn’t do any follow up on wearing – although she did do KAL prizes. So maybe it was all a bit more than she could manage at the time. I did intend to wear them ‘scientifically’ anyway and compare with nylon socks, but that good intention vanished somewhere along the line 😦 I did a BFL pair and one in my Shetland/Ryeland blend. They’re both standing up well to wear, but I can’t tell you how often I’m wearing them and the so called super wash BFL are shrinking, so i need to stop chucking them in the washing machine.
You have a great weekend too. looks like the weather’s going to be better than they originally thought tomorrow, but we have a weather warning for Sunday!
LikeLiked by 1 person