Knitting Socks is a popular knitting project choice. Sock knitting becomes addictive! At the time of writing, I’m knitting socks 🙂
Here’s my guide to sock yarn. There are many yarn types, but some good yarn for knitting suits socks more than others.
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I reviewed and updated this post on Feb 13, 2022.
What Is The Best Yarn For Knitting Socks?
Here is the best yarn for knitting socks.
- My Top Pick – Best Sock Yarn
- Best Luxury Option – Best Worsted Weight Sock Yarn
- Best Budget Option – Best Self Striping Yarns for Socks
Many gorgeous sock patterns, stitches for socks, and dyed yarn to knit up into socks. Explore color, different stitch techniques, and have great satisfaction!
Table of Contents
Yarn Knitters Recommend
Most big brand yarn companies offer it. Knitters recommend
Reena at Knit Better Socks is an expert yarn reviewer. Reena has shared her sock knit experiences for many years.
Where can you see the best places to buy yarn? Find out in my guide.
What To Consider In The Best
Socks Should Hug The Leg
Most people prefer a tight, non-floppy sock. They should hug the leg. No joy in having to pull up your socks! You need plied and less yielding yarn.
A blend of wool and nylon gives elasticity. Try KnitPicks Stroll yarn it is lovely and soft and an affordable price.
It is amazing how elastic wool is but reinforced with nylon adds strength. Socks are given a workout being worn in shoes. The friction created means sock fabrics need to be sturdy.
Socks Need Washing
Socks are worn every day during cooler weather. They stand a high degree of wear and washing. Avoid yarns that visibly discolor with regular washing.
A machine-washable yarn saves time. If you don’t mind hand-washing, choose many other types of yarn.
Want something to wind your new yarn for you? Check out an automatic yarn winder.
Thin or Thick?
If you like thin socks, choose fingering weight sock yarn (400m/100g). The first step is to think about what type of socks you want to knit or might like to knit.
- Thick?
- Thin?
- For the office?
- Wild and fun?
Thicker wool like DK weight or sport weight yarn makes bulkier socks. Keep in mind the amount of space in your shoes!
Who Is Your Sock Audience?
It’s easier to start with someone in mind.
- Favorite colors?
- One color or self-striping yarn?
- Plain or fancy stitch patterns?
- What thickness?
- Long or short?
Think about this to ensure your handmade socks are worn 🙂They’ll love your knitted gift!
What Knitting Equipment You Have
Use
- DPN (Double Pointed Needles)
- Circular knitting needles
Knitters recommend these needle options:
- 6 inch double pointed needles
- Two circular needles (a Chiaogoo interchangeable needle set is great)
- Magic loop using one long circular knitting needle to knit two socks at a time
- 9-inch circular knitting needles
The best yarn bowls keep your lovely fibers free from rolling all over the floor.
Tension Of Knitting
Consider what type of tension you have, tight or loose. It’s crucial when working with any sock pattern to check your gauge.
How The Yarn Feels
How a yarn feels on your hands often feels different against the calf and foot. Some people have heightened sensitivity to scratchy wools.
Others have a greater tolerance for rough yarns in socks they’d never bear as scarves or sweaters.
Softness is a consideration for some. Remember, softer yarns don’t stand up to abrasion well. They’re more likely to pill and get holes quicker.
Do You Want Your Stitch To Shine?
Are you a fan of intricate stitch patterns? If so, think about the color of your yarn. Plain or ‘kettle dyed’ yarn, the best solid color sock yarn, allows intricate stitch patterns in socks to shine.
Dark colors mask textures and cables. Choose lighter colors if you want the pattern to stand out.
Self Striping Yarn For Color
Self-striping yarn is fabulous for colorful, wild sock patterns. Remember, the heel you choose in your sock has an impact on the stripes.
If you get this, use the leftovers for a best yarn for scarf that’s super colorful!
Think Of Your Budget
If you can afford expensive yarn, you want something that lasts. Only you can determine the best affordable yarn.
Yarn Blends
Avid sock knitters don’t recommend yarns containing silk, bamboo, angora, cashmere, or alpaca, even in blends. The best silk sock yarn is more for shawls or delicate knitted items.
Cotton-blend yarns are also more fragile than pure wool ones. These fibers don’t stand abrasion well.
If you live in a warm climate, you’ll want to stick with cotton or cotton-blend yarns. These are the best summer sock yarn.
Want to discover the best soft baby blanket yarn? Let me show you the contenders.
Pure synthetics won’t provide much long-lasting warmth. This type of yarn holds moisture against your feet, making them cold and clammy with wear.
There’s no best acrylic sock yarn because it makes your feet sweat.
If you’re new to knitting socks, start with yarns labeled sock yarns. These are more durable and easier to wash than similar weight yarns not made for socks.
For the best non-wool sock yarn, consider blends of cotton/nylon and bamboo/cotton/nylon. The best value yarn if you are allergic to wool.
Want neat sock yarn cakes? A ball winder yarn tool is essential.
Yarn For Socks Needs To Handle Rubbing
Yarn used for socks needs to be abrasion-resistant. There’s a lot of pressure on fibers in knitted socks because they rub your foot, shoe, or ground. Choosing a super soft yarn is not a good idea.
Socks Need To Absorb Or Wick Away Moisture
Feet sweat, socks need to absorb or wick away moisture to feel (and smell) good. Nothing beats wool. It absorbs up to one-third of its weight in moisture before it feels moist.
Some knitters prefer cotton sock yarns but these are not as able to absorb moisture.
Socks Need To Be Washed
Consider superwash yarns, (like superwash merino wool.) Toss these in the washing machine in cold water. The best washable wool sock yarn is labeled ‘superwash.’ However, for non superwash wool, washing by hand isn’t difficult.
Wool blend yarns may need to be washed by hand.
Sock Yarn Weight
Fingering weight yarn, sport, and DK weight ranging in gauge from 6 to 8 stitches per inch. The finer the gauge, the more form-fitting the sock.
Knit socks in worsted-weight yarn at gauges up to 4 stitches per inch.
What is Sock Yarn?
It’s a super fine yarn. The American Craft Yarn Council places it in the Super Fine category with the symbol number 1. It’s knitted on small needles like 2.25mm or US needle size 1-3.
In the US it is referred to as fingering and 4 ply in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
This type of yarn varies in thickness or yarn weight, like super bulky or worsted weight. These thicknesses are best suited to bed socks or outdoor socks to go hiking in.
It’s often a blend of fibers, making the finished fabric more durable. It isn’t only for socks. The fiber content varies. Wool yarn is popular for warm and cozy socks. Use it in knitted blankets and shawls.
Arne & Carlos Use Self Striping Yarn To Knit The World’s Easiest Socks!
You’ll learn Arne’s techniques for knitting a toe-up sock. The yarn product they use is Regia Pairfect Design Line 4-Ply by Arne & Carlos.
See how this kind of self-striping yarn creates different effects. It is a blend of 75% superwash wool and 25% polyamide (to add reinforcement). Giving it stretch and durability and it’s machine washable.
Q&A
What Are Popular Yarn Blends for Knitting Socks?
Mohair is a wonderful durable fiber when blended with merino and nylon.
Have cold feet? Nothing beats angora’s heating power. Even a small amount of angora in a wool sock boosts its heating capacity.
What Is The Best Self Striping Sock Yarn?
Self-striping yarn creates fabulous wild stripes when knitting socks. Sock knitting experts suggest the best self-striping have long color changes. Felici Yarn is a great option and the cost is affordable.
What Is The Best Worsted Weight Sock Yarn?
Worsted weight refers to yarn thickness. Worsted weight sock yarn is thicker than ordinary yarn. Just the thing for making thicker, bulkier socks.
Knit Picks Chroma a wonderful worsted weight yarn – 70% wool / 30% nylon.
What Is The Best Sock Yarn For Knitting Socks?
Experts on yarn like the author Clara Parkes say the best yarns for socks are elastic. Socks need to stretch around a foot, clinging to the foot while wearing, and hug the calf.
Yarns of a wool and nylon blend is a great choice.
Read her excellent book: The Knitter’s Book of Socks: The Yarn Lover’s Ultimate Guide to Creating Socks That Fit Well, Feel Great, and Last a Lifetime
Check Price On Amazon
Why Wool and Nylon?
Wool has the best bounce and fiber memory. Cotton, angora, and alpaca have less elasticity. If you’re fond of less elastic fibers, your best bet is a blend of wool and nylon. This has the best stretch yet warm.
Wool is the best fiber for spinning sock yarn.
In general, knitters have found the best, long-lasting yarns are wool and contain at least 20% nylon. This the best sock yarn ever and the most popular.
The essential ingredient for durability is nylon, acrylic, or some form of synthetic material. The best for stretchy and longevity.
All you need to know about the best sock yarn for knitting socks. I know you’ll find a gorgeous, quality yarn to suit your needs.
I’d love to hear about your preference. Please leave a note in the comments section below.
Enjoy your knitting 🙂
Next > Black Friday Yarn Sale 2021
I’ve never knitted before. How do I learn to knit socks and blankets?
~ Jalene
Hi Jalene. I’m glad you want to learn to knit. Blankets and socks are great projects. You can start with simple garments like a scarf if you’ve never knitted before. This builds your confidence. I have suggestions for Knitting Books for Beginners and books for learning how to knit socks and blankets in my post. Have fun learning to knit. Cheers Jodie
I am wondering if a blend of 40 cashmere, 40 Brushtail Possum down, 20 mulberry silk would be good for socks? My daughter wants very light weight socks. Recommended needle for this yarn is 1.
Another option is Autermann Kid Silk. 75 mohair 25 silk. Very fine yarn. Would I need to add a yarn with nylon or some other addition because this is so fine and socks often need a strong fiber?
Crazy but she loves silk in her socks. Any advice appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Evelyn
Hi Evelyn. I asked some experts on Ravelry and their responses will hopefully help. Cheers Jodie
From Anita –
There are plenty of lovely sock yarns (i.e. fingering or light fingering weight, with a tight twist that wears well) with 10, 20 or even more percent of silk. But, I wouldn’t suggest making “socks for wearing in shoes” with either of those you suggested – the one with possum down and cashmere being 80% will be too soft to wear well, and the mohair silk will wear well but has no stretch/recovery and will make baggy socks, because you’ll have to make them a tad larger so that they can be gotten on.
If she wants “light” socks, consider a merino/silk blend, with or without mohair or cashmere, and use a lacey (holey) pattern for the socks. Also choose one of the sock yarns that’s on the thin side (450 or more yds per 100g), in the Ravelry database those would mostly be in the “light fingering” category if you want to do a search. Here’s one: Serenity Silk plus which is 500 yds/100g. However, when I search projects done with it, they are nearly all shawl-y and only a very few socks, which makes me wonder about its longevity.
Another thought – when she wants “light” socks, does she mean thin, or cool? there are non-wool sock yarns, too.
Recommended needle size on yarns for socks is often not what the ball band suggests (which may be for shawls or other drapey things) but several sizes smaller. I hope you’re ok with knitting on multi-zero size needles ‘cause that’s almost certainly what you’re gonna end up with 🙂
From Michelle-
You can consider doing most of the sock in a stronger yarn (or at least the toe/ball of the foot and heel), and use the softer yarn for the rest of the sock. Knees Up is an example of using a different yarn for part of the sock (though this specifically makes more legwarmer socks). I don’t think either of those yarns are going to work well for a sock otherwise, unfortunately. Both are too soft for the wear you need socks to go through. ETA: There’s also Zimmerman’s Moccasin Socks (November), which I haven’t knit but which have replaceable soles. You might be able to get away with a good sock yarn for the sole, and one of your softer yarns for the rest).
Hello I would like to start making socks. I am very allergic to wool. What is a good blend or type of yarn that would work for me? I have no idea which yarn to start with. Everything has wool in it.
Thanks 🙂
Annie
Hi Anatasia. I found a blend that is 72% Cotton, 18% Poliamide, 10% Polyester works well for socks. This yarn is by Regia.
For knitted socks, cotton yarn alone will stretch too much, so a blend is better. Non-wool socks may not last as long, but if you love knitting socks, that means you can knit more. Cheers Jodie
I’m making a triceratops, which is a stuffed animal so I don’t want it to stretch and they recommended using yarn #1. Where can I buy it?
Hi Lannie. This yarn is fingering yarn with the number symbol #1. The number one is on the label and this is from the Craft Yarn Council’s standard weight system. To buy yarn online, I recommend Knit Picks. You can find fingering or sock yarn online if the label says #1. This yarn might make a good stuffed animal. It’s Pima cotton and acrylic. Have fun making your triceratops. Cheers Jodie
I love knitting socks!! I’m so happy to find your site. What’s your thoughts on heavy fingering 65% merino wool & 35% Tussah silk. I could also knit a strand of nylon or polymide with it. Thanks for your help.
Hi Sheila. This blend sounds lovely and nylon provides a bit of strength and wearability. Sock knitting isn’t my strong suit. I’m on my 4th pair now. Hope your socks turn out well. Cheers Jodie
I love to knit and I am really slow at it, is their any tricks their is to knit faster?
Hi Matilda. Neither am I, but practice makes perfect. While I knit English style and have tried Continental knitting, I need to master purling. I have a post on Continental Knitting and another fast style; Portuguese Knitting. Hope this helps. Cheers Jodie
Hi! Love your website, so I thought maybe you could help me. I’ve made a gazillion socks from one particular pattern. It’s called bed socks and I use worsted weight. I wear them as slippers but they tend to wear out fairly quickly. I’m also diabetic so I need something that won’t bind around the ankles. Any ideas for a fingering yarn (using a regular sock pattern I have) that would make it loose enough without binding? Thanks so much!
Hi Cheryl. I’ve used 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon fingering weight and find them stretchy. Cheers Jodie