What Is The Best Sock Yarn For Knitting Socks? My Sock Yarns Guide

Knitting Socks is a popular knitting project choice. Sock knitting becomes addictive! Here’s my guide to sock yarn. There are many yarn types, but some good yarn for knitting suits socks more than others.

What Is The Best Yarn For Knitting Socks?

• My Top Pick – Best Sock Yarn
• Best Luxury Option – Best Worsted Weight Sock Yarn
• Best Budget Pick – KnitPicks Stroll Handpainted

There are many gorgeous sock patterns to explore color and stitch techniques.

I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on May 12, 2023.

Table Of Contents

• Yarn Knitters Recommend
• What Is It?
• FAQS

Best Sock Yarn Knitters Recommend

Most big brand yarn companies offer it. Knitters recommend the following great sock yarn.

• West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 Ply
• KnitPicks Stroll Handpainted
• Regia 4-Ply
• Schoppel Zauberball – Best Self striping yarn

Paintbox Yarns also has some excellent choices, like Socks Solids, and their general self-striping sock yarns. They have great free patterns to pair with their products.

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’s referred to as fingering and 4 ply in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

It varies in thickness or yarn weight, like super bulky or worsted weight. These thicknesses are best suited to bed or outdoor socks to go hiking in. It’s often a blend of fibers, making the finished fabric more durable.

If you decide to knit socks, you’ll be in good company! The first ever knitted items, according to archeological records were a pair of knitted socks found in Egypt. They were elaborate pieces of colorwork made with cotton and dyed with berries.^[3]

What To Consider In Sock Yarns

Here’s what to consider in the best sock yarns.

Socks Should Hug The Leg

Most people prefer a tight, non-floppy sock. They should hug the leg. You need plied and less yielding yarn, though you still need stretchy yarn for socks.

A blend of wool and nylon gives elasticity. Try KnitPicks Stroll yarn. It’s lovely and soft and an affordable price. It’s amazing how elastic wool is, but reinforced with nylon adds strength. Sock fabrics need to be sturdy.

Socks Need Washing

Socks are worn every day during cooler weather. They stand 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.

How Much Yardage?

To see the amount of yarn you need for different sock styles, I’ve written a series of guides. The first is on how much yarn for socks.

Thin Or Thick?

If you like thin socks, choose fingering weight sock yarn 396 yds/3.5oz (400m/100g). Think about what type of socks you want to knit or might like to knit.

Thicker wool like DK weight or sport weight yarn makes bulkier socks. Keep in mind the amount of space in your shoes!

What Knitting Equipment You Have

Use DPNs (Double-Pointed Needles) or circular knitting needles. Knitters recommend these needle options:

• 6″ 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″ circular knitting needles

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

Some people have heightened sensitivity to scratchy wools. Others have a greater tolerance for rough yarn 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? 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.

Handpainted yarn looks fantastic, but only in simple stitch designs.⁽¹⁾ You could try dyeing your own yarn with Kool-Aid for a unique look.⁽²⁾ Solid colors are better for a beginner to yarn dyeing.

Self Striping Yarn For Color

Self-striping yarn is fabulous for colorful, wild sock patterns. Remember, the heel you choose in your sock impacts the stripes. I find the heel turn method, which is said to have originated in Finnish knitting patterns, works best.

If you get this, use the leftovers for a scarf that’s super colorful!

Think Of Your Budget

If you can afford expensive yarn, you want something that lasts. Avid sock knitters don’t recommend 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.

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. They are more likely to have nylon to reinforce the yarn.

For the best non-wool sock yarn, consider blends of cotton/nylon and bamboo/cotton/nylon. This is the best value yarn if you’re allergic to wool.

Yarn For Socks Needs To Handle Rubbing

There’s a lot of pressure on fibers in knitted socks because they rub your foot, shoe, or ground. If you are making socks to wear when you sleep, the movement of your feet rubbing against the sheets over time will cause the pilling.

Socks Need To Absorb Or Wick Away Moisture

Feet sweat, socks need to 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 don’t 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. It doesn’t take long!

Sock Yarn Weight

Fingering weight, 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 at gauges up to 4 stitches per inch.

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.

The self-striping creates different effects. It’s 75% superwash wool and 25% polyamide, giving it stretch and durability. It’s machine washable.

FAQS About Sock Wool

What Are Popular Yarn Blends for Knitting Socks?

Mohair is a wonderful durable fiber when blended with merino wool 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 Yarns For A Sock?

Self-striping yarn creates fabulous wild stripes when knitting socks. Sock knitting experts suggest the best self-striping has long color changes. Felici is a great option.

What Is The Best Worsted Weight Sock Yarn?

Knit Picks Chroma a wonderful worsted weight yarn. As a knitter having a colorful sock is a wonderful thing!

What Is The Best Yarn For Knitting Socks?

Experts like Clara Parkes say the best yarns for socks are elastic. Wool and nylon blends are great. Read her excellent book: The Knitter’s Book of Socks.

Check Price On Amazon

Once you’ve been inspired by that fantastic book, follow this excellent tutorial to try making your first pair.

Why Are They A Blend Of Wool and Nylon?

Wool has the best bounce and fiber memory. Nylon has the best stretch. This combination of yarns means you have warm feet, they feel comfortable to wear and getting them on is easier. The wool yarn with a percentage of nylon helps to wick away moisture.

Do You Recommend Merino Wool Nylon Fingering To Knit Socks?

Merino wool nylon fingering fibers are excellent as socks yarn. They are my favorites. These create a soft, beautiful to wear fabric. Often found in many beautifully hand dyed options and come packaged as a hank.

Can You Use Cotton For Socks Yarn?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s an absorbent fiber which means it holds moisture. Your feet will feel cold. Cotton also tends to loose shape over time.

What’s The Best Soft Sock Yarn?

The best soft sock yarn is KnitPicks Stroll Handpainted.

Conclusion

That’s the best sock yarn for knitting socks. I’d love to hear about your preference for sock wool. Leave a note in the comments section below. Enjoy your knitting 🙂

References

1. Sulcoski, Carol. Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. Penguin, 2013.
2. Caplice, Elizabeth. “Picking or throwing.” Lifted Brow, The 1 (2007): 39-41.
3. Parkes, Clara. The Knitter’s Book of Yarn. Potter Craft, 2011.
4. Magazine, Vogue Knitting. 2007. Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book: History, Technique, Design.