Welcome to Post No.4 in the No Frills Knitting Yarn Showcase where we're looking at our Sock Yarns.
The No Frills Knitting Yarn Showcase is back with the 4th post in this blog series. We’ve been making an effort to round up all of the yarns we have on offer here at No Frills Knitting and tell you as much about them as possible, breaking it down by yarn weight.
See, choosing a yarn for your knitting project is a big decision. Yes, bigger for some more so than others, but even the most decisive of us can find it tricky to land on the right yarn immediately. We sell our yarns online as well as in the Real Life Shop, but unless you are already familiar with a particular yarn or fibre, it can be hard to know exactly what the yarn will be like when you are shopping through a screen and so the decision making process can be even harder. Thus the No Frills Knitting Yarn Showcase was born to give you as much information about our yarns as possible. We're here to tell you what they feel like, and show you what they look like knitted up so you can feel confident in deciding which yarn to order for your next knitting project.
Swatch, swatch, swatch.
Since we’re on our 4th blog in the yarn showcase, you should be a swatching expert by now. Swatching is a ritual which so many knitters have a - what’s the opposite of passion?! - for, but despite the resistance, we cannot emphasise enough that every knitter swatches their yarn before they start knitting their project.
Knitting up a swatch has multiple benefits beyond checking your gauge and realistically it only takes a short amount of time. This is especially so in relation to the 30+ hours you’ll spend on your hand-knit jumper. By swatching your yarn, you are able to:
- Check your stitch count matches the gauge of the knitting pattern
- See what knitted fabric is created with the designs specific yarn/stitch/needle size
- Assess whether the resulting knit is right for you
- Bonus - you can also check to see how yarn colour combinations work i.e. with knitted stripes or 2-stranded knitting.
A No Frills Yarn Showcase
In the Real Life No Frills Knitting shop, we have swatches or samples of almost every yarn we sell in the shop. However, as we touched upon in the intro, if you’re shopping with us online, it’s not quite as easy to see how the yarn you're looking at knits up. Until now...
Sock Weight Yarns At No Frills Knitting
Sock yarns are called sock yarns because, well, they’re great for knitting - yep, you guessed it - socks! Although you are, of course, welcome to knit anything you like. Sock yarn is a thin, fine yarn - a practical weight for everyday socks. They are usually made with a blend of wool or merino mixed with a little nylon for stability and elasticity.
Self-striping sock yarns are made from a mix of colours which, believe it or not, become stripes as you knit with them. These yarns are particularly good for a basic sock pattern as stitch patterns can be lost in all the colours. They are really fun to work with and will result in a pair of socks that are truly unique!
We have a fantastic selection of sock yarns here at No Frills Knitting, so without further ado, let’s get to know them.
Kremke Edelweiss Classic 4-ply
The Kremke Edelweiss is an incredible yarn. It does seem to run on the finer side, but it would be ideal for any and all 4-ply knits - everyday socks, baby knits, a lightweight cardigan - it’s a great all-rounder. It’s made with a mix of 75% wool and 25% polyester from recycled PET bottles. Why not give this yarn a go to make the Sharalanda Socks by The Woolly Badger?
Regia Premium Silk 4-ply
Our feet go through a lot so don’t they deserve a little luxury? This Regia Silk yarn will feel like heaven on those tootsies and it’s even better to knit with. It’s silky soft, smooth and effortlessly delightful. We wouldn’t limit ourselves to socks on this one either - our shop sample is a Scarf no.1 by My Favourite Things Knitwear and it is 11/10. The schappe silk adds an incredible softness resulting in an exquisite, high-quality knit.
Regia Tweed 6-ply
What a classic. The Regia Tweed 6-ply is a heavier weight sock yarn with subtle tweed flecks. It’s perfect for a traditional knit and the resulting fabric is soft and durable with a blend of wool, nylon and viscose - and machine washable up to 40 degrees too! I personally think this would make one lovely hand-knit jumper that you could treasure forever.
Kremke Lazy Linen
This ethical number was developed to be a nylon-free sock yarn so is a blend of pure wool mixed with linen. It’s an absolutely gorgeous yarn which knits up with a beautiful texture and excellent drape. Would work fantastically for a sweater or cardigan too now that summer is here.
Regia Premium Merino Yak - 4-ply
A real hero of a sock yarn, this. It’s warm, hardy and majestic - exactly what you need for an everyday staple sock. It knits up beautifully, as you will see from our sample sock in the shop, and incidentally copes fantastically with a boil wash too. Meg accidentally washed it with covid bed sheets and it didn’t fall apart and didn’t dye the sheets either - winner!
Regia 4-ply Self Striping
Is there anything more fun than self-striping yarn? This beauty by Regia is soft and smooth, but most importantly designed to stand the test of time. The resulting fabric is a sock that is a real treat to wear and even better to look at. The difficult part is landing on your favourite colourway!
Wool Matters Hand Dyed Sock Yarn
Made using wool from happy sheep at Fernhill Farm in the Mendips and hand dyed naturally by Alice just a few miles away from us at No Frills Knitting in North Somerset. The Wool Matters natural sock yarn is everything you could want in a yarn and more. It’s 100% ethical, plastic free and made entirely of natural fibres. The yarn is super strong, and very springy and blooms after blocking into a lovely soft fabric with brilliant stitch definition.
That's A Wrap For Our Sport and 4-Ply Yarns
There we have it, our line-up of sock yarns. Do you have a favourite?
This sock yarn guide is the fourth instalment in our yarn showcase blog series; keep your eyes peeled for the fifth where we'll give you the lowdown on the vegan friendly yarns we have instore.
In the meantime, read up on our other yarn weights here:
DK Yarns At No Frills Knitting
Sport Weight and 4-Ply Yarns at No Frills Knitting
Aran and Chunky Yarns at No Frills Knitting