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Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on January 3, 2010 at 4:25pm

Shannon: Try here tomorrow. It's KP Admin. Leave a message with your question. I'm sure they will get to you quickly. You will see the "message" icon on the left. Just click on it to leave a message. --P

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Permalink Reply by shannon2108 on January 3, 2010 at 5:22pm

Thanks, Peggy! I'll try that.

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Morton on December 24, 2009 at 3:40pm

Another sock observation. I've been knitting socks for a while now (several months) and am extremely disappointed in how they are wearing. I used mostly Stroll yarn with a small size 1 (2.25 mm) needle. I hand wash and hang to dry. Despite all that, my socks are getting fuzzy and worn looking. Is this just the nature of hand-knit socks? I hate to spend the time and money that it takes to make a pair of socks (not to mention the fact I have a drawer full of socks waiting to be knitted) and them look really good for such a short time. I would say after four or five wearings they look bad. Any ideas?

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on December 24, 2009 at 4:04pm

I haven't had that problem. I even accidentally let a pair of socks go through the dryer. Oops! I have had to darn the section right in the middle of the bottom of the heel (just past the heel turn), but that's after many wearings. I have a top-load washer and I wash in cold water. --P

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Permalink Reply by Jill on December 25, 2009 at 11:10am

I have to agree with Peggy. My husband has handknit socks that are years old. A couple have been darned but the rest look great. My drawerfull is not as old but also are great. Be sure you get sock yarn - that is 75% wool and 25% nylon (or polyamide) - so you know they will wear well. I think merino is not so good for socks. It is too soft and fuzzy. Lovely for other garments, however.

Have just looked at the KP yarns and see that Stroll is Merino. I have not used it myself so can't comment on it.

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Morton on December 25, 2009 at 6:11pm

Stroll is 75/25 merino and nylon. I don't think KP carries any sock yarn that isn't part merino. The label says it is machine washable and dryable.

Maybe I'm just being too picky. I started out washing socks in a net bag in the machine and drying them. These were also some of my first socks, before I figured out that I like to use very small needles and knit tighter (didn't like the feel of socks made on size 2 on the bottom of my feet). These got fuzzy and "pilly" pretty quick. Most of the pills I'm getting are around the heels, so maybe it is friction.

I'll keep plugging along. I've got a drawerful of yarn to use up!

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Permalink Reply by Catherine Sears on December 26, 2009 at 4:31am

KP does make sock yarns that aren't merino. Palette is 100% alpaca. I'm using gloss for my socks. It's 70% merino, 30% silk.

I'm knitting a lace shawl with stroll. I sure hope it doesn't get fuzzy. Even though it's machine washable, I don't plan on washing it by machine, because I hate the look of pilled knits.

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on December 26, 2009 at 6:52am

Actually, Palette is 100% Peruvian Highland Wool. It makes pretty socks, but they don't hold up as well, and you have to hand wash them. Imagination is 25% alpaca. I'm wondering if it's the washing machine... --P

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Permalink Reply by Debbie Morton on December 26, 2009 at 7:04am

The socks I machine washed went in a permanent press load on permanent press cycle in cold water, in a lingerie bag. Would washing them separately be a better idea? I also dried them with that same load.

I wonder too about the temperature of the water when I hand wash. A book I have suggests tepid water and I wonder if I'm getting it too warm? I'll try cold water next time. That book alo suggests dishwashing liquid. Maybe I will try Woolite.

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Permalink Reply by Catherine Sears on December 26, 2009 at 10:14am

Did you turn them inside out when you washed them? The socks I made for my husband are of Swish DK superwash merino. I machine wash them in cold water on the regular cycle, turned inside out in a lingerie bag, and machine dry them on medium heat. They are quite fuzzy on the inside, but the outside still looks good.

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Stuart on December 27, 2009 at 6:41am

Good idea to turn them inside out. I'll do that next time. I don't put my socks in the dryer. I either hang them over a coat hanger or put them on the sweater dryer. The one pair that accidentally went through the dryer seems fine, though. I just use my usual washing liquid. I've used baby shampoo on my non-machine-washable items, and I love the Kookaburra Wool Wash! (No rinsing needed!) --P

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Permalink Reply by Catherine Sears on December 26, 2009 at 9:41am

OK, I didn't check before I posted. I remembered Palette was 100% of another kind of wool. I want to make myself some navy blue socks, but I can't wear regular wool or synthetic fabrics, and don't know whether I could tolerate Palette, which is the only sock yarn that has no synthetics and comes in navy.