Best yarn for knitting socks

Socks make a cozy gift for anyone. You may want to make socks for an upcoming baby shower, or maybe you want to make you and your significant other matching socks for Christmas. However, before you begin your project, you should know that not all types of yarn work well for socks. So, what is the best yarn to make socks? This sock yarn buying guide will help you pick the right type of yarn for the project and your desires. 

General Information About Knitting Socks

If this is your first pair of socks, everything from determining which yarn is best for knitting socks to learning the pattern to knit in should be addressed before you even begin. 

Socks aren’t the type of knitting project you want to do by creating one side, then the other, and seaming them together. The seam will feel uncomfortable to the wearer and may not look as neat when you do this. Instead, you should work in the round. Some examples of styles that work well for working in the round include a double-pointed needle, two circular needles, or magic loop.

Ideally, if this is your first time making socks, you should choose an easy pattern. That way, you can learn the ins and outs of making socks and perfect this skill without trying to complicate matters by adding a difficult pattern. You may want to go as simple as choosing one solid color for your first pair of socks. Then, the next time you make a pair of socks, you can increase choose a more complicated design, such as stripes. 

You should use a gauge swatch to continually assess to make sure your socks are remaining in the correct shape and will actually fit your feet. Since socks should be knit in the round, it’s important your swatch matches this. 

What Is the Best Yarn for Making Socks?

Next, you should consider what is the best yarn to make socks. For one, as a sock yarn buying guide general rule, you need to consider the durability of the yarn. You need to make the socks out of a yarn that’s known to remain intact even when it’s used a great deal and is constantly rubbing up against the person’s feet repeatedly. On the other hand, if the person wears the socks with shoes, the footwear will also rub against the socks over and over. 

Additionally, when you select a yarn for knitting socks, you should also consider the thickness. You want a thinner or lighter yarn, usually a sock or finger-weighted yarn if you plan on wearing them with shoes or are giving them as a gift for the recipient to wear with shoes. You may, however, break this rule if you’re making a thick pair of socks for lounging around the house in as opposed to ones that are for everyday wear. 

When you feel bulky, fluffy socks from the store, you may want to recreate something similar to them. Therefore, your first instinct when deciding which yarn is best for knitting socks may be to choose the one that feels softest to you, so you end up with a pair of soft socks. Those really soft yarns, though, pill easily and look worn fast. You want to choose a yarn that’s hardy as opposed to soft. 

While there isn’t a direct answer to what is the best yard to make socks, certain yarns stand out as better suited for the project. One that comes to mind is wool. This material is warm on the wearer’s feet. It’s also quite cozy and comfy. Wool breathes well, so you won’t have to contend with sweaty feet. Washing wool is easy. It’s stain-resistant, so you usually have to wash it less than you would if you chose another fabric. It stretches and goes back to shape easily after a wash and dry. With so many benefits of wool, it’s no wonder that a majority of sock yarns you find on the market have at least a small presence of wool in them. 

This sock yarn buying guide gives you the basics of how to choose which yarn is best for knitting socks and what specifically to look out for when choosing a yarn for your project. You even got an idea of one type of yarn that works well for socks as well as general tips of creating a pair of socks, especially if you’re a first-time sock knitter.