A Case for No-Nylon Socks

Many of the modern sock yarns we encounter have a dash of nylon added for strength—with good reason. Soft, supple yarns spun from finewools like Merino do need some support if they are going to hold up over time. But I prefer using natural fibers wherever possible. I love to think that I could put my socks in the compost bin after they can no longer be mended. I also know that natural fibers are up to the test; we humans have been wearing nylon-free socks for millennia! If we look at traditional socks that were made from all-natural fibers, we get some clues about how we, too, can go all-natural.

About a decade ago, I had the great good fortune to visit Kihnu, a tiny island off the coast of Estonia. One of the treasures I purchased was a pair of handspun, naturally dyed stockings. Incredibly finely worked, I estimate that these were knitted on needles close to size 00000. My handspinner’s fingers recognize this wool as a Down-type breed, a native landrace breed, or even a cross between the two. It’s toothy, elastic, and crimpy. By turning the color-stranded cuff inside out, we can learn a lot about the yarn by looking at the stranding. Look at that high twist!

Take a look inside. Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode.

This is a common combination in traditional yarns that were meant to last.

1. Wool that—even when spun into a fine yarn—was durable. Bonus if that wool is also bouncy and elastic.
   
2. Strong twist to add strength and durability.
   

A Small-Batch, Mill-Spun Option

I’m picky about sock yarns, so I’m always on the hunt. I purchased some Walking Fern sock yarn from Kelly Otty of Fern Bridge Farm at Vogue Knitting Live this year. I've casted on, and I can now confirm—I'm smitten. It's a great example of a no-nylon sock yarn that will wear well and feel great.

Kelly keeps a flock of Shetland sheep at Fern Bridge Farm in Vermont, and I sent her a couple of questions about this yarn.

Walking Fern comes in natural and a number of hand-dyed colors. This is the Mauvelous colorway from Batch 2.

Kate: How did you go about designing this yarn? I love the three-ply structure and twist.

Kelly: Being a lifelong knitter, as well as a spinner, and former yarn-shop owner, I've worked with a lot of yarns over the years and knew that I wanted something durable enough for socks, but also a yarn that would have a nice hand. Add too much twist, and you get a yarn that is rough and rope-like. Too little twist, and you get something that just won't hold up to the wear and tear of socks.

Kate: Have you used this yarn? How does it hold up?

Kelly: I have used this yarn for socks and accessories, and so far, it's holding up beautifully. So many sock yarns are superwash with nylon, and for me, I find that isn't necessarily a benefit. I handwash my knitwear anyway as it's so quick to do, and I find that socks made with non-superwash wool hold up better. The areas that we usually get holes—heels, toes, ball of the foot—are the places where the most friction happens. With just the friction from wearing your socks, these areas will actually start to full a bit, and I find that adds longevity to the socks. It also makes it much easier to darn them when the time comes.

Get a closer look! Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode. Photos by Kelly Otty

Kate: Do you have certain fleece qualities from your flock that you use for this yarn?

Kelly: I have a flock of Shetland sheep, and as per the registry standard, there are actually three wool types allowed for the breed. I have both fine and intermediate wool Shetlands, and some that are in between. (Dual-coated is the third fleece type, which I don't currently have in my flock). For this particular yarn, I wanted something with a longer staple length (4 to 5 inches) for durability, and not my superfine 18-micron fleeces, but more in the range of my 24-micron fleeces, which will hold up much better for socks.

Ready to Knit?

In July, we will release two sock projects for subscribers. Socks are such a great grab-and-go project for the summer months. And I couldn't resist casting on one of the designs to give you a sneak peek.

Check back next week as we kick off July with two great sock designs, new to the Farm & Fiber Knits Library. Later in the month, we'll dig into more sock topics, share a review of some new sock needles, and more!

—Kate

July Update:

These sock patterns are new to the Library! Click here to access the Gardener’s Socks and the Colorful Amish Stockings.