50% wool, 20% mohair, 20% silk, 10% nylon
28-32 stitches/10 cm ~174 m/56 g
This pair is sized Medium and done on the 54 stitch cylinder, using my standard hem top pattern. In the photo I've turned down the cuff on one sock - you can see one of the benefits of the double hem top is the 'good on both sides'.
The Apple Laine yarn, like other artisan yarns I've tried, is a stiffer knit on the sock machine: The guage of yarn is a little heavier than the standard 4 ply commercial sock yarn (200 - 210 m/ 50 g); and silk content is a little stiffer to crank.
When I began the first sock in the pair I had my tension reduced 1/4 turn from typical 4 ply setting, but I very quickly backed it off a further 1/4 turn as I could tell I was going to be in for some hard cranking.
The 1/2 turn less worked out to be a comfortable tension.
The yarn being stiffer to knit does not mean it is not soft - this yarn is as soft as baby's bum. When a stitch is formed on the sock machine the yarn has to be pulled down into the machine to let the loop slip over the top. So a stiff knit is often a factor of stretchiness, not softness.
A stiffer crank generally means, for me, it takes a few minutes more to bang off a sock.
I easily had enough yarn in two skeins for a pair of medium. My next pair with Apple Laine was a men's large. I wasn't able to get the first sock finished without dipping into the 2nd skein. I quickly ordered more from Pick Up Sticks.
If I hadn't done the double hem top on the Large sock I probably would have squeaked through on the one skein per sock.
Dare to Compare
Here's a pair of socks done with Koigu, a comparable weight to the Apple Laine, but 100% wool.
Being 100% wool, I reinforced the heels and toes with woolly nylon.
Here is a close up of a heel.
It's difficult to spot the woolly nylon.
4 comments:
Doug - what color Wooly Nylon did you use for the Koigu socks? I can't see it at all!
Both are very lovely! It is great to hear how well silk works out; it adds warmth but also wicks so should make for year-round wear. Have you tried any of the Knitpicks yarns in the machine? They make a wool-silk blend called Gloss.
Doug, they are both great pairs of socks. I like your invisible sock blockers, too.
Hey, do you ever oil the shafts where the needles glide up and down? Would that make a difference in the ease of knitting?
Wow! I keep forgetting how quickly you can turn out a pair of socks. They look great.
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