Brands that offer natural sock yarns: Ovis et cetera - Igneae (60% wool, 20% ramie, 20% silk), Herba (80% wool, 20% ramie), Dimidium (50% wool, 50% ramie), Corriedale Mohair (50% wool, 50% mohair) DE Retrosaria - Mondim (100% Portuguese wool) PT Schoppel - ALB Lino (85% wool, 15% linen) DE Woolly Mammoth Fiber Co. - Natural Sock (50% BFL, 50% Cheviot), Hearth Sock (50% BFL, 50% Jacobs) IE Eden Cottage Yarns - Bowland 4ply (100% BFL), Milburn 4ply (85% BFL, 15% silk) UK Annabel Williams - Natural - Romney Pure Sock (100% Romney) UK Marks & Kattens - Wera (80% wool, 20% linen) SE Atelier Lindelicht - Lindewol (80% wool, 20% ramie) NL Henlia Handmade - Bachelor (100% Cormo) US Schafwolle Höfer - Merino Strickgarn (100% German Merino) DE Elk market yarn - Sägen Ratatosk (100% Corriedale) SE Woollentwine - Ovis Sock (50% Jacon, 50% Cheviot), Shetland/Romney (50% Shetland, 50% Romney) DE Wolverhalen - Corriedale Sock* (100% Corriedale) NL * base will be discontinued* Wol Met Verve - Woollin Heather (85% wool, 15% linen) NL Kremke Soul Wool - Lazy Linen (80% wool, 20% linen) DE
@ValariaJetАй бұрын
Eden cottage yarns have a few options! To just name two I have knitted with: Bowland 4ply is 100% BFL and Milburn 4ply is 85% BFL and 15% silk. They are a small company and everything I have ever bought from them has been stunning and long lasting - though I have not used them to knit socks, my gloves are holding up fabulously despite being well used (and even the dog getting at them once!).
@stitchandthreadАй бұрын
Isn’t Milburn superwash though?
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your valuable comment! I have added the sock yarns you mentioned to the list. 😊👍
@deifioАй бұрын
Schafwolle Höfer, DE, has 100% Merino wool yarn on offer. It's a 2 ply sock yarn.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@deifio Thank you so much for the recommendation, I'll add it to the list!
@elinordrake97166 күн бұрын
I am a crocheter, not a knitter but I found this very useful for me too. Thank you!
@AnnikaScheer6 күн бұрын
You're very welcome! ❤
@ALifeWithWoolАй бұрын
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about knitting socks with no nylon. I knitted a pair of socks using 100% merino wool almost 10 years ago and still wearing them today. They still look new, I hand wash them, and they have no holes, or much sign of wear. I had the yarn company tell me on Instagram that knitting socks in this particular yarn line would not hold up for socks as it was meant for garments. The yarn I used was Ambiente Yarn by Schoppel Wolle that I purchased at my local yarn shop and looks like I proved them wrong.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
That's so interesting that they told you not to use this yarn base for knitting socks and that they had held up so well! Thanks for sharing!
@nicolanoller9264Ай бұрын
I avoid sock yarn with nylon and can absolutely attest to the superiority of all-wool socks in staying fresh. Honestly, they’re amazing. I slip stitch the toe area as well as heel, as holes tend to develop there for me, but will try an additional strand of silk mohair too. Thanks for the tips and for sharing the word.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your valuable comment, Nicola! Such a good idea to slip stitches around the toe area as well.
@romy4593Ай бұрын
I use a small circular needle but also use combinations of yarns if they are too thin. If I have a thin yarn, I will even double it to get tight stitches. I agree 100% on not using nylon or acrylic. I have been knitting all my socks and I am about to get rid of all the other socks I have store bought. I knit myself 6 new pairs in a month from Alpaca, merino wool, all kinds of different wools with zero manmade fibers. I also keep a little bit of each kind for future possible repairs. I do a waffle style heel and include that for the turn. Often I use a strong wool for toes and heels that looks nice with my chosen sock yarn. The blends I like are silk, cotton, mohair or bamboo and even linen blended with wool. Its not popular on my knitting group on facebook I belong to. Most of them enjoy the nylon blended yarns and don't think natural fiber yarn is strong enough! So glad to see your video, thank you!
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your sock knitting process, there is so much valuable information in your comment! 😊 You knitted 6 pairs of socks in a month? Wow, that's quite impressive.
@romy4593Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you so much. I had to knit a pair for my husband and son after those 6 pairs for me and so I knit 3 more pairs in the next two weeks after. I was on a trip. knit on the plane and in the car.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@romy4593 I am truly amazed at your knitting speed and love for sock knitting! 😃
@TheFunctionalForceАй бұрын
This is a great video and I was sooo pleasantly surprised to see you are in Germany too! 🎉 A big reason not to wear plastic fibres on your skin is that they are toxic to wear for us too, especially on places where we sweat 💕💕
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! Are you in Germany, too (although your content is all in Spanish)?! How cool! 🙃👋
@fiberhagАй бұрын
As a spinner this is so helpful! I like to design my yarns with what I'm knitting in mind, and your tips about twist and choice of sheep have me excited to experiment.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your kind words! ❤
@roxannetarjan1411Ай бұрын
Great episode! I love using BFL with Silk or just BFL as well as reinforcing under the heel and the ball of the foot with slipped stitches. These are the spots my husband wears through. Since adopting this t😮hey are wearing beautifully. I use a 2.75mm mainly because I love the fabric and tend on the tight side with my knitting however I think I’ll move to a smaller needle and see if I can adjust as well! Knitting men’s socks for a size 11 foot with a longer leg takes time…….good thing I love him and he loves his socks! Happy Knitting.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Haha, I know what you mean - my husband wears a size 11 as well... 🙈 Thank you so much for your valuable comment and all the tips!
@fionaellem4379Ай бұрын
I am a fairly new knitter and want to try sock knitting, so this is very helpful! I only use natural fibres, and was worrying that knitting socks would result in a lot of mending. I am keen to try some of these tips.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad to hear that the video was helpful for you. 😊
@josefin1080Ай бұрын
People used to use human hair when knitting mittens and socks in my country to make them stronger. If I understood it correctly they took strands from their brushes and used that as you would use mohair today.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
How interesting, I haven't heard of this before! I assume that since women used to have longer hair, it was probably easier to use the hair for knitting.
@heatherstiara8033Ай бұрын
I accidentally knit my hair into socks all the time 😂
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@heatherstiara8033 🤣 Now that you mention it - I might have done that unintentionally as well from time to time...
@lalac609520 күн бұрын
@@heatherstiara8033I accidentally do this with everything I knit. 😅
@dhurd4099Ай бұрын
This is the perfect video at the perfect time. I was about to close up an afterthought heel with contrasting yarn I thought felt too thin. I’ll pull it out now and find another way. I see so many options. Be aware you may get some pushback from some of those of the Jewish community on mixing wool and linen. A web search may prove interesting. I have a bag of wool & linen top(?) and wasn’t sure what to do with it. I think it’s a half pound…or maybe a pound (.45 kilo). I would love to hear about felting socks and how that would work. From my experience shrinkage happens more in the vertical direction than width. Also how much would combined fiber content change amount and direction of felting? Type of wool? Stitch density? Oh my! I’ve gone down a rabbit hole! 😮
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you for your lovely and valuable comment 😊
@lalac609520 күн бұрын
I believe if you spin cheviot wool thin enough and do several plies, it is also machine washable as it is a down fiber
@AnnikaScheer20 күн бұрын
Interesting, thank you so much for sharing! 👍🙂
@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761Ай бұрын
I'm a hand-spinner and would never spin merino for socks. The micron count is very low that makes wonderful soft yarn but is not durable. I would use Romney (luster long wool) that would take the part of nylon and blend it with Suffolk or South Down wool that does not felt. This is just one combination that will make wonderful sock yarn. I agree with addition of adult mohair to the wool mix to take the place of nylon is wonderful.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your valuable comment! 👍 Being a (although still rather new) spinner myself, I completely agree that there are sheep breeds whose wool is a lot more suited for sock yarn. I am currently knitting a pair of handspun socks out of Southdown fiber. I do have to add, though, that the German Merino wool from my own sock yarn bases is not comparable to the usual, Australian Merino. It is a lot more durable and less soft due to the harsher climatic conditions in Germany. It's a completely different breed.
@catherinen6766Ай бұрын
Thanks for explaining about German Merino... I wondered about it, too, and am glad to know about the difference. I am a spinner, too (hand spindles)! Our fibre world is so rich and varied; there are many ways to love it! 🐏🐐🐏🐇 @@AnnikaScheer
@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheer I would love to try German Merino. I enjoy processing and spinning different sheep breeds. In my area of northwest Canada, we have a lot of Finn Landrace sheep since they do well in our cold winters and give birth to multiple lambs per ewe so they are popular with farmers here. The fleece from these sheep are relatively soft and very low in lanolin so they are not to difficult to process at home.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@catherinen6766 That is so true! If you are interested in learning more about German Merino wool, there is a blog post on my website all about this sheep breed. You can find it here: www.rosemaryandpinesfiberarts.de/merinolandschaf-german-sheep-breeds/
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@bagladysendtheferalspinner3761 I completely agree! As a spinner, it is so wonderful to be able to try out different sheep breeds and learn about their differences and your own preferences. Where exactly in Canada are you located?
@Thankful1998Ай бұрын
Very interesting. I understand there are different wools, as one who finds wool typically feels like wear steel wool, I am hoping to findca wool I can wear. Avoiding plastic makes so much sense.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Do you find all kinds of wool to be scratchy? If so, you could look into using a cotton/wool blend, this should feel a lot less rustic.
@lisa_knitknitАй бұрын
Well done! I’m convinced 😊 thanks for all the detailed information!
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
I‘m glad to hear it! 😊👍
@julieforseen1738Ай бұрын
Thank you for this.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
You’re very welcome! 😊
@skyhowie54Ай бұрын
Hello, Annika! You raised some good points about superwash wool-nylon blend yarn and the environment. Unfortunately, my only experience thus far has been with this type of yarn as far as sock knitting goes. I will definitely have to give natural wool yarn a try on my next pair of socks. Your wool & mohair socks looked absolutely dreamy!
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
I am so happy to hear that you are planning to use all natural sock yarn in a future sock knitting project! And I can definitely recommend a silk/mohair + wool yarn combo. It really makes for the coziest socks!
@deborahsimpson2732Ай бұрын
Looking forward to trying your recommendations to knit socks that can last during hiking. Thanks so much.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your comment! I haven't tried wearing my hand knit socks for hikes (yet) - I'll be interested to know how yours will hold up! I assume the felting technique would get the best results with the highest stability.
@deborahsimpson2732Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheer Yes! When you mentioned felting, I thought, of course. We'll see if it works. I really want to have handmade socks for all my sock wearing needs. A big challenge; haha.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@deborahsimpson2732 maybe you can start with replacing only one pair and see how it holds up. And please come back and share your results - I would really love to know! 😊
@deyaneriaАй бұрын
I agree with you on the needle size issue. I've always used a size 2mm needle size for socks the tighter the gauge the less rubbing of the fibers because it locks the yarn in better.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
I completely agree! 🙂
@catherinen6766Ай бұрын
This is very useful information. I will definitely try this method of sock knitting.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. 😊
@lindacornelius3451Ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing a lot of great information
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
You're very welcome, I'm happy to hear that it was helpful! 😊
@dirgniflesuoh7950Ай бұрын
Holes never happen on the back of the heel, sometimes under the heel, where patterns are not reinforced, but usually on the toe, the big toe. Best solution sofar? Making the sock, the toebox, higher over the big toes.
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you for the great suggestion! 👍 I think it differs from foot to foot where you usually get holes first. For me, for example, holes usually happen on the underside of the foot.
@catherinen6766Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheerSo true. I get wear on the bottom of my feet at the heel and ball of the foot. You've shown many solutions that can be applied wherever needed on our socks. 🧦 I'm so happy to have discovered your channel. 😊
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@catherinen6766 thank you so much for your kind words! 🥰
@gailfirenze4760Ай бұрын
Thank you, that’s really helpful.🙋🏼♀️🇦🇺💕
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
I'm glad to hear you found value in the video! 😊👍
@cynthiatennant9896Ай бұрын
Thank you 😊
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
You're very welcome! 🙃
@kelleyknitsАй бұрын
love this! Thanks for the tips!
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
You're so welcome! 🙃
@vlastimilpolak1406Ай бұрын
beautiful, thank you
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
@EV-D-10Ай бұрын
I hoped you would mention not only your own yarns but also the interesting other brands that sell no nylon, non superwash yarns suitable for socks, with the same wonderful content. Thank you for mentioning Ovis etcetera (btw currently not active). I have knit socks with Schoppel-Wolle Alb Lino, non superwash, no nylon but linen, biodegradable and lovely heathered colors because the linen takes up the color different fom the wool content. I will let you know how these socks hold (we are friends on Ravelry so I can send you a personal message). Another interesting sockyarn could be Retrosaria Mondim. I would like to know more yarns suitable for socks that have the same wonderful qualities! Those yarns are very suitable to do colorwork in socks because of the non superwash properties! Would you consider to make a video about that? Thank you!
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Thank you for your feedback! I agree, it would be awesome to have a list of brands that offer all natural sock yarn. Maybe we can all weigh in with our own experiences and create a list together? I could pin it as a comment so that everybody can easily find it. To be honest, I don't feel comfortable recommending yarns that I haven't knitted with and seen how they wear over time in a dedicated video. When I started looking for all natural sock yarns years ago, Ovis et cetera was the first brand I discovered and used quite a bit back then. Soon after, I started getting into natural dyeing and ever since then I have been mainly using my own yarns for sock knitting. I did purchase Mondim from Retrosaria Rosa Pomar this year. But so far, I have only made mitts with it so I don't how it will behave as a sock yarn. I have also knitted a couple of socks with Nutiden from Höner och Eir this year. But since I have only worn the socks a couple of times so far, I didn't want to recommend it in the video because I don't know how the socks will hold up over time.
@EV-D-10Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheer Thank you for your clear answer! I totally understand and thank you for the list you have made. Yes we all have to learn how surten yarns work for us. Good idea of you to share our individual experiences!!
@catherinen6766Ай бұрын
I have knitted 2 pairs of socks with Retrosaria Mondim (at the time, I had to send all the way to Portugal to get it! 🤭). I believe I used 2.25 mm DPNs and it produced a beautiful, tight fabric. This was several years ago (maybe 5+?) and so far they have worn very well. As an aside, I love the illustrations on their yarn labels and actually collect them. 🙂
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
@@catherinen6766 Thank you so much for sharing your experience with Mondim! I am really looking forward to knitting a pair of socks with this yarn now. ☺
@EV-D-10Ай бұрын
The list is growing! I recently remembered having knit 2 pairs of socks with Onion Nettle Sock. This yarn has a pretty shiny silky look and the colors are fabulous. The pattern I used for those did not have a sturdy heel construction(an integrated heel) and they bothered me in my shoes so I gifted both pairs. I do know this yarn is a great yarn to use for socks and would like to use it again!
@sonjabecker6529Ай бұрын
Hallo Annika, ich habe auch schon probiert eine Socke aus reiner Schurwolle zu stricken. Dafür habe ich mir das Socken Garn vom finkhof ausgesucht und das mit 2,5 mm nadeln verstrickt. Das gibt ein sehr dichtes Gewebe, aber leider haben sie trotzdem nur ca 10 Stunden tragen gehalten bis beide spitzen durch waren. Ich habe dann neue spitzen in "normalem" Socken Garn angestrickt. Die halten. Nach dieser Erfahrung habe ich beschlossen lieber bei sockengarn mit nylon zu bleiben, weil die einfach über Jahre halten, trotz hoher Beanspruchung
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Hallo Sonja, das tut mir sehr leid zu hören, dass du so schlechte Erfahrungen mit der reinen Schurwoll-Sockenwolle gemacht hast. Vielleicht probierst du beim nächsten Mal die Kombination aus Sockenwolle + ein Strang Seide/Mohair aus? Das sollte definitiv länger halten.
@ewakraft5770Ай бұрын
❓️you sell the dk sock yarn. Do you knit that with a 2mm hock for socks or what hooksize?
@AnnikaScheerАй бұрын
Yes, I do knit my DK weight sock yarns with a 2 mm (US 0) needle. But I have to add that I knit continental and am a bit of a looser knitter anyway.
@ewakraft5770Ай бұрын
@@AnnikaScheer Thanks for the answer, continental knitter here too.