When Sock Yarn Isn't Sock Yarn Knitting With Sock Weight vs Fingering Weight 

One of the advantages of being in a wheelchair? My shoes and socks last a reaaaaallllly long time. :)

Hahaha “do other people say balls?” 😂😂💜 yes, and then we giggle 🥰

Can confirm that alpaca wool does not make a good "shoe" sock. However, makes an excellent couch sock, especially when paired with a pet to cuddle. :D

Soooo helpful and illuminating. I’ve been knitting for 20 years but still found gold. Thank you! What a great community we knitters are in..sharers and carers!

Yarn knowledge! THIS is what I wish I had known when I was a beginning knitter and people (often store owners themselves) handed me sock yarns with 20% nylon for my first lace shawl - that Traveling Woman never blocked right and I was so frustrated), and a costly, thin fingering weight alpaca for socks. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Sigh.... Invaluable video, once again!🙌

wow u dealt with the memory of the different types of fiber, u dealt with possible felting, u addressed ply. u addressed yardage, & u advertised many companies' sock & fingering yarns.

I'm also knitting socks at a much firmer gauge compared to when I knit shawls. I aim for between 9 and 11 stitches per inch with socks, otherwise they wear through under my heel within 1 year. Roxanne Richardson recently put out a video about another way to reinforce socks that I'm going to try after I finish this pair for my grandma's 87th birthday.

You are such a great teacher. I learned so much from this video. Thank you.

Thanks for this very clear information. I am certain that you have kept me from a serious waste of time.

I wish I knew this years ago. I have made so many shawls and did not know. Thanks so much for this detail. Almost avoided. Now I know why I gave my sister socks and she got holes quickly.

Thank you!! I now have the knowledge I need to knit a great pair of socks!! All the yarn that a local yarn shop sold me was NOT for socks. So, now I will knit a few shawls!! Knowledge is power!!

I'm a crocheter but this knowledge is invaluable for anyone who makes socks! Thank you for showing the twist and fiber content from a variety of companies! Great video and your explanations about fiber content were very easy to understand

this video was worth its weight in gold

Thank you! Love how you explained the difference in sock and fingering weight yarn. Makes so much sense...now!

This, dear Barbara, is a theme I so often talk about to my knitting group and it's fine to have it here, done by a professional. I only am a semi - professional, teaching SOME pupils and without money normally. Sometimes I get a cake. so cute! Ok. I love that video, I kind of need this since a long time. Be blessed , yours, Tabea (former Conny, I changed my name, it was urgent)

Thank you so much for sharing all this information! I started knitting socks this year but only looked for the prettiest color or nicer texture😅. Now I know!!

This is the BEST video explaining Sock Weight vs Fingering Weight!!!! I am a beginner knitter and just finished my 1st sock. I was wondering about this topic. THANK YOU!! for your great information. Thank you for being REAL!

Excellent Excellent video!...thank you so much!.....hello from Canada 🇨🇦....oh...and your laugh is absolutely the best!....lol

Barbara - I love that you always go the extra mile to explain things in detail. I loved this video! It is something I had been already trying to find out about on my own.

I learn so much with you! Thanks for this great video!

West Yorkshire spinners WYS is great sock yarn from here in the UK, as good as Regia. I have dropped from a 2.5mm to a 2.25mm DP carbon needle to get a denser texture. Lovely colourways also and self patterning. Yarn shops in the UK are as rare as hens teeth, so online is usually my only resort, but you can find places if you are prepared to travel.

Very good segment! Will watch it again! Thanks so much.

Thank you so much for this information. I now will check out the yarn that I won a few years ago before I use it for the wrong type of knitting. So glad I saw this first.

I love your single topic in-depth videos. Thank you.

thank you soooo much. this explains so much for me. I always learn so much from you. thank you thank you thank you!

Great explanation and visual examples!!

Loved this video, thank you🤗 I would love to see a video on the difference between DK and Sport weight yarns, as I think the two are often viewed as interchangeable but in reality they are not. I definitely would like to learn more about the similarities and difference of these two weights.

Very informative and HELPFUL!

Just got into knitting socks. Loving it.,, thanks for the information.

Thank you for the very informative video! I'll hear your explanation in my head when selecting yarn for socks and shawls.

Great, helpful and practical information! Thanks for taking the time to share. Stay well and safe.

This is such good information for knitting socks thank you

Thank you for explaining about sock yarn and fingering weight yarn. Very informative.

I love your videos.. They are always fun and packed with useful information… I don’t use either type of yarn discussed, but I enjoyed learning about them… Thanks…snd I bet you have lots of customers at “ your/‘ store.🤗👍💜

Thank you for the information, I love knitting socks and never really knew the differences.

I really like your content and your energy😊

Thank you for taking the time to explain the difference between sock, fingering weight yarns. This is very helpful.

Fantastic video .. thanks so much great to understand these differences in yarns and to watch out for 😊

G’day Barbara, that was really informative for my yarn & pattern choices 🇦🇺👍

Thank you, thank you!! I just started my first vanilla socks and was very confused about this lol!!

This was so helpful. Thank you. I wish I had found this information when I started making socks this past winter. I used my Harrisville tapestry wool and couldn't understand why I got a big hole in a week...yikes. I darned them 3 times and wore right through all that too...HILARIOUS comedy of errors. Who knew? Thanks again!!!

thank you for this very informative video....so looking forward use this new found knowledge (esp. about the nylon in the shawls....:))...for the upcoming Texas yarn crawl!

Thank you so much for such a great video. I have been knitting socks and shawls and now I know what to use and why. The info on the ply was fabulous and thanks for showing it up close. Now I must get back to my socks! Thanks Barbara

I’m knitting my first sock and this is helpful!

Thanks SO much, Barbara, for this clarification and demonstration of sock weight vs. fingering weight. I wasn’t sure! You are a wealth of knowledge! 😀👍

Wowza! Thanks so much for teaching us. This is exactly what I wanted to know as I adventure into knitting socks more seriously. As always, shopper beware. I appreciate your expertise and clear communication.

Thank you so much for this video it was every informative. Thank you again!

As I embark on my first lace project as well as my first project with fingering weight yarn this video has been invaluable! Many thanks! ❤️🙏🏼❤️

Wow, such a fantastic video. Like many others, I wish I knew some of these points earlier in my knitting journey. I now look at yarn a little differently. I have only recently discovered your videos and really enjoy them. Thank you from Australia.

Perfect explanation. But oh think how luxurious they would feel!! xxJane

Excellent video. I would like to knit my first pair of socks this year, so the discussion on plies, was really helpful. Thx

Very informative!! Thanks

This was super helpful! Thank you!

Excellent video and excellent timing. I swore I would never knit socks, but a recent shopping trip has changed my mind. Thank you.

Aaaaaaah thanks for this video! I want to knit my first pair of socks and picked up Woolstok light and I’m glad right now that I knitted the cuff and then an inch or so for the first one before realizing that my gauge was slightly off and that I need to move down to a size 0! But then I saw this and learned the yarn wasn’t ideal either. Thanks for this! I’m going to pick up one of the yarns you mentioned when I get my size 0 needle hopefully today or tomorrow!

Thank you . I learned so much.

so imformative! thank you

I’ve been to your store. Had my brother in law and sister waiting for me, so whizzed thru it, but was able to purchase a skein. Seemed like a very welcoming atmosphere.

An anatomy of yarn is good. Time spent on making a project should definitey align with the actual usage of the finished item. Thank you, Brenda.

Thank you for the funded Information, very helpful!

Demonstration was very good 👍🏻

Awesome insight! 👏🏻

This stuff can be so confusing for me. Thank you for making it easier to understand!

Thank you for this video I'm knitting my first socks and I did a bamboo and cotton blend, I will keep this in mind in my next sock I'm gonna make

Very informative video; thank you so much!!

Thanks for sharing this great knowledge..👍😊❣

This video really helps. I bought some Perth yarn that said it was a fingerings weight and good for socks. I made a pair of socks for my husband and when I hand washed to block (very gently) it broke and I had to darn it right from the start! Very depressing. On the other hand there are also sock yarns with occasional weakness in the yarn. The last pair I made for myself broke as well! I was only able to wear it once before I noticed the break. Its hiding in shame in my drawer until my frustration abates and I will fix it. Ugh! None of the sock orders I have made have done this! Maybe that's a good thing or I would have no orders for socks! Lol

I've knitted many socks from WYS Signature and never had it felt and it wears very well.

🧶💕🧶 Interesting. Thanks!

Excellent content

Love this! I bought some malabrigo sock yarn and it had no nylon in it!!!! They have two kinds -- the ultimate sock has nylon, but the regular sock might not be worth knitting into socks!

Excellent information! I love knitting socks and I only use yarn that is 75% wool and 25% nylon.

i love to buy all kinds of yarn on sale with as much natural fibers as possible, meaning less acrylic and less nylon etc. I overdye a lot of yarns so I can use them together and they match up with others, just for fun. My way to avoid holes is to have a few dozen socks in my fave color ways and alternate them depending on what shoes/colorway I am wearing. My fave color ways are earth colors, jewel colors, camouflage and pinks, and denim blue. Its great fun to combine all kinds of yarns and adjust needle sizes to compensate. Just sayin its ok to knit a wild card sock once in a while. This video very helpful, did not know but I love to know more about plies, so helpful!!!

G’day Barbara, that was REALLY useful and helps me to decide carefully before I choose yarn, pattern projects 👍🏻🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

Soooo helpful!! I never understood the difference before! Also, I always found the “ply thing” so confusing! The ply is not always included in the info about a yarn and I could never figure out how to know!!! Thanks so much!!! I just recently decided to make multiple pairs of socks to get good at them and I feel so much more capable with this info!!

This video was SO useful! I’m in the transition from big box (Joann’s/Michaels) to boutique yarn. I both crochet and knit. Could you do a review on some of the “budget friendly” yarns that one may find? Like my store has Cascade sock and some other brands I’ve never heard of!

Very informative

Hey great video thank you so much, I’ve bought some yarn that I fell in love with in Norway but trying to work out its weight as it doesn’t have it on the sleeve! This has been really helpful. Just a FYI on the blue Yorkshire wool, Leicester is said “less-ter” most of the letters your don’t pronounce, same as most of England’s counties and towns, just to keep everyone confused :)

Hi Barbara, another info packed video, thank you! The only pair of socks I have made to date was for my step mom. She was diabetic, had lost half of one foot and numerous toes off the other. It was a challenging project on a number of levels. First, I had her send me a tracing of her feet so I would know how long to make them. Second, I didn't know much about sock yarn and she needed extra cushioning for her feet so I used an acrylic four ply. Third, it was my first time using dpn's which would have been interesting enough on it's own, but then I added in the fourth challenge; I was having eye surgery because the cataracts had grown REALLY bad in about a month. I couldn't read or even see what I was doing. Thankfully I was able to get a sock pattern in audio format. I also learned to put point protectors on both ends of the non-working needles so I stopped dropping stitches. They came out beautiful! Thankfully I used acrylic yarn as she put them in the washer and dryer, she was definitely not knit worthy. But, it was a great way to keep my mind off the surgery and challenges. I want to make myself some socks. I always wear holes in either the ankle or heel of the sock. Now I know what to look for in a yarn when I make them. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge so willingly with us. It makes such a difference!😊

Hi, Barbara! Your videos are always so good and informative. I thought I'd share a dyer's perspective on this one. I actually do call all my sock-weight yarn bases sock-weight yarn, but I also give guidance as to which of my yarn bases would make good socks and which wouldn't. I regularly recommend a 4-ply 80/20 superwash merino/nylon as well as a 4-ply 50/50 superwash merino/silk for socks. Interestingly, in my experience, silk is actually considerably stronger than nylon, and that is the one base I cannot break with my fingers no matter how hard I try. It also makes great warp for weaving. I don't use the term "fingering weight" at all because I sell all around the world (or at least I did before COVID) and as many of your viewers will confirm, fingering is a naughty word in much of the English-speaking world. ;-)

This was very helpful. I knew the basics, but to see examples & have someone point out specifics about how each would work is just marvelous. Thank you. Is there an easy to find & affordable yarn you’d recommend for someone who is starting their sock making journey? My skin can’t take Patons Kroy. I have been testing a few cuff down patterns with Lion Brand collection SW merino DK, it’s soft, has some bounce & seems to hold its shape well, but it’s DK. I have been having trouble with every type of heel, so I keep tearing my test sock out & starting again. I have trouble finding good fingering options from big brands. Being on disability I can’t afford hand-dyed or high end brands. Spending $25 to practice & learn isn’t on the table. Maybe once as a treat after I get more confident. I’d love to hear what brands & options you’d recommend. Thanks for the great info. Have a great day.

I’ve heard about the nylon carry-along yarn for sock knitting that really intrigues me..

I wish I'd had this video a few weeks ago when I was looking for yarn to make a pair of shorts and top that will be PJ's! But I now know for future reference, thank you. If reference to the WYS yarn. I'm in England and I'd just like to tell you that we pronounce Leicester, Less-ter. We have really weird spellings for some places, and I get them wrong all the time, so how we expect people from other countries to get them right is beyond me! Lol. Take care Barbara xx

I got so sick of store bought socks falling apart so fast I decided to make my own socks and then they got holes and oh my was I mad, then I learned darning LOL and now I am able to give all my socks new life. So Ya I am really into darning right now. even darning bed sheets when our dog rips them by accident. a new fitted sheet is over $20 so every time I can fix the sheet it saves us that much money! 😊

Thanks for the video! It should say this on the labels!

Thank you for this video Barbara. I am currently knitting my 2nd pair of socks and am using 25% wool,75% acrylic. The ply and twist are good, I hope I am not wasting my time on a pair( Taat)that won't last but if that be the case, it will be a good learning experience. Again, thank you for this valuable information.

Very informative:-) thank you

Labeling yarn as 'sock' yarn, not intended for socks is a bit deceptive and tricky. I found some of that in my stash so will use it for one of your scarfs or hats. Still very nice yarn. Very informative, thanks!

I so wish I had found you a month ago, I just spent 50 usd on some beautiful Highland yarn for some scrumptious socks. I just looked at both colourways single ply and loose as a goose.im so heart broken 💔😢

Really enjoyed all the info here, thanks. Looking at wool on a bio site here in France, I see wool recommended for socks being a mix of wool and linen or wool and stinging nettle fiber……do you, or any of your subscribers have any views on these mixes.

Hi - it's pronounced 'Lester'!! (I live in the county...) WYS wool is awesome for socks and lace projects.

Hello! Your channel is so informative!🤗 Could you recommend a sock yarn for someone who is allergic to wool?

sometimes I knit thick socks for boots in aran yarn and add a 2/3/4ply acrylic yarn in the heels and toes or other vulnerable places. men in my family like them. It makes them last longer. I knit baby socks in anything lovely and soft as there little feet spend most of the time waving around in the air! Bamboo fibres are lovely and pure silk lasts but it expensive.

I've been using Paton Classic worsted (US 7) worked on US 6 PRYM. They seem to be quite durable and they are nice and comfortable on my slightly neuropathic feet. I knitted some socks with a DK Merino and acrylic and I found that they were too hot and very moist in the shoe. The virgin wool seems to settle my feet and their sensitivity. I don't understand why sock yarn has to be so fine or super fine and nylon is a hard fibre like acrylic and it has no give. As an older gent, I'm not as active any more and I doubt that my choice of yarn would be durable in my former employment as I was on my feet walking and lifting people and making beds and dressing folks where I'd be twisting and turning as I provided health service to them. But the comfort of these socks I'd knitting is really amazing to me as I have been learning this last month to knit socks. I get 8sts/inch with it and it is comfortable !

Similarly, Malabrigo "Sock" fingering-weight yarn isn't that great for socks. It doesn't have any nylon in it, and isn't one of those tightly-plied yarns.

Love the shawl behind you . Is that one of your patterns for purchase? Beautiful color too.

This was great! One Q, I saw or heard somewhere once that Silk was sturdy enough to be considered a strengthener like Nylon. So for instance I have a wool/silk fingering blend - could it work for socks?

Thank you , for sharing this information. The fingering or the socks yarn ( not for socks) can they be use for garments? Or can I blend them together than become a DK ? Thank you in advance .

My first time watching. I have learned a lot. I want to make socks. I am not sure I understand ply. Can you recommend a great yarn for socks that will last and reasonable price for a beginner? Thank you.

Great content Barb!!! I am amazed at hand dyed yarn!! What does it take to hand dye yarn? What do you think of spinning?? ☺️☺️