Knit a pair of socks - PEP BB textile.straw.stick.socks

I submit this pair of socks.
I knit them 2010 and documented the progress on my old blog Trampled by Geese: https://itissunnyatebertshome.blogspot.com/

The pattern I used involves knitting two socks at the same time on double-pointed needles.  This technique was done in the 1800s and Dickens writes about it in one of his books.  You can find instructions here: https://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/FEATextreme2in1.html

The yarn was spun from hand-dyed merino roving that I won in a spinning contest.  I then chain (Navajo) plyed the yarn to make a round, three-ply yarn with long colour repeats.





I'm hoping this is obvious enough - but I understand if the judges don't think it's enough for this badge.  In the basket is the first third of both socks.  You can see one sock inside the other.  



And my finished socks.



(I know we don't need to spin the yarn for this.  I just wanted to show off.)

I too would like to submit a pair of socks made a long time ago :)

I made these around 2005/6. The pic of me wearing them is from today, luckily I had the yarn still lying around to take a pic of it and the needles I used to make the socks.

Not the first socks I knitted. But this time I try to get a BB for them.


Photo 1 and 2 in one : my materials and the sock knitting in progress


The finished pair of socks on my feet

Here is my submission for the Textile - Straw - Knit a Pair of Socks BB.

As I do not have any commercial yarns that are 100% wool and all the commercial sock yarn that I have or can find is a blend (for strength and durability), I decided to use the white yarn I spun from 100% Cormo wool for the spinning bb.

The white socks are 100% wool.

To document the completion of the BB, I have provided the following:
-  materials - Cormo Wool that I spun - 100% wool
-  socks in progress - after turning the short row heel
-  completed socks on feet - showing off my tie skirt too

My socks were knitted in a commercial yarn that isn't 100% wool. Maybe that's the reason why the BB isn't approved?
I did knit 100% wool socks, but from them there's only a 'finished product' photo ...
Better next time.

Nylon is added to wool to make the yarn more durable especially for sock yarns. I have thicks callus on my heels since I am barefooted in summer time, even outdoor. So I am hesitating whether to invest in 10 hours (knitted with size 1.5 needles) to make a pair of socks will get holey quickly.

I knitted my socks asymmetrically so the toe area of each sock follows the shape of corresponding foot, so my toes won't poke that hard and the socks should last longer.

Is there a way to do to the heel part too? For example, different stitches that are denser and more durable? Or add another strand to yarn? That will also provide more cushioning too.

If you knit at a tighter gage - about 1 to 2mm smaller needles than recommended - and use something like slip stitch heel, it lasts as long as yarn with nylon.  

For heels and toes, I often add a thinner strand of wool that felts better than the sock yarn.  As the sock wears, it felts instead of getting thinner.  

You could also find a yarn blended with silk as it has the same care requirements as wool and is stronger than nylon.  

These are just things that work for me.  There are a lot of options for 100% natural fibre socks that outlast the modern synthetic-wool blends.  

Thanks, R, the extra yarn with felting effect sounds great. I am just a beginner and only knitted two pairs so far (one without nylon). Haven't used them long enough to tell about durability. I just feel such information would be added to the first post, it will be very helpful for beginners.

May Lotito wrote:Nylon is added to wool to make the yarn more durable especially for sock yarns. I have thicks callus on my heels since I am barefooted in summer time, even outdoor. So I am hesitating whether to invest in 10 hours (knitted with size 1.5 needles) to make a pair of socks will get holey quickly.

I knitted my socks asymmetrically so the toe area of each sock follows the shape of corresponding foot, so my toes won't poke that hard and the socks should last longer.

Is there a way to do to the heel part too? For example, different stitches that are denser and more durable? Or add another strand to yarn? That will also provide more cushioning too.

Hi May. I know an experienced spinner who spins special wool for socks. She has a certain way of twisting (sorry, can't explain, I am not a real spinner) one of the three strands of wool she plies together for that sock yarn. Her sock yarn is somewhat thicker than ordinary sock yarn, but knitted with the same size needles the sock will be extra strong! Maybe in your region you can find a spinner able to do that too.

Most definitely the way the yarn is spun makes a huge difference. 3-ply for the body of and leg of the sock.  cable 4-ply (zzSx2Z) for the toes and heals makes an amazing sock.  

But you don't need to be that fussy.  There are a lot of options.  My singles yarn style I sell in my shop does great for durable socks both hand and machine knit. The first time I tried singles for socks was with Briggs Little and they lasted so much longer than 'proper' sock yarn.  

If you are designing your own yarn, you can also choose the twist direction based on how you knit.  Right-handed and left-handed knitting add or subtract twist to the yarn.  That's why some yarn gets more twisty or untwists as you knit.  

r ranson wrote:Most definitely the way the yarn is spun makes a huge difference. 3-ply for the body of and leg of the sock.  cable 4-ply (zzSx2Z) for the toes and heals makes an amazing sock.  

But you don't need to be that fussy.  There are a lot of options.  My singles yarn style I sell in my shop does great for durable socks both hand and machine knit. The first time I tried singles for socks was with Briggs Little and they lasted so much longer than 'proper' sock yarn.  

Hi R. At the moment I have two pair of socks I knitted with commercial yarns (with nylon in it). I know now that yarn isn't really stronger than 100% wool of a good quality. Probably the wool the factory uses for making sock yarn with nylon is not of the best quality. It has a way of getting thinner if you wear the socks often. There are no holes, because the nylon stays, but the wool around the nylon disappears ...

These badges aren't just about making a thing.  They are about showing you can work with natural materials to make the thing.  

Knitting a sock is simple.  I could teach just about anyone how to do that in an afternoon.  But choosing the right materials and techniques to make a durable sock out of natural materials - that takes skill.  This is the skill we want to see when you submit a BB.  

r ranson wrote:These badges aren't just about making a thing.  They are about showing you can work with natural materials to make the thing.  

Knitting a sock is simple.  I could teach just about anyone how to do that in an afternoon.  But choosing the right materials and techniques to make a durable sock out of natural materials - that takes skill.  This is the skill we want to see when you submit a BB.  

You are right. So the photos I showed here are not a good example and I understand they won't give me the BB.

Inge Leonora-den Ouden wrote:
Maybe in your region you can find a spinner able to do that too.

Thanks, I am a cheapie and right now i used wool yarns unraveled from holey old sweater for free. Maybe I will splurge in quality yarns when I learn more about them.

I don't doubt some suppliers will use inferior wool fibres for yarn by covering up with nylons. It's hard to go all natural and sock yarn is one example of many realistic problems we are facing. I am glad to know 100% wool sock can be made durable, I am also glad to see we discuss the topic in a open and constructive way.

new try, new pair of socks. Now it is wool, 100% merino. I'll show a photo of it and hope you see what I feel: this is really true merino wool.


I ordered the wool from a 'indie dyer', both dyed and undyed wool. For the socks I only used the undyed white yarn.


Work in progress


Progress going on


One sock finished


Finished and fitting on my feet!

"Knit socks" they said. "It would be easy," they said.

I'm using this pattern: https://tincanknits.com/pattern/rye

I did the heal flap. I did the heal turn. I think I did the picking up stitches so now I'm back to one big circle. But I can't make heads or tales of this:

Pick up and knit 9 sts along the edge of heel flap,
PM, work in pattern across top of foot, working the garter panel
as established, PM, pick up and knit 9 sts along
heel flap, k5 sts, place new BOR marker (located at the
bottom of the foot). 44 sts]

Round 1: knit
Round 2: knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, SM, work in pattern across top of foot to marker, SM, k1, ssk, knit to end [2 sts dec] Work rounds 1-2 a total of 5 (6, 7, 8, 8, 9) times. This is 12 rounds. 32 sts]

Where is the beginning of my "row"? I thought it was smack-dab in the middle of the bottom of the foot. But "round 2" makes no sense. I'm supposed to knit until 3 stitches before the end of the row, and then "k2tog, k1, SM, work in pattern across top of foot to marker, SM, k1, ssk, knit to end [2 sts dec] Work rounds 1-2 a total of 6 times. This is 12 rounds. 32 sts]"

Why am I knitting more if I've come to the end of the row? What are those "SM"s? Am I supposed to be putting in markers? I am so utterly lost. And feel very stupid, because this was supposed to be an "EASY" pattern for beginners, and I'm failing here.

Nicole Alderman wrote:"Knit socks" they said. "It would be easy," they said.

I'm using this pattern: https://tincanknits.com/pattern/rye

I did the heal flap. I did the heal turn. I think I did the picking up stitches so now I'm back to one big circle. But I can't make heads or tales of this:

Pick up and knit 9 sts along the edge of heel flap,
PM, work in pattern across top of foot, working the garter panel
as established, PM, pick up and knit 9 sts along
heel flap, k5 sts, place new BOR marker (located at the
bottom of the foot). 44 sts]

Round 1: knit
Round 2: knit to 3 sts before marker, k2tog, k1, SM, work in pattern across top of foot to marker, SM, k1, ssk, knit to end [2 sts dec] Work rounds 1-2 a total of 5 (6, 7, 8, 8, 9) times. This is 12 rounds. 32 sts]

Where is the beginning of my "row"? I thought it was smack-dab in the middle of the bottom of the foot. But "round 2" makes no sense. I'm supposed to knit until 3 stitches before the end of the row, and then "k2tog, k1, SM, work in pattern across top of foot to marker, SM, k1, ssk, knit to end [2 sts dec] Work rounds 1-2 a total of 6 times. This is 12 rounds. 32 sts]"

Why am I knitting more if I've come to the end of the row? What are those "SM"s? Am I supposed to be putting in markers? I am so utterly lost. And feel very stupid, because this was supposed to be an "EASY" pattern for beginners, and I'm failing here.

Hi, I'll try ty to help a little. I don't know all English (American) terms and abbreviations, but I like a good 'puzzle'.
As far as I know the start and end of a row is (indeed) in the middle of the bottom of the foot. I think that is where they want you to put a marker named 'BOR'.
How many stitches do you have in total? I see here 9 + 5 from the side of the heel flap, so that's 14 stitches, and at the other side the same, that's 28 stitches. But I don't know how many at the top of the foor (knitted in pattern) and under the foot. Do they mean there is a total of 44 stitches?
In round 2 you do the decreases (knit 2 together and slip-slip-knit) at the sides of the heel flap. But I don't know either where they have all those markers. They have more than only the one named 'BOR'. My advice: just skip them. If you leave out the 'markers', I think you can understand what they mean.

I've been knitting socks with Briggs and Little wool since the early 1980s.  I tend to knit/crochet during phone or online meetings, and pace during regular phone calls, I find it helps keep me focused. In in-person settings where I can't get away with any of those, I take copious notes. I always thought I was just fidgety but was told by the instructor for a course I took a few years back that in fact this is an accepted learning style - I'm a kinesthetic learner, and movement actually helps me retain information  Kinesthetic Learning Style
Sadly, I didn't get any of the athletic talents that supposedly are often associated with kinesthetic learners.

But since I've been on a ton of online meetings for work lately, I've made three pairs of work socks since Christmas. So I'm submitting a pair of socks for a BB.

The wool was from my Briggs and Little stash. I knit the socks from the top down, more or less following this pattern with a few modifications. Bernat Chunky Work Socks

To make a women's size 8 sock, I knit on four 3.5 mm needles starting with 40 stitches. Instead of making the rib with 2 knit/2 purl, I used 3 knit/1 purl. I knit 7 inches of rib before starting to form the heel. After completing the decreases for the instep, I knit 3 inches before starting the decreases for the toe.

The toe was grafted using Kitchener stitch. I find this Youtube is a good memory aid. Kitchener Stitch  My darning needles have walked off somewhere, so I have been doing the weaving using a 3.5 mm crochet hook. This works, I just have to work backwards from what I would do with a needle.

Lighting was different for the socks-on-feet but the true colour is the dark purple of the earlier photos.

That’s a great looking pair of socks! I love me a pair of good thick boot socks 😀

I’m a kinesthetic learner too, and often knit in classes and meetings. When I did that in my PDC classes, the instructor pointed it out as an example of Stacking Functions!

I didn't know it was called a 'kinesthetic learner', but I think I am one of them too. I need to do something with my hands while listening to talks, or otherwise I get distracted with thing I see (f.e. outside the window). So I make notes, or I make doodle-drawings, or I knit.

This is my first post so apologies if I'm missing anything!

My socks were knitted with WYS ColourLab DK (100% wool) on a 3.25mm circular needle.

I have pretty small feet so it's nice to have socks that aren't baggy and the heel doesn't sit halfway up my leg!

These were knitted in 2020 and the last picture shows that they are as good as new :)

*Edited to add photos showing the yarn label as suggested by Edward Norton!*

K McFarlane wrote:This is my first post so apologies if I'm missing anything!

Hi K - welcome to Permies. What a great first post. Those socks are fantastic and I want some of that wool. I only recently started knitting and have had lots of help here in the forums and the few textile PEP posts I’ve made.

Do you have the label for the wool or any way to prove it’s 100% wool? Permies is full of lovely people but the PEP rules are pretty strict with not much wiggle room - I should know, I’ve failed plenty for missing all the requirements. I’d hate to see your first post rejected. If it is then I hope it inspires you to knit some more - I guess in the Highlands, you can never have too many woollen socks.

I look forward to seeing more of your knit-ware.

Edward Norton wrote:
Hi K - welcome to Permies. What a great first post. Those socks are fantastic and I want some of that wool. I only recently started knitting and have had lots of help here in the forums and the few textile PEP posts I’ve made.

Do you have the label for the wool or any way to prove it’s 100% wool? Permies is full of lovely people but the PEP rules are pretty strict with not much wiggle room - I should know, I’ve failed plenty for missing all the requirements. I’d hate to see your first post rejected. If it is then I hope it inspires you to knit some more - I guess in the Highlands, you can never have too many woollen socks.

I look forward to seeing more of your knit-ware.

Thank you for the welcome, I'm looking forward to gaining a lot of knowledge (and hopefully being able to share some where I can!). I've updated my post with some evidence of the yarn's fibre content so hopefully I've ticked all the boxes now. :)

If I knit really tight can I use 4mm needles? If I use anything smaller with my yarn I won’t be able to knit it it will be so tight.

Vallen Powell wrote:If I knit really tight can I use 4mm needles? If I use anything smaller with my yarn I won’t be able to knit it it will be so tight.

I would do a small test piece to check if using a different needle size changes the length and width of your knitting. Your yarn will likely have some info printed on the label that you can compare yours with.

That said, I have definitely worked patterns using different sizes of yarn and needles than what is listed. You may find you need to adjust the stitch count but doing your test piece will most likely tell you if that is necessary.

Sometimes it takes me a few false starts to get it right when I mess around with the pattern.

Vallen Powell wrote:If I knit really tight can I use 4mm needles? If I use anything smaller with my yarn I won’t be able to knit it it will be so tight.

In knitting there are so many 'it depends'... There's the yarn, the needles, and then there's you. There's the way you hold your needles and yarn, your 'gauge, the 'drape' and stretchiness you want your finished product to have, the purpose of your product (do you want socks that look nice, soft or strong socks, socks for in sandals or for in boots, etc.?)
So your question is difficult to answer

I primarily knit socks. IMHO socks need to be knit on size 1 needles or smaller.  The sole needs to feel smooth which happens best with tiny tight stitches. Larger needles five you socks that feel lumpy like railroad tracks.

November 2015. Made these boot socks for my husband. They were meant to go over regular socks, as additional insulation. He said he's never worn a pair of socks that fit that perfectly.

Pattern: Mash Up Magic Toe Up Socks (MUMTU) by Zhenya Lavy.
I used Rowan Amy Butler Belle Organic Aran in the colorway Peacock.
Knit with a 4mm knook.



Here you can see he's wearing them over another pair of socks.

Several people have been mentioning Briggs & Little as being more durable than other commercial sock yarn. I suspect this is because Briggs & Little uses coarser wool than most commercial brands. The thicker (higher micron) fibres are stronger but less soft, and most modern hobby knitters want the super-soft fine stuff because it feels nice. A quick google shows sock yarns that give micron info at all as ranging from 17 to 21.5 microns, median 19.5 microns. Briggs & Little only provides microns for their "Softspun" line, which is 25 microns - and that's their softest yarn. Their other yarns are presumably even higher micron.

Briggs & Little can be hard to find outside Canada, but this gives an idea of what to look for in a durable, all-natural sock yarn: thicker, stronger fibers, which means a higher micron count. Since Merino is usually below 25 microns, avoid merino yarns. I'm pretty sure that staple length also figures into yarn strength, but fewer yarns include their staple length information. Anyone know which breeds tend to have longer staples?

Jennifer, those are great questions. I’ve been knitting with Briggs and Little wool yarn since 1981 and never questioned it! I did know that their wool was 100% sourced in Canada but that was all.

Then I found this….

https://www.maritimefamilyfiber.com/blogs/posts-without-blog/what-do-you-mean-by-strong-wool

She wrote:

“For example, the breed that probably comes to mind when you think of soft wool is the Merino, a wrinkly sheep popular in New Zealand and Australia whose fleece is the standard in softness. It's popular for baby things and lacy, drapey things that don't require the garment to hold its shape. Another famous fine-wool breed is the Rambouillet.”

And then she explained that Briggs and Little falls into the medium wool category:

“ Medium wool breeds such as Blue Faced Lester, Romney, Cheviot, Corriedale, and Jacob are great for dual purpose use and easier to work with. The yarn also tends to hold its shape better, and have more loft and body. It's a diverse group of sheep, with some breeds nearing the softness of fine wool breeds and others closer to strong wool breeds. It sacrifices nothing on warm and tends to be more durable and pills less than fine wool.”

She also mentions a third group of breeds with wool suitable for things like rugs, but does not name names.

So that’s a start on the breed question at least. It would be interesting to learn more details on the fine vs strong gradient within the medium wool category as I expect that is the area that most of us would be using.

Now I’m wondering about goats as we’ve been thinking about adding an Angora to our herd.

I find mohair adds durability to socks, either alone or in a wool blend. It seems to go in and out of fashion; sometimes (recent years) all you can find is the fine baby mohair, which is not what you're looking for. You don't want the bouclé, either. I'm currently using Mountain Goat, by Mountain Colors (https://www.mountaincolors.com/ouryarns), which is considered a worsted weight, and they recommend a size 6 to 8 needle, but it's fabulous with a size 2 needle. I don't think I could go down to a size 1, I'd bend the needles.
Brown Sheep has a nice yarn, Lamb's Pride, at 85% wool, 15% mohair but it's too heavy for most socks, though I do sometimes make socks out of yarn that's considered too heavy. They used to make one at 85% mohair they called Handpaint Originals. I made a great couple of - admittedly heavy (now I wear them for slippers) - pairs of socks of it, but unless you run into it at a garage sale you're not going to find it.
My favorite stitch to make the heel flap long-wearing is the Eye of the Partridge. I dunno if it would work to make the underneath of the heel stronger over callused heels. It might be worth a try. It's really fun to knit.
I have never documented my socks. I always knit cuff-down, usually with an asymmetrical toe. Until I learned Jeny's cast on (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n8E3I6Cg2k) they were always too tight at the top. Right now I'm deciding whether to make ankle warmers with a band around the foot, but an open toe and heel to wear with zoris or whether to make an actual pair of socks. I actually want ankle warmers, but I hate to pass up the opportunity to practice my heel. Actually, writing this was useful: I think I'll make toeless socks with a proper heel.
My primary problem is picking up the stitches on the side of the heel flap. Sometimes they come out way too loose, sometimes they're OK, and I can't figure out what makes the difference.

This is my first pair of socks.  I am excited to make more.   This was really fun.  

All wool yarn.  They fit great in my riding boots.


here is the yarn and tools I thought I would need.



socks about half done




Done!   a little lumpy looking... but so comfortable.   I love them!