Are you planning on knitting or crocheting socks? The yarn you choose can make a big difference in how durable and professional your finished project turns out to be. I used to think any yarn would make decent socks, but I was wrong! Once I started using the right yarn, it made a world of difference!
When choosing a sock yarn, there are a lot of factors to consider. Do you want self-striping socks, socks that show the stitch detail, or fun, colorful socks? Having an idea in your mind of what you want your finished handmade socks to look like is the first place to start.
Wait, Can’t You Use Any Yarn for Crocheting or Knitting Socks?
Most sock makers will tell you that the quality of the yarn will make a difference in your finished product, and they are right. A good quality wool or wool blend yarn will make a world of difference in your finished crocheted or knit socks.
However, if you are new to crochet or knitting, or are just practicing your ami skills, it’s perfectly fine to use yarn scraps for your projects. These should really be for just lounging around the house, though, because a lot of yarns can’t stand up to the wear and tear of being worn in shoes.
You can also practice your sock skills with baby socks – smaller, same shaping techniques and they won’t have to stand up to wear and tear as tiny babies aren’t walking yet.
What is Sock Yarn?
Sock yarn is a very fine gauge yarn (usually considered fingering weight yarn #1). Most yarns specifically made for socks will be a yarn blend, usually a wool and nylon blend (sometimes it is another synthetic fiber).
You can also make socks from pure wool sock yarn or superwash merino wool yarns. These are perfect for sock knitting or crocheting as wool has great elasticity and holds up well to wear and tear.
Whatever your choice, a yarn that is mostly natural fibers is the best bet. We will delve more into depth about fiber choice below.
What to Consider when Choosing the Best Yarn for Socks
Let’s take a look at the factors to consider when choosing a yarn for your next (or first!) pair of socks.
1. End Use
Think about where these socks will be worn and what conditions they will be subjected to. Will these be boot socks, which tend to be thick wool yarns? Or will they be fancy, dainty bed socks that you don’t wear inside shoes and need to be a thin yarn?
These factors play a huge part in what type of yarn you need. If making socks to hang out at home, you can choose worsted weight yarn or even bulky yarn so they are more like slippers.
However, if these socks are made to fit inside shoes, you will have to keep in mind how much room most people have in their shoes – usually not enough for a bulky sock. (Boots can be a different story, though!)
So the first thing to consider is how the socks will be used.
2. Durability and Care
Let’s face it, more than any other knitted or crocheted item, socks have to take a lot of abuse. They are on sweaty feet all day (and maybe night!), they get rubbed by shoes and they get washed a lot.
So durability is a huge factor in choosing a good sock yarn. You need a yarn with the following characteristics:
Abrasion Resistant
Since even socks worn around the home will rub against things when you walk on them, you need a yarn that can handle abrasion without felting, getting holes or pilling.
One way to test this on an unknown yarn that isn’t made for socks is to make a small swatch and rub it against different surfaces to see how it affects the appearance and feel of the yarn.
Moisture Wicking
A great sock yarn should either absorb or wick away moisture (which means it pulls it away from the skin). You don’t want a fiber that will hold the sweat in there right next to your skin. It’s bad for your feet – and uncomfortable, too!
This is why acrylic yarns are not a popular choice for socks as they don’t tend to “breathe” and the sweat will just stay on your feet. Pick a yarn with natural fibers that will help your feet get some air.
Elasticity
Socks need to hug the foot and calf, but you don’t want them to stretch out of shape. You need a yarn that has great elasticity so that it can stretch to hug but then go back to its original shape.
This is what makes wool such a popular fiber for socks. It stretches and recovers very well, making it a perfect choice for crocheted or handknit socks.
Ease of Care
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time picturing myself hand washing my socks. I need something that I can just throw in the washer and dryer and not have to think about it.
If you or the recipient of your socks are not willing to hand wash, you really need a yarn that is very easy to care for. Choose a superwash yarn if you want wool or look carefully at the yarn label for the care instructions before making your choice.
3. Fiber Content
This really piggybacks on the last section, because the fiber content of the yarn will, in large part, determine how durable it is and how easy it is to care for. When making socks, you want a yarn that won’t kill your hands while you are making it (not too rough), looks great in your stitch pattern of choice and is an amazingly durable yarn.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular fibers for handmade socks for knitters and crocheters alike.
Wool
Wool is by far the most popular choice for crocheted or knitted socks. It helps keep your feet warm in winter and cooler in summer, it is very elastic so it can stretch and go back to its original shape and it comes in a huge variety of colors and patterns.
You can get self-striping, tonal and variagated wool yarns. It also comes in many yarn weights. If you want to throw a wool sock yarn in the wash, though, make sure that it is a superwash yarn. Otherwise, follow the care instructions on the yarn label.
Wool Blends
The best wool blends for socks are yarns that are specifically labelled as “sock yarn”. These yarns will often have a nylon component that helps with the stretch and durability.
I’ve also seen some socks made with an alpaca wool blend that turned out nicely.
You can find lots of yarns that are labeled “sock” and we will look at a few below.
Cotton
Another popular choice is cotton yarn, especially for those who are allergic to wool.
Cotton is also machine washable and very durable. It can tend to stretch out of shape if it gets wet a lot, though, so keep that in mind when choosing your yarn. You might want a cotton blend or to make your socks with an elastic thread.
Other Fibers
I do not recommend silk or acrylic for socks. Silk will not hold up well to the wear and tear that socks endure, and although acrylic is easy to care for it will not allow youre feet to breathe. Choose a different yarn for socks.
4. Cost
Since you are making such a small item (unless you are doing super tall socks!), this doesn’t factor in as much as if you were making something large like a blanket or sweater. However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t care how much the yarn is!
Since you usually only use a single skein when making socks, you can choose to go as expensive or as cheap as you like. My avid sock knitter friends will often splurge on socks because they know one skein will do the job.
5. Availability
Sometimes I really just want to feel the yarn before I choose it. Can you relate? I like to squish the skeins and see how the fibers feel.
So as much as I love online shopping, there is just something about being able to handle the yarn that appeals to me. I tend to use yarn that is available nearby, although there are times that I really love ordering online, from places such as We Crochet.
So while I am providing links to the yarns below, many of these are also available at your local store (think JoAnn or Michael’s, and sometimes even WalMart!) and a lot of times you can use a coupon at the big craft stores or they run sales on yarn! (I love the 20% off total purchase coupons when they run them and sometimes they will have 25% off a certain brand, so be on the lookout for deals!)
6. Color
Color is another choice you’ll have to make when deciding upon a yarn for your socks. The color you choose will play a big factor in how happy you are with the finished product.
If you want the stitches to be the star, make sure you choose a more solid colored (slight tonal shades are okay) yarn that is lighter in color. Dark colors will hide cables and other interesting details, and crazy colors will mask the stitches, too.
So look for a yarn in the color(s) you want. There are many options including self-striping yarns.
Best Yarn for Socks (Expert Recommendations)
There are many different yarns on the market that make amazing sock creations, and it would be impossible for me to list them all here, but these are some of the favorite ones that I and my friends have used and loved.
I’ve broken them down by yarn weight so you can easily choose the yarn that best meets your needs.
Fingering Weight Yarn
Muse Hand Painted Sock Yarn
This amazing sock yarn is from Knit Picks (We Crochet) and is a customer favorite! If you are looking for a lightweight sock yarn that also has the hand painted aspect to it, then this yarn is for you. You can also find packs of tonals and speckles of this yarn.
Fiber Content: 75% superwash merino wool, 25% nylon
Yarn Weight: Fingering Weight #1
Yardage/Weight: 423 yards, 100g hank
Care: Machine Wash Gentle Cold, Tumble Dry Low
Click here to see all the amazing color combos for Muse!
Malabrigo Sock Yarn
Oh, my, how I love every yarn I’ve never used from Malabrigo!! It comes in so many colors and is a dream to work with. If you are looking for a slightly tonal yarn for your sock needs to show off that stitch definition, this is a must for you. Its genergous yardage means you get a lot for your money.
Fiber Content: 100% superwash merino wool
Yarn Weight: Fingering Weight #1
Yardage/Weight: 440 yards, 100g hank
Care: Machine wash
Click here to check out the colors of Malabrigo!
Sport Weight Yarn
Less Traveled Yarn Sport
Simply Socks yarn company in Indiana knows their socks! They started out as a sock yarn-only knitting shop but now have yarns in all weights. I love this Sport yarn for a category #2 weight sock. It’s slightly thicker than a fingering weight, but still thin enough to wear with most any shoes – and these colors are to DYE for! 😀
Fiber Content: 80% superwash merino wool, 20% nylon
Yarn Weight: Sport Weight (#2)
Yardage/Weight: 328 yards, 100g hank
Care: Machine wash, flat dry
Click here to see the colors of Sport!
Malabrigo Arroyo
You’ll see several Malabrigo yarns on our list because they are just so amazing! The subtle color changes are out of this world – and these yarns are perfect for socks. This is the slightly thicker cousin to Malabrigo Sock Yarn.
Fiber Content: 100% superwash merino wool
Yarn Weight: Sport Weight #2
Yardage/Weight: 335 yards, 100g hank
Care: Machine wash
Click here to see all the colors of Arroyo!
DK Weight Yarn
Cascade 220 Superwash DK
This DK yarn is known for its durability and the superwash version of the classic 220 yarn means you can throw it in the washing machine! It comes in a wide variety of colors and really lets stitch definition shine with its single shades. Also comes in heathers.
Fiber Content: 100% superwash wool
Yarn Weight: DK (#3)
Yardage/Weight: 220 yards, 100g
Care: Machine wash
Click here to see the colors of 220 Superwash!
Berroco Ultra Wool DK
Berroco is another company that has amazing yarns. I also haven’t met a Berroco yarn I didn’t like! This yarn is perfect for a DK weight sock that is washable! This yarn comes in center pull skeins, unlike the ones we’ve discussed so far, so no need to wind a hank here!
Fiber Content: 100% superwash merino wool
Yarn Weight: DK (#3)
Yardage/Weight: 292 yards, 100g skein
Care: Machine Wash
Click here to see the colors of Ultra Wool DK!
Worsted Weight Yarn
Chroma Worsted
This is a worsted weight yarn with the wool nylon blend that is perfect for socks! It’s hard to find a yarn in this weight that is the fiber composition of the much thinner sock yarns, but here it is. I love the color changes in this yarn, too!
Fiber Content: 70% superwash wool, 30% nylon
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight #4
Yardage/Weight: 198 yards, 100g ball
Care: Machine wash, tumble dry low
Click here to see Chroma Worsted!
Rowan Pure Wool Superwash
This amazing wool yarn is from the renowned yarn company Rowan – known for their great quality yarns. You can use this for a wide variety of projects, and it also makes amazing socks!
Fiber Content: 100% superwash merino wool
Yarn Weight: Worsted weight #4
Yardage/Weight: 209 yards, 100g skein
Care: Machine wash
Click here to see Pure Wool Superwash!
Common Sock Yarn Questions
The best sock yarns are either superwash wool or wool with a nylon component. These yarns can be machine washed and are super durable, which is important because socks take a lot of abuse.
Cotton yarn is an option for summer socks or for those who are allergic to wool, but cotton doesn’t have the same elasticity as wool so it might stretch out of shape easier than a wool or wool blend yarn. If using cotton, it might help to hold an elastic thread with the yarn.
You can use a 2 ply yarn for socks, but the best sock yarn has more plies so that it holds its shape better. Yarns with more plies are also more durable.
Pure wool has been a great choice for socks for a very long time. Superwash wools can be thrown in the washer so they are an excellent choice for socks. Even more durable yarns have a nylon or other synthetic component.
If you are looking for a thicker sock then worsted weight is perfect for socks. Typically these will be boot socks or socks for lounging around the house as some shoes might be tight with socks this thick.
Sock weight is usually synonomous with fingering weight, which is a cagegory #1 in the Craft Yarn Council’s Standard Yarn Weight System. It is a very fine yarn that usually gets around 5.5 stitches per inch on smaller knitting needles.
Looking for some free sock patterns?
Check out these collections:
25 Knee High Knit Sock Patterns
Well, that about wraps it up for our talk about the best yarn for socks. I hope this guide was helpful – and that you’ll give a knit or crochet sock a try sometime soon!
Happy Crocheting!
Amanda
Want More “Best Yarn” Posts? Check These Out:
Best Yarn for Blankets
Best Yarn for Amigurumi
Best Yarn for Rugs
How to Choose the Best Yarn for Socks
Learn how to wade through all the options to choose the best yarn for your next pair of socks!
Materials
- Yarn choice information from labels
Tools
- None
Instructions
- Find the yarn label on your yarn or have the information pulled up online.
- Check the fiber content carefully. Is it an appropriate fiber for socks? Will it hold up to wear and tear?
- Check to see if the yarn is available in the color(s) you want. Also check that it is the right yarn weight category for the type of socks you want to make.
- Check the care information for the yarn to determine if you will be able to care for it correctly.
- Check the cost to ensure it's not more than you're willing to pay.
Once you have checked to make sure all of these items fit your criteria, you'll know if the yarn is a good choice for your project or not.
It's awesome if you can look at the store and feel the yarn, but if you can't get what you want nearby looking at this information online will help ensure you are getting what you want.
Audrey Murillo
Great article full of awesome information. Thank you