Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Primavery Socks - Yarn Selection Makes A Difference

One more pair of Primavera Socks (see previous post for pattern info). Can you tell how much I like this pattern? I’ve pulled the pattern down to the toes and I’m quite nervous because I think I may run out of yarn before they are completed. I purchased this yarn several years ago and I’m not sure if I knitted something with it or now but the yarn sure looked like it had swam in that famous frog pond.

I wanted to show you how different the same sock pattern can look depending on your yarn selection. I have now knitted so many pairs of socks that I want to focus more the pattern and color than self-striping yarn. However, I have quite a stash of that which I really love so I will probably go back and forth.


I purchased this yarn in the first month I started knitting socks and paid $5.25 skein. Haven’t seen that price in a long time. Comments from anyone who has used this yarn will be appreciated. (Brian…think you have.) Instructions say to add 1/8 cup of white vinegar to the last rinse. Is that each time the socks are washed? Will this color fade with repeated washings? If it will, break it to me gently.

I hate resolutions and I have great difficulty keeping them so this year in January I made none. However, the time has arrived and I need to reevaluate things. I have promised myself that for every new project I start (and finish, of course), I must finish a project that has been languishing on my needles.

Darn, then I remembered that I am waiting for my KnitPicks order to arrive. A sock book and yarn are traveling to my home as we speak. I’m embarrassed to tell how much sock yarn I have.

Happy Knitting!

6 comments:

  1. The socks are gorgeous! I love patterns that look good no matter what yarn is used.

    I'm guessing the vinegar is to make sure all the soap residue is removed from the yarn making it last longer.

    White vinegar is an excellent fabric softener. It removes all the soap from the fabric (cotton, wool or otherwise) and makes towels more absorbent. Proponents say it extends the life of your fabrics by years.

    I read in the spring that fabric softeners (Downey, etc.) coat the traps in driers, cause lint to stick and create fire hazards. Not to mention white vinegar is far less expensive than fabric softeners.

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  2. Well think of it this way, you will never have to go barefooted :). I think you only have to use the vinegar the first time for color control, but I'll have to try it for fabric softness to check that out :).

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  3. Lizzie is correct about the vinegar removing all of the soap residue. But to be honest, I wear my wilde foote socks all the time, and I wash them in the machine, with all my other dark colours, and then lay them flat to dry. They are still in wonderful condition, but I am sure they will wear out wuicker than they would if I followed the care instructions.

    These socks look wonderful. The red really shows off the stitch pattern. Excellent colour choice!

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  4. The solid color really shows off the pattern -- The sock you made for Kim are lovely as well.

    Thanks goodness your loud neighbors are moving soon!

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  5. Question, you knit a lot of socks, why do you prefer the 4 (or 5) double pointed needles over 1 or 2 circular methods?

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  6. come out, come out where ever you are.....nice cool breeze might make it to
    60* ,perfect wool socks weather if you ask me

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