I’ve been making slow progress on my Southdown handspun socks – but I finished one! We have inside photos today due to the 10”+ of snow that are on the ground here today.
I’ve been worried all along that I wouldn’t have enough yardage for two socks. I got 352 yards – but that measurement came when I wound the skein off the bobbin. THEN I set the twist, and this springy yarn definitely shrunk in length. I’m not sure how many yards I really have. When I finished the first sock, I weighed it – it comes in at 44.9 grams after weaving in ends. My remaining ball is 46.7 grams. That is very, very close – perhaps too close for comfort. Handspun yarn isn’t as uniform as commercial yarn.
I also wasn’t sure that I liked the feel of the sock. It’s kinda crunchy. S1 commented that it could probably stand up by itself – and you know what? She’s technically right! 
I should block the sock and see if that causes it to calm down a bit. I’ll throw some hair conditioner in there, too, to soften this fiber a bit more. Bottom line: I think I probably put too much twist into the singles. Maybe I need to get some more Southdown from Sasha and try again. Or wait to see what turns up next in the fiber club – maybe an upcoming shipment fiber will be good for sock yarn, too? This is why it’s good to knit with one’s handspun, and wear one’s own handknits. You learn a lot from those experiences. My next handspun sock yarn will be better.
In other news, I have been knitting almost exclusively on my I Love Leftovers sock yarn blanket. During the past two weeks, I have cranked out 19 new squares: 
I am close to finishing the first skein of black yarn I have, which I use for the first four rows of each square. When I run out, I’ll count how many squares I’ve done and predict needs. I bought 4 skeins of black, thinking I would also use it to edge the finished blanket. I just love revisiting these little balls of yarn. I always know what I used the original yarn for. Here are a few examples:
Top row, square two (and row 2, square 1): Asymmetrical Cables Socks for S1
Top row, squares 1, 3, and 5 (and row 2 square 2): Gyllis shawl for me
Top row, square 4 (mostly) and row 2, square 3: Braided Cable with Garter Bead socks for S1
Row 3, square 2: This is a really old yarn – in 2005 I made basic cable crew socks for me. These were knit from Koigu and soon developed holes that darning couldn’t begin to fix. I later learned to knit socks on smaller needles and to avoid 100% superwash merino sock yarns.
That’s enough memory lane for now. The more I work on this blanket, the more I love it!
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your sock looks lovely. washing it using a bit of hair conditioner may help, but before you make a final decision why don't you take the sock out for a test walk. I know it sounds weird to wear a mismatched pair of socks but I often do this to test out if I like a new style toe or heel. It's nice to know if a new style sock sags or bags or just doesn't hug my heel properly before I knit the 2nd sock.
ReplyDeleteI have only 2 hand spun socks in my drawer. one is a 4 ply merino that has a tight twist and the other is an unnamed wool that I blended with silk for a 3 ply. both are sturdy socks especially the silk and wool blend but they are very warm and have stood up to my test walk and are comfortable.