Plastic Free Socks....it isn't a thing anymore :-/

Wow you guys! 

Thank you so much for checking out yesterday’s post - there were some great comments, both here and on facebook/twitter about plastics in crafting and biodegradability of certain fibres, etc. It was a blast to research and I really enjoyed engaging with everyone on that topic. This is why I decided to blog - well this and the fact that I apparently have a knack for making Fibre Fiends bust a stitch laughing sometimes and my yarny friends asked that I please direct my energies wider to help minimise the destruction. ;-)

Also, hello to the reader(s) in the Phillipines, I’m so glad our mutual love of fibre (or perhaps mutual disdain for plastic?) brought us together yesterday! And a shoutout to my American readers, what are you knitting/spinning/crocheting for your July 4th holiday?

A quickie regarding my Plastic Free July posts. The aim is to make sure people are aware of where the plastic is creeping in, not to shame anyone into a cave of embarrassment or despair. Education is my goal, so that you guys can choose if you want to try and phase out using it. 

Superwash is pretty darned prevalent (it's practically the takeaway coffee cup or the red mesh produce bag of the yarn world, imho). And, it's a project material, rather than something we can carry around on our person (like a canvas shopping bag) it will take extra effort to find alternatives that work for each person, address their needs, and fill the space that superwash wool has been filling. 

Some of you might decide this change has to go into the too hard (yarn) basket for now, or perhaps forever, and that's totally for you to decide. As far as I'm concerned: you like yarn, I like yarn, we're good. ;)

Now on to today’s topic - SOCKS!

Yes, I have dangled this topic for two posts thus far, and it’s finally time! Thank you for your patience, research kept getting away from me and I had to continually splice posts up into smaller posts to accommodate all the new knowledge. Getting smart sometimes means having to re-organise your thoughts. You understand I'm sure.

Grab your coffee/tea/bevvie of choice (loose buy gets you extra karma points!) and let’s talk about plastic free socks! (And let’s just first take a moment to think about what kind of world we live in where THAT is an actual distinction we have to make… *eye roll*)

Side Note: There were some comments yesterday about where to get your tea/coffee unpackaged. I can’t speak for everywhere on the planet, but in Australia (and in Seattle when I was living there) you can usually go to your local cafe with your own container and ask for beans or grounds. In Sydney there is Alfalfa House CoOp (loose purchase coffee & tea) and Village Whole Foods (just loose tea) and Coffee Alchemy, a local roaster.

Socks are often a go-to project for many knitters and crocheters. They are versatile, functional, and look pretty darned cool just by adding a slightly different stitch or a quirky yarn. They are portable - making them great for on-the-go fibre play, and are easily modified for complexity to suit your desired challenge level. Socks are also, however, one of the most hard-wearing clothing items one is likely to make, which means it’s very easy to justify the addition of things like nylon into the yarn that we use. 

I totally get it. Socks take work just like any other handmade item, and we are all rightly concerned about all that work going to pot after the first couple of wears. (Note I did not say ‘bad’ yarn, because I think we all agree that’s a label our hearts have trouble applying to fibre.) I’m not convinced things like nylon or polyamide, however, are the only solution to this problem. I’m also worried about adding plastic substances to items that are routinely experiencing stress and abrasion, because that is how we are putting microplastics into our water.

As a preface, I’m including bigger bulkier items, like bed socks, mukluks/house socks, boot socks, and slippers, along with the more traditional socks made with fingering/lace weight yarn. This means that a variety of techniques, yarn weights, and needle/hook sizes can be included in for our consideration. I’ve made a list of things to consider to make things a little easier. 

1. What fibre(s) is the yarn made of?

Short staple fibres, like merino and cashmere, are very soft, but not very durable. Short staple means less overlap between fiber strands, which means less resistance to abrasion. Think back to playing Red Rover as a child - if you overlapped your arms to the elbow, or even the shoulder, the runner from the other team was practically guaranteed to not be able to break through your line. In this case the ‘runner’ is the interior of your shoe or the leggo your toddler nephew left on the floor for your foot to find during your morning stumble to the coffee pot.

  

1.1 But they are so soft! 

Blend these fibres with longer fibres and add extra twist when spinning. Adding things like silk, linen, bamboo, polwarth, BFL, etc, are a great way to get a soft ‘hand’ while boosting durability. Looking for yarns (or when spinning your own!) make them higher twist, to also boost durability. 

Similarly, you can assume a yarn with more plies is going to be a bit more durable. 2-ply yarn is stronger than a single, and a 3-ply would be more structurally sound than a single or a 2-ply. Ply won’t compensate for poor quality fibre, but it will boost your durability factor.

2. Check your tension

High-wear items, like socks, are best knit with higher tension. There is a caveat, though. Try not to knit with too much tension. If you are someone who has loose tension, start experimenting with smaller needles until you get a nice sturdy fabric. Remember, holes are weak points, so if you can see your foot through the fabric (lacework not included here, that’s on purpose) your are setting yourself up for heartache and lots of darning (anyone else think it’s called that because of what you utter when you notice the problem?)

3. Use stitch techniques appropriate for the sock’s use and the anatomy of the sock.

This requires a little bit of forethought, but I promise it isn’t hard. Think back to any sock you’ve ever worn (or ask the sock recipient about their previous sock experiences). Where did the sock tend to wearout? Was it the tip of the toe? Maybe in one particular spot on the heel, just above the joint? Take note of these areas and incorporate extra padding in these areas. Slip stitch patterns, such as the Partridge stitch and stranded colourwork are great for this as they add additional support without adding little to no bulk in your work. 

Hermione's Everyday Sock, find it on free on Ravelry

You can also consider knitting socks with afterthought toes and/or heels. (Crocheters, is there an equivalent of this in crocheted socks? Inquiring minds want to know.) This makes replacing worn out toes and heels, without replacing the entire sock, a cinch. Hold your sock yarn of choice double with a silk or cotton thread if you can’t find a wool/silk blend in your price range. (Great video tutorial series on doing an afterthought heel: part 1, part 2)

For bulkier socks, like mukluks and boot socks, consider holding the yarn double with a mohair or choose a stranded colourwork design for added durability (and squish factor!) I have made several pairs of mukluks and, without fail, the first thing the recipient says is ‘OMG THEY ARE SO SQUISHY!’.

Look at that! Only three things to really think about when trying to go plastic-free with your socks. Hopefully that makes the challenge seem a little less daunting for everyone. As with previous Plastic Free July posts, there is some retail therapy listed below, if you want to give today’s topic a try in your own fibre diet.

There will be more Plastic Free July posts next week, and I’ll be focusing on Reusing and Recycling. Thank you to everyone who joined in the conversation this week. You rock so hard for even THINKING about things you can do to help with the plastic crisis. :-D Remember: any change in your plastic habit, no matter how small, is a BIG WIN! You deserve to celebrate it.

I’ll see you all back here tomorrow for the next installment of Friday Fibre Watch  where i will be geeking out over more yarny goodness in Stranger Things. (Check out last week’s debut post here, my favourite find was the subtle Wonder Woman homage in Nancy’s jumper.)

Retail therapy (don’t forget your canvas bag!)  

Zauberball cotton sock yarn - all the crazy colours and patterns Zauberball is known for, none of the plastic!

Blacker Lyonesse Sock - Linen/wool blend sock yarn, affordable and great for warmer weather socks.
Nettle sock yarn
Adagio Mills 4ply Sock yarn - 100% Alpaca high twist sock yarn. Quite affordable.

 Wanderers: Modern Mukluks by Andrea Mowry - knitting pattern, (stranded colourwork, easy and a good beginner pattern)
Smooth Operator Sock Pattern by Susan B. Anderson (this pattern has everything on afterthought heel construction for toe-up, cuff-down wast yarn, no waste yarn, how to measure)
Lazy Day Loafer - crochet pattern for house socks

Enjoying the blog?     It takes a lot of caffeine and yarn to make this happen! ;)