Sunday, September 05, 2021

Weatherproof socks

 Someday, here in Ca it will rain again, and we may need weatherproof socks. (My friends and family  in New England, may have an ongoing interest!)

One can knit knit weatherproof socks in a variety of form factors - mostly when I needed weatherproof socks they were knit from 5-ply gansey yarn,  but some may want weatherproof socks that are thin enough to fit into their town shoes. It can be done- particularly if one is a spinner. It turns out that it is not hard.


A swatch of fabric knit from Heinz 57 (from the Woolery)

spun into singles of just under 7,000 ypp at 12 tpi and plied at 

8 or 10 ptpi resulting in some bias when knit.

Nevertheless, those singles knit on 1.3 mm needles produce a nice sock fabric tight enough to hold a pool of water, and thin enough to fit in my town shoes. 

A thinner fabric based on 10,000 ypp singles in 3-ply:

 Will hold a pool of water briefly, and I consider it "almost weatherproof". 

I spent so long fixated n 5,600 ypp singles - and, I have been missing out - on a world of great things that can be had for a bit of spinning.  You can have it, just think: "spin thin", and spin!

OK! It may take some practice, but practice to spin thin uses less fiber than practice to spin thick, and you will spin a lot of fine yarn along the way.

Wool really is THE miracle fiber. One really can knit all kinds of things from 3-ply, 2,000 ypp yarn.  

Do not bother to tell the folks over at "Spin Tec". They would not believe you.

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