Ready those needles and hooks, because on July 1st we’re kicking off a special Summer of Socks event!
The temperatures are about to start getting hot, hot, hot, but don’t put those needles away just quite yet! Summer might be the time to put away the wool sweaters and blankets you’re working on, but it’s a GREAT time to pick up smaller projects like socks!
Socks are my favorite summer knit for several reasons! First and foremost, they’re portable! It’s easy to toss a sock project in my purse and take it hiking, to the beach, on a road trip, etc. They’re typically made out of lightweight yarns – most people think of wool for winter socks, but there’s also some great cotton-based options (like Bamboo Pop Sock) for some cooler fabric options – and, usually, 1 skein is all you need, so no need to lug around a bag full of yarns everywhere you go.
Socks knit up relatively quickly compared to garments and don’t leave a bunch of heavy wool on your lap, and you can make them as easy or complicated as you’d like. Need something mindless for the beach or a road trip? Make a vanilla sock with rows and rows of stockinette! In the mood for something a little more interesting? Find a host of sock knitting patterns online for something as challenging as you can handle!
This time of year is also great for sock-making if you’re the type of person who likes to gift handmade things for the holidays! Socks make lovely gifts for the holidays, and you can whip up your gifts this summer and save yourself stress when the holiday rush begins
Here’s how you can participate:
- The easy part: knit or crochet socks between July 1st and August 31st!
- Post your completed pair of socks in our check-in posts on Facebook for credit (not a Facebook user? Email your entry to candice@stitchandskein.com for credit!)
- You’ll receive 1 entry for finishing a pair of socks
- You’ll receive an additional bonus entry if the yarn used was purchased at Stitch & Skein (can be yarn we carry regularly, or yarn you’ve purchased thru trunk shows we’ve hosted!)
Each entry will be added into an end-of-the-event drawing for a fun set of DellaQ Oh Snaps and your choice of a sock yarn skein from the shop floor!
Additionally, the maker with the most pairs of socks completed by the end of August will earn a special trophy and bragging rights for the rest of the 2024 season!
(Sorry, circular sock machine makers – we love you but you would smoke any of us hand knitters in this competition and it isn’t fair to hand you an easy win!)
I am always knitting a pair of socks. I bought and made a pair out of the bamboo pop rock yarn, but I am not a fan of this yarn. It is nearly too fine and was too glitzy for socks in my opinion. I also bought and made a 2 pairs out of the Filly yarn from your shop and needed to join/make a knot in the yarn where it was broken. This is not expected and has never happened with Paton/Kroy, Premier Cotton Collage, or Premier Wool Free or Yarn Bee Cozy Toes yarn. I enjoy looking in your shop, but the yarn I purchased was disappointing. I wish you well and do not want to discourage your endeavors. Thanks for listening.
Hi Dee,
Thanks for your feedback! I do tend to warn people when they want to use the Bamboo Pop Sock that it runs thin, especially if you’re coming from something like Patons/Kroy which runs more of a heavy fingering/sport weight yarn and is heavier than the indie dyed sock yarns people buy. The bamboo content of the yarn, I believe, is what makes it “glitzy” as it adds more of a sheen to it. A lot of my sock crank in gals love using it in their sock machines, and I have a few hand knitters, as well, that love it for summer socks, too!
Knots in yarn skeins are fairly common, and while I don’t believe there’s an industry standard, a lot of manufacturers try to limit it to 3 or so per skein. If manufacturers had to guarantee zero knots in the skeins, it would likely result in a lot of wasted yarn and an increase in pricing for the consumers to compensate for the materials lost. That said, if there’s ever a skein you get from my shop that has an excessive amount of joins/knots, you’re welcome to bring it back in and we can try to exchange it for a replacement skein if one is available.
Also random fun fact of the day – Premier is actually owned by Universal Yarn (which is why you can often notice similarities in colorways, yarn bases, etc) and likely utilizes the same mills! You may have just gotten lucky with the skeins you purchased of those! 🙂
Candice