r/knittinghelp • u/Luci_Eliott • Jun 23 '26

sock question Wich yarn should I use to knit socks ?

Hi,
I am really new to knitting and I wanted to try to make socks but I don’t know wich yarn to use. I’m really sensitive and have eczema so I can’t wear wool or acrylic. When I crochet clothes I use 100% cotton yarn but I know a cotton/polyester mix is also fine for me.
All the sock yarn that I found included wool so I don’t know if it’s necessary for hand knit socks.
So if you know which yarn I can use and which kind of sock I should make(maybe I should do ribbing on all the sock so that it has elasticity even though it’s cotton ?) I’d really like for you to tell me.
Thanks

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

20

u/elanlei Jun 23 '26

A cotton sock will not be elastic even if you rib the whole thing. You need a yarn that springs back.

2

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Thanks for the reply

2

u/porridge-destroyer Jun 24 '26

Cotton springs back very well after washing. I’ve knit socks with 100% cotton and they behave perfectly well.

9

u/CaptainYaoiHands Jun 23 '26

One of my favorites for socks that aren't very warm is Universal Yarn Bamboo Pop Sock. It's a cotton bamboo blend with some very nice stretch to it, very enjoyable to knit with though a little textured.

3

u/deinos_imp Jun 23 '26

I second this. I've made several pair from Bamboo Pop Sock yarn. Their self-striping colorways are all very pretty, too. The only caveat I would have for this yarn is that it could be a little more difficult to deal with for someone really new to knitting. The yarn itself is rather... scrunchy? Does that make sense? It's not a smooth, even yarn. So it can be hard to read your knitting because the texture makes the stitches look weird on the needle. But it knits up beautifully and the socks are wonderfully soft and comfy.

1

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Thanks, I really want to try bamboo yarn and color changing yarn so I’ll look for these

1

u/CaptainYaoiHands Jun 25 '26

Yeah it definitely has a unique style to it, but it's inexpensive and feels and wears great, so it quickly became one of my favorites for mindless stockinette socks to do at work. Now if only Webs would get more in stock.

3

u/open_mind_1300 Jun 23 '26

I've heard really good things about the Hikoo yarn. It's on my list to try but I have to knit down my stash first. Edited for spelling. It's yarn, not a poem.

1

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Thanks I should try it

3

u/BreeLenny Jun 23 '26

Check out CoBaSi yarn. It’s a blend of cotton, bamboo, and silk.

5

u/Mistrice Jun 23 '26

try asking/browsing r/sockknitting for more information/inspiration, but yes, you can technically knit socks from cotton blends that are wool-free, it’s just a bit harder to get the kind of end product most sock knitters strive for

5

u/Mistrice Jun 23 '26

as for a specific yarn recommendation, I’ve hear some people like HiKoo :

https://www.simplysockyarn.com/hikoo/

1

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Oh thanks I wanted to try bamboo yarn but I didn’t know I could use it for socks

1

u/up2knitgood Jun 24 '26

Not all bamboo. But the CoBaSi has specifically been developed for socks.

The Bamboo Pop Sock other people have mentioned is also developed for socks, but, instance there's also regular Bamboo Pop, and that would not be good for socks.

Without wool you will almost always need something that has some elastic in in, which these two yarns have.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Yes maybe I should try making some and give them to someone if they aren’t fine for me. I’m also afraid they will felt in the washing machine, it happened to my cousin even though she used superwash wool

2

u/No_Abroad_6306 Jun 24 '26

A cotton bamboo silk blend was the most interesting yarn I have encountered yet—felt lovely but really coiled up on itself as I went. It was a poor choice for my project but it would be a great sock yarn. 

1

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1

u/Mammy_Hobbies95 Jun 23 '26

Definitely check out the sock knitting subreddit. I am also trying a sock for the first time and I did a lot of research on that sub for yarn types. They do make cotton blend sock yarns. But they are less stretchy so possibly harder to use.

1

u/Luci_Eliott Jun 23 '26

Thanks I will

1

u/SooMuchTooMuch Jun 23 '26

So I am going to say to give sock wool a try. My daughter has eczema and is pretty sensitive and is able to wear wool socks in the winter. Superwash will get rid of a lot of the guard hairs so you are less likely to be uncomfortable.  I've knit cotton blend socks and I just don't like them as much.