that would be TOO rough, duh. Too bad you can't edit the title, eh?

So my ever so tactful mother admitted to me yesterday that she was wearing the socks I painstakingly knitted for her birthday...

because they were the last clean pair she had. :zombie:

Harumph!

She says that her feet are sensitive and she can feel every little stitch.

I used Plymouth Yarn Happy Feet (fingering weight) and your basic sock pattern on 1 1/2 needles, plain vanilla pattern, etc. Is there another yarn/gauge/stitch that would make her happy, or should that just be the last pair I knit for her? I am glad she told me, and I knit them for her because she asked me too, but... :biting: and :pout: Ya know???

Smaller needles helps and you can turn them 'inside out' so the stockinette is against the foot instead of purls. That really can make a difference. I have sensitive feet, too.

I personally find most sock yarns to be too rough. So you could try using these, which I've found to be ultra soft:
Malabrigo sock yarn
Panda Silk (silk, bamboo, wool)
Panda Cotton (bamboo, cotton, nylon)

I have no idea where you would find a pattern but I have heard of socks that you do the bottom with the stockinette on the inside so that the smoothest part of the knitting is on the inside next to the skin. I can't see why you couldn't just start at the bottom of the heel flap and knit where you would normally purl.
Keep the wrong side,
on the out side,
on the bottom side.

yes, just have her wear them inside out one day, so the knit side is against her foot. Then, if her feet are happier, you can knit her another pair but do the bottoms inside out so to speak, with the knit side on the inside of the foot.

I knit a pair of socks using Plymouth Happy Feet as well. I find that they are tougher on the soles of my feet than KP's Essential or Elanns Sock It To Me or KP's Palette. The yarn seems to be twisted tighter and has a more cord like feel. They did soften a bit after machine washing and drying, but I don't think I'll use that yarn again for socks. I also didn't like working with it quite as much as others I've knit with.

i have the same problem with socks i knit for myself (prolly why i hate knitting socks)... my skin's hyper sensitive and shortly after putting them on i can feel each bump.. even if i wear another pair of store bought socks underneath them.