Yarn input?

[KnitpickingRunner]

I'm just getting started and trying to find a set of circulars and decided to go ahead and order the knitpicks "try it" set. But...I want to get enough stuff so I don't have to pay for shipping. :P

So, I started looking at some yarns that I might just want to have without having to think about a pattern and then picking a yarn to go with the pattern.

I figured sock yarn might be a handy thing to have a supply of. I run, play tennis, softball, etc... so I can always use a good supply of sport socks and thought I might go ahead and get some of the knitpicks stroll sport yarn. Anybody tried this? Like it? I probably need a new needle, too...I have one pair of 5 circs, but they will probably be busy on a blanket for a long, long time. The page for this yarn says #3-5 needles. What size should I go with and why? Do I need circulars? I see people talking about something called magic loop? I'm guessing that's something I'll want to look into and I need circulars for that, right?

P.S. I apologize in advance for not just googling all of this, but it's more fun to talk, right? :P

[suzeeq]

Socks are usually knit a lot denser than on size 3-5, those would be the needles for a sweater. So you need to look at sock patterns, and get maybe a size 1 or 2. It's really hard to say because one size can make a big difference in gauge, though if you usually knit tight and need to go up a size, then you'd want the 2s. If you knit looser and always have to go down in size, then you need the 1. You can use circulars or dpns or 2 circs. If you do magic loop you'd need probably a 32" circ; it's a way of knitting a small tube with a larger needle and there's a video on the Advanced Techniques page.

[KnitpickingRunner]

Thanks! I'm glad I asked about the needle size!

[Jan in CA]

That yarn is sport weight and most socks are made with fingering weight. If you like thicker socks then the sport weight should be fine. As for needle size.. that kind of depends on your gauge. Usually you start with the what the yarn says and then go up or down a needle size depending on how tight or loose you knit.

Socks need to be somewhat tighter gauge to make them sturdy. With the sport weight around a 2 would be about right, but you need to do a swatch.

I would use magic loop myself. It's knitting with a long cable in the middle of the two needles. There's a video at the top of the page under advanced techniques. (I think that's where it is...)

[suzeeq]

Oh, I overlooked that you want the sport version of it, comes in sockweight too. In that case, maybe a 2 or 3 would work.

[KnitpickingRunner]

So for yarn, do they mean something different with the term "sport" than I'm thinking. I was thinking it was designated as something to be used for athletic socks, but perhaps it's a weight designation and would be too thick?

[Jan in CA]

So for yarn, do they mean something different with the term "sport" than I'm thinking. I was thinking it was designated as something to be used for athletic socks, but perhaps it's a weight designation and would be too thick?

You can use any yarn for anything. If you get it and don't want it for it's "intended" purpose you can use it for something else. Some people like thicker socks, but the majority like fingering weight. If you're unsure about socks get some worsted weight and you can use it for something like a scarf.

[suzeeq]

Yes sport is a weight that's between fingering/sock weight and dk weight. So it's a little heavier than regular sock yarn and you might want to consider the sock version of it, or look at the other sock weight yarns.

[Ingrid]

Handmade socks are comfortable to wear, but aren't really suited for sports. They don't wick away sweat the way commercial 'sport' socks do, and you'll wear them out a lot quicker.

I'd suggest going with worsted weight yarn since so many patterns use it.

[fatoldladyinpjs]

For Knitpicks' worsted weight, you'll want Wool of the Andes. It's a light worsted weight. It's 100% Peruvian Highland wool. It's comparable to Cascade 220 100% Peruvian Highland wool worsted. My LYS (local yarn shop) used to ask around $10 a skein for that. They've since raised their price to around $13. Knitpicks wants between $2.49 and $2.69. I should note that Cascade's price is for a 100 gram ball and Wool of the Andes' is a 50 gram ball. Even so, it's quite a savings.