Thursday, June 28, 2007

A Tale of Two Socks

I really, really, really like self-striping sock yarn. I've had OK luck with self-stripers from big yarn companies (up 'til now), but my preference is for the smaller, independent dyers. It's a lot of work creating a nice self-striping yarn, and I truly admire those who do it well and take pride in it. My June sock experience only increased this admiration.

I received a beautiful skein of Tofutsies in two of my favorite colors, pink & lavender, as a much-appreciated gift. Taking a time-out from woolen Magical Socks, I decided the lighter-weight Tofutsies would be the perfect travel project to take on my trip to Florida. The first sock was delightful:

The second sock was kind of a surprise:

A very deep pool!! The only reason the pool changed sides is because I had to snip out a 20-inch section of yarn that was missing an entire ply. (Is this a Southwest Trading Company issue? I had the same thing happen with 3 of 5 balls of STC Bamboo — the only other time I have ever run into this problem.)

I liked working with Tofutsies: even with sharp size 0 Knit Picks DPNs, I had very little splitting. I liked the feel of the yarn. I liked the colors of the yarn. So what's up with the pooling in the foot??? I have never had this problem with yarn from independent dyers — have I just been lucky, or does personal pride in a job well done factor in somehow?

At any rate, I don't think there will be any more "self-striping" Tofutsies in my future.

3 comments:

Beth said...

I've never heard of sections missing a ply - that's bizarre. The socks are still pretty though.

Beth C said...

Yeah, weird, huh?

It had a broken, uneven strand hanging out at each end of the section.

The Bamboo had the same thing, but since it’s a solid, not as big a deal, matching wise. The Bamboo also had lots of knots. I understand the Yarn Council’s guideline is up to 3 knots in a first-rate skein. STC really takes advantage of that “guideline!”

But you notice I did not abandon the socks -- I liked them well enough to complete the pair! :)

Dharmafey said...

Even with the pooling vs striping issue, they're lovely! I haven't knit up any of my tofutsies, though one is up soon. I am envious of your Sunshine Yarns; I'm always drooling over her various HP inspired yarns.... :)