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sandra_ferguson_gw

reinforcing heels and toes in socks

sandra_ferguson
15 years ago

I'm off on a sock knitting jag, and wonder what you all use to reinforce the toes and heels? I bought some wool/nylon for this purpose.... comes on a card, and one tries to match the color with the sock wool, but I wondered if you all use anything else? In the past I've always used wool that I've spun, for my socks, so really needed to reinforce heel and toe, but now am using some purchased sock yarn that actually has some synthetic fiber in it....so, do you use this yarn alone or reinforce? If you reinforce, what do you use?

Comments (8)

  • tami_ohio
    15 years ago

    Sandra, you can use regular sewing thread, the all purpose sewing thread. It works great, doesn't add bulkiness to the heel and toe and you can match just about any color!

    Tami

  • sandra_ferguson
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I'm just back from Joann's and an abortive trip to buy something called Wooley nylon.....a stretchy thread used in sergers. I did some surfing today, and that's what is recommended, as it stretches along with the yarn. Unfortunately, our Joann's didn't have it, nor did the WalMart..so, I'll check tomorrow with a local sewing maching store. It does seem like a thread that stretched would be, to coin Martha Stewart, "a good think"....thanks for your suggestion, though...I may have to resort to it yet!

  • damascusannie
    15 years ago

    I've been knitting with sock yarns that have some nylon content, so I haven't been adding reinforcing thread. After two years of pretty heavy wear, they are holding up just fine.

    Annie

  • socks
    15 years ago

    I recently knit a pair using the wooly nylon which I bought online. It came in a big spool. I bought the white wooly nylon and had a multi colored yarn, and it showed a little but not much. It wasn't hard to do. It made the sock heels and toes just slightly thicker. I really did it just to see what it was like.

    Thread would have no stretch, but I have heard before that it works.

    {{gwi:1579971}}

  • damascusannie
    15 years ago

    socks12345: What yarn did you use? Love the colors!

    Annie

  • socks
    15 years ago

    I got the yarn at societysocks.com. She hand dyes the yarn herself, so no two are alike.

  • damascusannie
    15 years ago

    Socks12345: Since their yarns already have a 25% nylon content, why did you decide to add reinforcement? Habit or experience with the yarn? And, how many skeins did it take to make the socks you show? I'm thinking one, but need to know before I order.

    Annie

  • sandra_ferguson
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I could NOT find any wooly nylon stretch serger thread anywhere local...apparently, according to the sewing machine store, sergers are sort of 'out' of fashion, right now, so they no longer carry much in way of serger accessories. So, I ordered some online....some basic colors...several shades of gray...that I hope will 'go' with different colors. Someone asked why use it if there is something synthetic in the wool yarn......I decided to do all I can to keep from having to darn hoses in my socks.....it's as easy to knit 2 as it is one, and I just figure I'll do my best to make holes less likely.

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