EXPERTS
Our team of expert knitters is on hand to help you with your tricky
knitting troubles. In this issue, we help with measuring socks,
silk yarn and testing fibre content
Ask the
Is there a way to tell if a sock is going to be the right size
without getting out a tape measure?I have a mystery yarn and I’m thinking of dyeing it but I’m not sure if it’s wool.
Is there any way I can tell?Aaron asks...
Phoebe asks...
There certainly is Aaron! I much prefer working from a real
foot where possible, as I find it gives me a better idea as to
whether the overall fit is snug enough too.With a top-down sock, you can try on the sock (or have the
lucky recipient try it on) and the toe shaping should start
when the knitting reaches one or two rounds short of the
start of the little toe (where the foot goes in at the end of
the bone). If you’re knitting on DPNs you can transfer the
stitches onto a piece of smooth waste yarn if you’re worried
about breaking or bending one (or losing some stitches) if
they are left in place.For toe-up socks it’s a little trickier but if you try on the sock
and start shaping when the foot just reaches the front of the
ankle as it bends into the leg, that should give a good fit.Editor Kate says...Technical Editor Tricia says...
The easiest way to tell if your yarn is made of wool is to try a
burn test. Take a length of the yarn and place it in a flameproof
dish. It’s also a good idea to have some damp kitchen paper or
a damp cloth to hand just in case! Apply a match to the yarn.
Wool (and silk) will be quite difficult to burn and once lit will
burn slowly. They will generally be self-extinguishing and go out
after a relatively short time. The residue is a small, black bead that can be readily
crushed to powder. Wool in particular is naturally fire retardant and has been used
in applications such as airplane seating and firefighters’ uniforms. It produces little
smoke or toxic gases. As it does not melt it does not stick to surfaces like skin.
Synthetic fibres, on the other hand, melt and on cooling leave behind a solid, fused
globule. (As there are so many synthetic fibres on the market they may behave a
little differently but it is important to mention that all yarns and fibres must meet the
relevant UK safety standards so, whilst this test is handy in determining suitability
for dyeing, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a yarn presents a safety hazard).
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