Deconstructing Socks

I have, since I was a small child, worn Wigwam Brand Norwegian Rag Wool Socks. These are warm, rugged, work socks. Although they are warm, they can be worn year-round under workboots to provide comfort and protect the feet. Few socks offer anything close to the foot comfort these socks can provide. These are 100% wool socks. They don't lose their stretch with repeated washing. They wear very well. When I was growing up on the farm, I think I got about three years wear from them -- heavy winter use and moderate summer use. With the less frequent wear I have given them, the pair on my feet is probably fifteen or twenty years old. These are not cheap socks, but they deliver durability, comfort, and warmth -- they provide a lot of warmth and wear for the money.

I contrast this with my latest $20 pair of alpaca work socks. I started wearing those socks in early December and already they show substantial wear. The elastic is going and they don't provide the same cushion they did when I first wore them. They're not providing the same durability that I get from my wool socks. I don't feel like they're providing the wear for the money. If my alpaca socks were as durable as my wool socks, I'd feel like they were a really good buy.

In fact, if all the alpaca socks on the market are built like this, I'm concerned about "alpaca socks" becoming synonymous with "overpriced crap". I'm a believer in alpaca as a luxury fiber and I'd really like to avoid that sort of reputation.

Studies of textile properties show that alpaca fiber is inherently warmer than wool -- warmer for the same weight or lighter for the same warmth. Of course, a lot of this warmth depends in the fiber preparation, the type of spinning, and the construction of the garment. In addition, alpaca has been shown to have greater tensile strength, and better abrasion resistance than sheep's wool -- meaning it ought to wear better. Certainly the alpaca breeders in the United States tout these properties quite aggressively. Wool, however, has an advantage in fiber memory which is important to holding the shape of a garment.

If alpaca wears so much better than wool, why can't I find a pair of alpaca socks that wears one tenth as well as my good old Wigwam wool socks?

It's frustrating. In theory, one ought to be able to make a better sock from alpaca than from wool because of the textile properties of alpaca fiber. We hype these properties, then sell socks that wear out in two months when good wool socks wear for years under similar use. The wool socks are 100% wool, but the alpaca socks need elastic.

When I look at my market, I see plenty of lower middle income individuals in our area -- many of them loggers and foresters -- willing to pay $20 for a pair of socks if that pair of socks provides the warmth, comfort, and durability they need while working outdoors. Good socks are important to foot comfort. People who work outside know this and they're willing to pay for good socks. We need a market for the coarser grades of alpaca and good work socks would be an excellent market. Why isn't anybody making good work socks from alpaca?

Some days I think all alpaca breeders are so wealthy they can afford to throw away $20 for less than durable socks. Then I think about my own situation and my alpaca breeding friends and I know it's not true. As breeders, we're not delivering value for the money when we sell socks and if you can't tell, it's making me angry.

I've done a little thinking about all this and I've started deconstructing some worn out Wigwam wool socks. I think the knitting pattern is the reason they don't need elastic, although elasticity in the spun wool may play a role. I've come to the conclusion that with the proper pattern, one doesn't need elastic in an animal fiber sock. I don't know what the proper pattern is for alpaca yet, and I don't know if copying the Wigwam wool sock pattern in alpaca will work.

Pam tells me I may be making a mistake in expecting to treat alpaca just like wool. Certainly that's an issue and many spinners/knitters make errors when they try to treat alpaca like wool. They are different fibers with different properties and they need to be treated as such. This is something I have to keep in mind. That's one reason why I don't know if I can simply copy the Wigwam sock pattern in alpaca or if I need to do something else. (Copyrights and patents are another issue I haven't looked into yet.)

I discovered the yarn is a nice 4-ply wool without a great deal of elasticity -- confirming my opinion that the stretch that holds the sock up needs to come from the pattern rather than the yarn. I also discovered a second thread carried along in the knitting. This thread was present in the foot of the sock, but not the ankle. In most of the foot area, it was carried along and knit normally as in knitting two strands held together. However, in the heel, the strand was knit and then threaded through some sections which made unraveling difficult. Presumably, this strand provides additional bulk in the foot section and the threading through in the heel inhibits unraveling when and if the heal wears out.

So where to from here? I'm not about to try to hand-spin four -- actually five -- threads this fine to make a four-ply sock yarn. I guess I could try making a two-ply handspun of the appropriate diameter. Another option is to send some fiber out to have millspun yarn made and for sock yarn, this might be a better option. The next issue is that my knitting is not up to socks. I know the solution to that one -- practice.

I don't know what the answers are. I just know I'm frustrated with the price and quality of alpaca socks and I would like to find a way to make a better sock from alpaca -- I know it can be done.

In the meantime, I have a nice ball of yarn recovered from a wool sock.