Yarn for socks

Sock yarn is usually wool with polyamide (nylon) added for strength at the heels and toes, and the same fine yarn works for light sweaters too; a self-striping pair is a quiet little joy to wear. Superwash sock yarns are machine washable if the ball band allows.

Superwash wool with polyamide, as in YarnArt Forza Solid and Alize Superwash Artisan, makes everyday wool socks, and YarnArt Forza Summer, which replaces the wool with cotton, is for warm-weather pairs. For thicker house socks, choose DROPS Fiesta.

Work the heel flap in heel stitch, slipping every other stitch on right-side rows: the slipped stitches thicken the fabric exactly where shoes rub.