5 of 5

Pattern: Generic 68 stitch toe-up sock

Needles: US size 2.5

Yarn: Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight-Amethyst

There it is: 5 of 5. I knit as many pairs of socks as was my goal for 2010. This is looking to be one goal I will exceed, as the sock knitting urge is coming over me again. That is very likely because this pair was a bit of a let down.

The socks themselves fit well but the yarn? Oh, the yarn. The yarn was gifted to me by an...eccentric acquaintance at our last duty station. I've been meaning to give some big box "inexpensive" yarn a try, so when she gave it to me, I decided that I had been saved from the bother of seeking some out. Good thing, right?

I'll tell you what kittens, I would never buy this yarn and am so glad I didn't pay money for it. Even at $3.99 per skein retail, it's not worth the money. At its 2/$5.00 sale price? Not. Worth. The. Money. It may be THE saddest yarn that has ever lived. For a blend that claims to be 50% merino, it has no spring or elasticity to it. And wearing the socks as I type, I can vouch that my feet are neither toasty nor cozy. I am drafty and clammy. Yarn fail.

It felt soft enough in the skein. But once I was working with it, it was icky and plastic-y feeling. All around, this yarn just felt, looked, and acted CHEAP. And let's face it, cheap isn't exactly a good thing. Bargains are great; cheap is bad.

And since I'm in the mood to do so, I'm going to nitpick a point: this yarn is not "self-striping" as a lot of misguided souls on Ravelry have called it. Self-striping yarns have long color repeats and true, horizontal stripes. This yarn self-patterns and creates spirals that mimic stripes going up the foot. I am not a fan of self-patterning yarn. I've used several now and none of them have won me over.

I hope my next pair of socks will at least keep my feet toasty and happy.