Sock yarn is itchy—how can I make it soft?

The title pretty much says it all. Every now and then, I get hand-knitted socks as gifts. I don’t knit socks myself, but of course I’m happy to accept them as gifts. ;-)

But I always have a problem with the sock yarn. It’s often so itchy that I can’t stand wearing the socks on my feet. And that’s such a shame, because so much love and effort goes into those hand-knitted socks that it’s almost a crime to just leave them sitting in a drawer. Plus, in winter, hardly anything keeps you as warm as hand-knitted socks.

Can anyone give me a tip on how to make the socks soft?
Fabric softener and a lanolin soak haven’t really helped...

I’d be grateful for any advice.

Best regards
Michaela

I think it has a lot to do with the type of yarn used. Some sock yarns are just more itchy than others. That said, some people often prefer to use “sturdier” sock yarns because they’re more durable when subjected to heavy wear.
I hate to say it, because it sounds like a TV commercial. Fewa. It doesn’t work for everything, but it often does.

I’m not sure where my reply to this went. Well, here it is again:

Scratchy sock yarn is usually colorful Regia sock yarn or cheap sock yarn. But there are wonderfully soft sock yarns out there, e.g. from Comfort with cashmere, from Ferner with merino, from Austermann with aloe vera and jojoba oil, and from ApuKuntur with alpaca - all incredibly soft.

Michaela, try soaking the socks overnight in a sheep’s milk soap solution. Don’t rinse them; just let them dry flat. The lanolin from the sheep’s milk soap is then reabsorbed into the sheep’s wool fibers, which makes sheep’s wool items soft again.

Best regards
Traudelina

..P.S.: That’s exactly why I carry sheep’s milk soap in my store—because even with wool detergent, frequent washing eventually makes the wool stiffer. You should never use fabric softener, as it damages all fabrics, can trigger allergies, and is also harmful to the environment.

It probably has to do with the wool. I’ve noticed that if I rinse or wash the socks again with 20-degree water (in the washing machine), they become softer.

Best regards,
Jana

Thanks for the tips.
Regia is one of the most common sock yarns. I don’t understand why it’s used so often when it can actually be very uncomfortable on the feet at times....

That said, I’ve also had cheap yarn with the same virgin wool/polyester blend, and that was wonderfully soft... 

@Michaela
That’s probably because, what feels like 100 years ago, Regia used to be the best quality on the market. For a few years now, one of their production sites seems to have played a part in that..
But many long-time knitters still have that earlier quality stored in their minds. That “bonus,” however, has pretty much worn off by now.

Sock yarns typically consist of 75% virgin wool and 25% polyester. That has nothing to do with quality or softness per se; rather, it depends on the type of sheep’s wool used (e.g., mountain sheep’s wool is naturally scratchy) and how it’s processed. If merino wool is used, as Ferner does, and the micron count is improved at the same time, the quality of the yarn increases, which also affects its softness.

Hi Michaela,

my best friend is a passionate sock knitter, and I get plenty of them as gifts, too :-)
I also find sock yarn to be (slightly) itchy—and not just Regia. There’s a home remedy that helps a little: rain.
No kidding! When it’s really pouring, hang the socks on the line, knead them a bit, and let them dry. Feel free to do this more often (or leave them out longer during steady rain).
What you definitely shouldn’t do (because I’ve done it too): use fabric softener. That makes them stretch out really badly (depending on the yarn brand).

But the “leave them out in the rain” trick is an old Scottish trick for itchy wool sweaters, and it works for socks too :-)

@Schneckenkind 
That’s a funny tip. 
Since it’s raining a lot at the moment (at least here in Wolfsburg), I’ll give that a try. ;-)

Hey there!

I soak scratchy sock yarn in vinegar water—let it soak for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight. Then rinse it well and, if necessary, wash it with detergent for hand-washing delicates (or shampoo) to rinse out the vinegar smell.
That makes it nice and soft.
I also crochet children’s clothes with sock yarn (yeah, I’m such a terrible mom *laughs*) and none of my kids has ever complained about scratchy wool.
My hand-dyed sock yarn is treated with vinegar too—it’s much softer after dyeing than it was before.

Best regards

Nina, well then it’s clear why rain helps: it’s acidic, after all ;-)

And vinegar sets the color. I recommend using it when washing cotton items for the first time, especially if bold colors have been combined with white, as they tend to bleed onto the white parts.