Sock blanks - Like them?

I am knitting from a sock blank for the first time and a quick google said I should be able to knit directly from it without balling up the yarn first. But the yarn is so kinked, it’s giving my sock-in-progress a weird bumpy texture. Is this normal and will get smoother after a wash (this is superwash yarn)? I have some more of this yarn in a different colorway that I rolled into a ball to get rid of as much of the kink as possible. See if that improves things…

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I love this site; I’m constantly reading about stuff I never knew existed. Sock blanks! I was picturing white sock you could embellish, but the reality is interesting, too.

I don’t knit, so can’t guarantee my response, but most fibers do relax with wet agitation (aka washing).

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I’ve had the same experience as you with the kinking. It did wash out, but I hated knitting with it. I hadn’t tried winding it.

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Yeah I’m not enjoying the knit process either. The kink makes the yarn feel rougher too than it’s original state in the blank. You give me hope! :crossed_fingers:

I really hate the kinks…I do wind it on my winder…it is an extra step, but I like the process of knitting and it does feel “spongey” to me and I tense up to knit it…

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It evens out in the wash, but for the smoothest knitting experience you can just treat it as unraveled yarn. Wind into a hank and tie in a couple places to secure. Soak and then hang to dry.

I’ve knitted a plain sock straight from the blank, and while the fabric comes out a bit uneven while knitting it was nice that the roll stayed put and didn’t roll like some skeins of yarn.

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I don’t understand how people enjoy working with them. Yeah they’re pretty, but the picture on them is gone when you knit it up. And knitting with ripped out kinky yarn is not pleasant for me. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

The bumpiness is normal, and yes it does even out in the wash. But I think you will get a more consistent and accurate gauge with yarn that hasn’t been kinked up in a blank.

I had no idea what they were either! Very interesting.

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I had a project I ripped out and the yarn was super kinked. I ended up winding it into a hank and dyeing it. Once it was wet and hung up, it straightened back out again. I wasn’t looking forward to the kinky knitting.

I once crocheted some interesting yarn, washed and dried it, then unraveled it to make kinky doll hair. I realize that doesn’t answer your question in any way, but felt the need to share. :wink:

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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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