As I’m sure you are well aware, I really enjoy knitting socks. They are small, fairly quick projects and the wide variety of patterns allow me to try new techniques all the time. Sock knitting is also less expensive than knitting sweaters all the time (generally speaking), but it is far from cheap. I pay between CAN$10 and $20 for enough yarn for a pair of socks, but then you need to factor in the price of a pattern. They can range from free to about US$7, or whatever the cost was of the book or magazine the pattern is in. (According to my Ravelry library, I now have somewhere around 590 sock patterns…)
Compared to the 10 socks for $10 you can buy at Wal-Mart, it might seem crazy to knit my own socks. Of course, there is a big difference between the feel of the fabric of those socks and my hand knit beauties. But what about some of the socks in this article? You’ve got your €19.90/pair red socks made by a company who makes socks for the Pope, all the way up for $200/pair cashmere socks that can only be worn a few times before they give out (any knitter can tell you that you never make socks from 100% cashmere yarn!).
I think that my hand crafted, custom fit, exactly as I like them socks are a much better deal than any of those. But, I think the next time someone mentions that they would like me to knit them a pair of socks, I’ll let them know my prices start at $200.
Needleworker, Knitter, Crocheter, Sewist, Cricuteer, and more!
I do understand how expensive it is for us to do any kind of craft here in Canada. My Sister loves to knit socks too and I know she can pay a lot for the wool as well. This pair looks lovely so far.