A welcome addition to our Yarnsmiths family - here comes Merino Sock Hand Dye! Padding into view now, you’ll marvel at the gorgeous variegation in each beautifully soft skein. Featuring a glorious collection of shades, each colourway will be perfect for your next sock-knitting adventure, but the super-soft feel of the yarn could also conjure up sweet baby garments or home accessories.

Please note: Due to differences in dye distribution between batches, the images shown may not exactly match the yarn you receive. The nature of hand-dyed yarns means that even skeins from the same batch will not be idential to each other - this is not a fault, it is part of the appeal of hand-dyed products! Due to the distribution of colour throughout the skeins, please also be aware that it is difficult to knit a pair of identical socks!

This yarn is supplied in a hank which requires winding before use. Attempts to use this yarn from the hank, rather than from a ball, will result in tangles, knots, and frustration!

Why Merino Wool? The benefits of sheep’s wool have been known and proven for centuries. It is a good insulator and is breathable, transporting moisture/sweat away from your body without feeling wet (hydrophilic fibres). It is naturally antibacterial, requiring less washing than synthetic fibres, and is both natural and sustainable. In addition to the normal benefits of sheep’s wool, Merino is relatively lightweight, doesn’t itch, and is unbelievably soft, making it the perfect fibre for garments to be worn next to the skin.

Caring for Merino: One of the benefits of natural wool products such as Merino is their natural antimicrobial properties, meaning garments can be worn regularly without the need for frequent washing, as would be the case with a synthetic fibre garment. Merino fibres are breathable, meaning they wick sweat away from the body and don’t trap odours. Superwash Merinos, such as Yarnsmiths Merino Sock, are machine washable, but should not need to be washed at higher than 30 degrees, ideally on a hand wash setting. Drying garments is where we recommend taking particular care, so as not to allow the garment to stretch. Dry flat, and reshape when damp if necessary. Technically they can be tumble-dried on a cool, gentle setting, but we advise caution on this, as some tumble driers still can be quite aggressive, even on a gentle setting.

Where does the Merino originate? Our Merino is sourced from Australia, which is where the vast majority (roughly 85%) of the world’s Merino originates. Australia is home to approximately 70 million sheep, nearly three quarters of which are Merino, and is known for producing some of the best quality, soft, fine-fibred Merino wool. We only use Merino certified by the AWTA (Australian Wool Testing Authority) as being non-mulesed. We hope that as more and more companies adopt this stance, the practice of mulesing in Australia will eventually be phased out completely.