Folks in New Zealand have found a good use for Possum Fur. The possum is an introduced species in NZ with no natural enemies, thus proliferating out of control and threatening the very existence of the NZ forests.

Solution:

This is a Possum Sock Yarn, produced in NZ and marketed in North America by Browning and Wolff.

50% Merino 30%Possum 20% Nylon. Approx 475m/100g – so I’d call it a light fingering or heavy lace weight. I’m not sure how its made, but it appears to be a single ply semi-felted yarn. The possum fur gives it a halo as you find with a mohair blend.

The label suggests a cold delicate machine wash and hang dry.

The cone I bought is in colour Natural.  They do carry it in dyed versions as well.

These are both Size Small, knit with the 72 cylinder on the Verdun 47. I set my tension comparable to my setting for Cashmara Lace – the possum isn’t quite as fine, but it seemed to like this setting. So I used my same pattern as for Cashmara – basically adding 10 rows to the leg and foot over what I would knit in a fingering weight (which I would do on the 54 cylinder.)

On the top pair I knit a 1:1 rib topper and then switched to stockinette. The finished socks, rested from knitting but not washed or blocked, were about 3.75″ wide. I usually shoot for 3.5″ in a Small size. The extra width isn’t massive, but enough of a difference that a narrower ankle would find this a bit loose. Of course, a wider ankle would appreciate the extra room!

On the bottom pair I used the same pattern except I went to a 3:1 rib for the leg and the top of the foot. Naturally the ribbing gives a rested width of less than the 3.5″, but allowing the ease of the ribbing makes it, IMHO, bang on!

Both pair are the same colour – my pics imply a difference, but there is none. Its a really nice heathery-tan.