Here is a pair of Medium socks, knit with the 72 needle cylinder on the Verdun 47.

The yarn is Austermann Step colour #134. 75% Wool 25% Nylon with Aloe Vera and Joboba Oil infused; 420 m/100g

I chose this one from stash as I’m doing my Valentine knitting.  I’ve got lots of bright reds but selected this one for its deeper, rusty reds.

I find the Step yarns to be amongst the most friendly to the antique sock knitters – the gauge is a little finer but it is also very consistent and flows through with ease. Perhaps the infused oils have some kind of lubrication value.

For beginning knitters that are ready to move on from the cheap stuff to a higher end yarn, this would be a good place to start, due to its forgiving nature ;o)

Here is a pair of Low Pressure socks, knit with Austermann Step, Duett series, colour #54.

75% Wool 25% Nylon, 420 m/100g; infused with Aloe Vera and Joboba Oils.

This bespoke pair is a ladies shoe size 8, knit with the 72 needle cylinder on the Verdun 47. Normally I’d do a ladies 8 on the 54 cylinder, but in this case I needed a more generous width in the foot.

The leg is done in a 3:1 mock rib up to about 20 rows before the heel.

There is no ‘topper’ on my Low Pressure socks – instead I knit only two rows and then hang the second row on the first – so in reality a very very short hem top.

The tops on these socks will curl a little to the outside, but they will not roll down. So no pressure on the top. In addition – the mock rib will give a stretchy leg that will hug but with no purl stitches to create pressure points.

The colours in this yarn are reminiscent of Opal’s Brazil 2001 – one of my all time favs.

Nothing borrowed and nothing blue.

But this Austermann Step, colour #07 is an old favourite of mine from the original series.  75% Wool  25% Nylon with Aloe Vera and Joboba Oil infused into the yarn.

On a recent Stash-Up I grabbed a bag of it. Truth be told, I love all of the original Step colourways.

This pair is size XL, knit with the 72 cylinder on the Verdun 47.

And this is colour #51

Just in time for spring, these wake-me-up colours are just what the doctor ordered to treat many winter weeks without sun!

This pair is size M+, knit with the 72 cylinder on the Verdun 47.

The Step yarns are a treat to knit – they flow through the sock knitters like a hot knife through butter. I do find that I need to vaccuum the csm’s after every dozen or so pairs as there gets to be a build up of powdery fluff, which I presume is from the oils.

And I refuse to answer the question, “can a vaccuum suck the needles right off a sock machine?”.