I’m experimenting with Lycra. My first trial was with Cashmara Laceweight – 590 yds/4 oz.
To compare against, I took a pair of socks already knit from the same batch of yarn, in this case size XSmall (Ladies’ Shoe 4 – 5).
For my trial pair I added a single strand of 140 denier lycra, fed through a bit of sponge crammed in the second feed hole of the yarn mast, thence through the final feed slot and heel spring along with the sock yarn (so, the same way I use Wooly Nylon).
I knit my trial pair on the same cylinder (54) using the exact same pattern and the exact same tension as the comparison pair.
Here are my results (with-Lycra sock on top of non-Lycra sock):
You can see the foot on the lycra-d pair is about 5.5″ long and the width of the sock ~2.75″ – so this would be about Kids’ size 9 (foot length of 6″) – 10.
Both the non-Lycra and the with-Lycra pair are washed on gentle cycle and dried flat.. I don’t have kid size blockers, so only the XS pair is blocked.
The with-Lycra pair has the lycra right from beginning to end, including the Kitchener stitching (which was a little finicky but only took me a few extra minutes and this was my first effort.)
I’ve read anecdotes from others about steaming to activate the lycra. I tried steaming and it didn’t have an effect – so either I read about some other kind of lycra, or using it under tension (by feeding through the bit of sponge) took the place of the steam.
I’m going to try repeating this exercise, but without adding any tension to the lycra – and see what difference(s) occur.
I’d be pleased to hear the experiences any readers have had with this stuff.
When I use lycra I use a modern knitting machine tension mast, run the lycra through one tension disk, the yarn through the other tension disk, each one through an individual wire antenna.
To activate the lycra I wash in warm and run through a hot dryer, sometimes it takes twice to get everything shrunk up nicely.
Right now I’m making baby socks with a laceweight silk/merino wool thread and lycra. I’ve also successfully used 3 cobweb weight cotton threads and 1 lycra thread to make beautiful super lightweight summer socks. Very fiddly to graft though.
I use a very fine cobweb lycra, not so much as to make them smaller, but to add to the memory, give them a bit more body, so I add no extra tension when I use it. I have made up identical socks and had them for classes out of the same yarn in the same size, the socks are slightly smaller after washing but stretch to the same size as non lycra socks, but what I like most is at the end of the day these socks hold their shape better. I use it for the whole sock, and I use it also in all of my fingerless gloves, as I want it tight around the fingers and to have it keep its shape wear after wear without washing. Now if I’m knitting cotton, I’ll use the cotton covered lycra that really shrinks up with moisture and heat. Your socks will not be in the toes of your shoes! This has a bit more shrinking power than my everyday lycra. It has gotten to the point that I don’t like to wear socks that don’t have the lycra in them. So there is my 2 cents worth on lycra.
I have made many experiments with adding tension and steaming…. I think that it depend on the type of lycra. I use the very fine filament (not sure what gauge) I found the the best is to NOT feed it through the tension spring or a sponge, but rather to let it run freely through just the last feeder loop into the yarn. A quick wash then activates the lycra, but does not shrink the sock to a different size. I also only use it in the cuff and not the whole sock.
Thanks for sharing.
I’ve got two thicknesses of lycra now. The thicker one definitely makes a much smaller sock – knit with a little added tension. The lighter weight version add some elasticity but doesn’t size down, at least with what I’ve tried so far. I haven’t tried steaming this one. I have, however, run it through the washing machine with no surprises. The heavier lycra ‘shows’ which I don’t care for. The lighter one seems invisible to my old eyes.
I’ve been trying to find the 140 denier lycra and haven’t been able to, except for colored ones. Is it available in an ‘almost clear’ to go with different colored yarns, or do I need to buy specific colors? Also, I would really appreciate if you could guide me in the right direction on where to find it. Thank You.
The 140 lycra – whitish – is barely visible in some colours of yarn, like the bright green and pale blue cashmara socks I blogged about. In darker yarns, such as some deep purples in Lorna’s Laces shepherd sock it was quite visible.
I ended up getting a much finer 20 D whitish lycra that I’ve used with Noro Taiyo, and recently some other yarns. It doesn’t show at all that I can see. It also doesn’t add as much stretch as the 140.
So my inclination is to use the 140 when I really want to shrink down, as in for children’s socks, and to just be aware of what colours hide it better.
The 20D, on the other hand I’ll use for adding some elasticity but without down-sizing, such as with cottons, milk yarns and noros. Some have told me they find this lycra helps the socks keep their shape over time. I don’t have enough experience to comment on that – though I will as I made myself a pair using it yesterday, and I’ll blog about those soon.
The 140 lycra I found online, and didn’t seem to keep the link – but I seem to recall just googling lycra. The 20 I got from a friend who got at an auction and had an extra cone that I pried out of her hands ;o)
I haven’t seen or tried coloured lycra.
I too am looking for some cobweb Lycra; can anybody help me?