What could be better for tramping along a frosty path in a pair of boots and Herdwick wool socks. Durable and warm, Herdwick wool is an ideal pairing with boots and wellies. Walk the dog and hop over stiles in these.
It’s a kempy (hairy) wool, which unsurprisingly, knitters don’t tend to favour for snuggly scarves, jumpers and cardigans. It’s a little tickly, but I believe the hair in a sheep’s fleece helps it shed water. When sloshing through muddy puddles, or walking long distances, letting your feet breathe and stay dry is all good. So, I assume the yarn must be good for boot socks. If you’re walking in the Lake District, then you’re likely to walk past the sheep that gave the wool. If you like locally distinctive yarn, with their Nordic ancestry, Herdwicks are important in our reservoir of genetic diversity. See Herdwick and Swaledale Yarn, Local Cloth, Local Landscape.
If you’re a non-knitter, you may want Ready-made Herdwick products, although socks made from pure Herdwick wool are sadly lacking.
These were quick to knit in aran/worsted weight wool, so I decided I may as well knit a pair for my husband, Andy. Though I knitted a pair of socks for myself in Herdwick wool, for the second pair (green), I rooted out some pure wool skeins from the loft. I don’t know if this is a particular breed of wool as I bought it from a charity shop some time ago. It was a lucky find as I rarely find pure wool in charity shops. I’d not used it as, like the Herdwick, it seemed a little itchy for a woolly jumper or cardigan. At any rate, it’s a suitable manly colour and seemed to have the qualities I described in #Swatchalong: Herdwick swatch.
Herdwick Wool Slouch Socks
The pattern is from Classic:15 timeless designs to knit and keep forever by Erica Knight, called ‘Slouch Socks’. I knitted them as one flat piece and seamed together. As I’ve only previously knitted socks in the round, I thought I might end up with an ugly, ungainly seam rather than an invisible seam, but by using grafting, it turned out fine.
No-Nylon Sock Update
I didn’t knit any nylon in with these socks – they’re pure wool, but since knitting these, I’ve reviewed my no nylon sock knitting tricks. I’ve darned them since, so I’ve used one of my tricks, and reinforced the sole with running stitch in the same yarn.
If I were to knit another pair, though, I’d spin a 3 ply yarn with slightly higher twist than normal, for a more durable yarn. That would save me from having to reconfigure the pattern with a tighter gauge (another way to knit a more durable sock). Re-thinking sock knitting, so that pure wool socks need less mending, rather than constant mending, is another arrow in the bow for a mending culture revival. You’d be more inclined to skip the knit-in nylon, or mixed fibre sock wool, if you use old, tried and tested sock knitting ways.
Ready-made Herdwick
I’ve looked hard for ready-made (shop bought) Herdwick wool socks for non-knitters, but I can’t find any. All I can find are mixed fibre socks (including synthetics) that are called Herdwick socks because they sport motifs of Herdwick sheep.
However, though you may not find true Herdwick wool socks, it’s been getting more attention lately. James Rebanks who wrote The Shepherd’s Life: A Tale of the Lake District has done much to draw attention to these iconic sheep. It may also be that smallholders, crofters and small farmers, who raise Herdwicks, are increasingly on social media. As are small businesses selling artisan, and more unusual goods. They’ve been getting some limelight – and some of them have now sell Herdwick stuffed mattresses, woollens, and more. I’ve listed some small businesses selling other Herdwick products in Herdwick and Swaledale Yarn, Local Cloth, Local Landscape.
They’re simple, functional socks, but they have a pleasing quality that is hard to find in regular shop-bought socks. We have just come out of a brief cold snap, during which they were very welcome!
