80% wool, 20% nylon

165 m/50g

So far I have made two pairs of socks using the Norwegian sock yarn Sisu, and with another pair in progress I’ve decided that I have enough experience with it to write a decent review.  

HAND

Sisu’s hand is quite a bit softer than the sock yarn I’m accustomed to, and the yarn splits easily.  I don’t know anything about spinning but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Sisu is spun quite loosely.   Consequently, the plies on the needle sometimes spread apart, making it difficult to catch them all while inserting the needle to knit or purl. 

GAUGE

The yarn label recommends using  2.5mm-3.0mm needles.  I found the fabric produced on 2.5mm needles to be too loose – it seemed limp and liable to lose its shape easily.   This problem with gauge struck me as odd, because I usually use 2.5mm needles for sock yarn.  Regia, my default sock yarn, has almost 50 m more yardage per ball than Sisu, but knits up more firmly.   However, the socks that I made using 2.0mm needles were firmer and felt more durable, so my third pair uses the smaller needles. 

WEARING/USE

After one wash, the yarn pilled somewhat and got a bit of a halo (though nothing as elegant as mohair).  Air drying, which I find usually restores some shape and firmness to my socks, did nothing for the fabric’s firmness.   The socks definitely looked used, as if they had already marched a million miles.  However, the colours did not bleed or fade.  

I did not find these socks very scratchy or otherwise uncomfortable.  The ones made on 2.5mm needles softened up even more after the wash.  

CONCLUDING STATEMENTS

I don’t like this yarn at all.  The splitting annoys me, and the yarn’s immediate aging/pilling after only a few washes looked unprofessional.   I also find the yarn’s limpness/softness to be worrisome, and fear that the socks may lose their shape in the future.

The question for me in a review is always whether I’d buy the product again or not.  The answer here is definitely a resounding NO.  

Finished measurements: about 50 x 50 inches, after blocking

The center square is knit by casting on 3 stitches on the circular needle and increasing one stitch at the beginning of every row.

Increase row:
Knit 1, make 1, knit to the last stitch, slip last stitch with yarn in front.

Repeat this row until the triangle is as wide as you desire; I usually increase to about 160 or 170 stitches.

Decrease row:
Knit 1, k2tog, knit to the last stitch, slip last stitch with yarn in front.

Decrease to 1 stitch. Do not cut the yarn. Pick up 3 stitch for every 2 loops around the square; I pick up 2 then add a yarn over. Place markers at every corner to isolate the last stitch and first stitch of each side.

Purl the next round.

Knit the next round, increasing by yarn overs on each side of every marker.
Purl the next round.

Continue increasing until the shawl is as large as you like. EZ’s ratio for the Stonington shawl has each side increase to the same number of stitches as the width of the center square, so if you increased the center to 160 stitches then you would increase each side to 160 stitches or 160×4=640. However, keep in mind your chosen edging; it is easiest to increase to a multiple of those stitches. For example, my edging consisted of 16 rows, of which 8 rows were knitted on to an existing shawl stitch. I increased until each side, including the 2 marker stitches, had 168 stitches.

I use a temporary cast on for the edging and round the corners by using double joins as explained in Victorian Lace Today. Essentially this means knitting 4 edging rows for every 2 shawl stitches. For the shawl in the picture, I knitted 4 double joins over the first four stitches of every side, as well as the last four stitches = 2 repeats over 8 stitches.

Because I hate grafting, I use the three-needle bind-off for the edging.

1 skein Zephyr @ 2 oz/630 yards
50% merino wool, 50% tussah silk
circular needle @ 3.5 mm
two double-pointed needles @ 3.0 mm
4 stitch markers
waste yarn

Gauge: 4-5 stitches per inch on 3.5 mm needles, blocked
Features: triangular scarf knitted from the top down; knitted-on edging; picot cast off
Finished measurements: 110 cm across the top and 52 cm from bottom tip to top

With the circular needle, cast on 7 stitches.

Set-up row: Knit 2 border stitches, place marker, K 1, pm, K1, pm, K1, pm, K2 border stitches.

Row 1: K2 border stitches, slip marker, yo, knit all stitches to the next marker, yo, slip marker, K1, slip marker, yo, knit all stitches to the next marker, yo, slip marker, K2 border stitches.

Row 2: Slip first stitch purlwise with yarn in front, knit to end.

Repeat these 2 rows until you have 129 stitches between the markers – 265 stitches total.

The edging is Barbara Abbey’s Aspen Leaf. Cast on 10 stitches using a temporary cast on. Knit 1 row. Then, using 3.0 mm needles, begin joining the edging to the shawl by knitting through the back loop the last stitch of the chart (V) with one shawl stitch. Work one repeat over the first two stitches by working two double joins; then work 32 more repeats, all single joins. You will have reached the center three stitches and will work 1 repeat thus over these 3 stitches: 1 single join, 1 double join, and 1 single join. Then knit 32 more repeats. Over the last two stitches work 2 double joins.

Pick up one stitch for each slipped stitch along the top of the shawl. Undo the temporary cast on and knit across those stitches. Then cast off using the picot cast off. Block.

For more pictures click below.

Gauge: 9-10 stitches per inch
Size: US 8.5-9/European 39-40
Features: figure-eight cast-on, upside-down round heel, sewn tubular cast off

Pattern over 11 stitches:

Rounds 1-3: [p1, k1tbl] 5 times, p1
Round 4: p1, Right Twist, p1, k1tbl, p1, Left Twist, p1

Right Twist = slip the next 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, hold in front of work, k1tbl, p1 from the cable needle, k1tbl from the cable needle
Left Twist = slip the next 2 stitches purlwise to a cable needle, hold in back of work, k1tbl, p1 from the cable needle, k1tbl from the cable needle

Using the figure-eight cast on, cast on 20 stitches (10 on each needle). Divide over 4 needles.

On the next round, increase by knitting into the front and back of the first stitch on Needles 1 and 3, and the penultimate stitch on Needles 1 and 4. Repeat this round until you have a total of 44 stitches, or 11 on each needle.

Knit 1 round plain.
Knit an increase round.
Repeat these two rounds until you have 72 stitches, or 18 on each needle.

Knit 1 round plain.
On the next round, [p1, k1tbl] 6 times, knit 12, [k1tbl, p1] 6 times – these 36 stitches form the instep. Continue across the sole: k1tbl, knit across the rest of the sole stitches to the last stitch, k1tbl.
Repeat this round two more times.
On the next round, p1, RT, p1, k1tbl, p1, LT, p1

Continue knitting in the established pattern.
After knitting 16 pattern repeats, purl back across 34 stitches. These stitches form the sole. The k1tbl stitches on either side of the cables are NOT part of the heel.

Then knit 32 rows, ending with a purl row.
On the next row, knit 18, ssk, k1, turn work.
Slip 1, purl 3, p3tog, p1

Continue in this manner, knitting or purling the last stitch before the gap with the next stitch, until 18 stitches remain.

With a new needle, pick up 17 stitches along the heel flap, knit across the instep in pattern, pick up 17 stitches on the other side of the heel flap. When you reach the 18 heel stitches: k3, k1tbl, p1, k1tbl, p1, k1tbl, p1, m1 knitwise, p1, k1tbl, p1, k1tbl, p1, k1tbl, k3.

Divide the stitches evenly over 3 or 4 needles. On the next round, knit to the last 4 stitches before the cable pattern, k2tog, k1, k1tbl. Knit across the instep, k1tbl, k1, ssk.

Knit 1 round plain.
Knit 1 decrease round.

Repeat these 2 rounds until 73 stitches remain.

After knitting 9 pattern repeats from the heel, increase 4 stitches thus: knit across the instep, k1tbl, m1, knit 11, m1, k1tbl, knit the pattern, k1tbl, m1, knit 11, m1, k1tbl, knit pattern, k1tbl.

Increase on Round 1 every second pattern repeat (every 8 rounds) until you have 89 stitches. Then knit 8 rounds in pattern. On the next round, knit in pattern; [k1tbl, p1] 3 times, k1tbl, m1 purlwise, [k1tbl, p1] 3 times, k1tbl; knit in pattern; knit [k1tbl, p1] rib over the next 21 stitches; knit in pattern; knit [k1tbl, p1] rib over the next 21 stitches. 90 stitches total.

Continue with the ribbing, maintaining the established cable pattern for 12 rounds. Then knit 6 rounds of plain [k1tbl, p1] rib all around.

Cast off: Cut a long length of yarn about 35 inches long. The first stitch should be a knit stitch. With work facing, *insert needle into the knit stitch as if to purl. Then take the wool under that stitch and insert it into the next stitch as if to knit. Insert it through the first stitch – again – as if to knit. Slip the first stitch off the needle.

Thread the wool through the second stitch as if to purl. Then thread it through the first stitch as if to purl. Slip that stitch off the needle.* Repeat from * to * until all the stitches are worked.

If these cast-off directions sucked, go here for a better explanation (with photographs) or see Anna Zilboorg, Magnicent Mittens, page 134.

2 contrasting skeins Dale Baby Ull @ 50 g/175 m
100% merino wool
set of 5 double-pointed needles @ 2.5 mm

Gauge: about 7.5 stitches per inch
Size: US 9/European 40
Features: figure-eight cast-on, short-row heel, sewn tubular cast off

Using the figure-eight cast-on, cast on 20 stitches (10 on each needle) with Colour A. Divide over 4 needles: 5 stitches on each needle.

On the next round, increase by knitting into the front and back of the first stitch on Needles 1 and 3, and the penultimate stitch on Needles 1 and 4. Repeat this round until you have a total of 44 stitches, or 11 on each needle.

Knit 1 round plain.
Knit an increase round.
Repeat these two rounds until you have 68 stitches, or 17 on each needle.

Join Colour B. Do not cut Colour A; you can strand it up the side. [Knit 2, purl 2] over the 34 instep stitches on Needles 1 and 2; end knit 2. Knit 34 sole stitches in stockinette over Needles 3 and 4. Continue in the established pattern until you have knit 6 rounds with Colour B.

Knit 3 rounds with Colour A. Knit 6 rounds with Colour B.
After you have 8 stripes of Colour A, knit 3 rounds with Colour B. Do not cut the yarn.

Pick up Colour A again for the heel. Turn work and purl back across Needles 3 and 4 with Colour A. These 34 stitches form the heel.

Turn work and knit to the last stitch, wrap it and turn.
Purl to the last stitch, wrap it and turn.
Knit to one stitch before the wrapped stitch, wrap and turn.
Purl to the last stitch before the wrapped stitch, wrap and turn.
Continue in this way until 12 unwrapped stitches remain.

On the next row, work the first stitch and the wrap together. Turn work and knit (or purl) to the next wrapped stitch; pick up the wrap and knit it together with the stitch. For a better explanation of short-row heel technique, see here.

After you have lengthened all the short rows and have 34 live stitches on the heel again, drop Colour A and pick up Colour B. Knit across the instep stitches; then pick up one stitch in the gap between the instep and heel; knit plain across the heel stitches; pick up another stitch in the second gap. On the next round, decrease these stitches by knitting or purling them together. You should knit 3 rounds of Colour B after the heel, for a total of 6 rounds.

Continue in the stripe pattern as established until you have 15 stripes of Colour B. Knit 6 rounds of Colour A. Then cut Colour A and knit 1 round plain of Colour B. On the next round, [k1tbl, p1] to the end. Repeat this round for a total of 15 twisted rib rounds.

Sewn tubular cast off: cut a long length of yarn about 24 inches long. The first stitch should be a knit stitch. With work facing, *insert needle into the knit stitch as if to purl. Then take the wool under that stitch and insert it into the next stitch as if to knit. Insert it through the first stitch – again – as if to knit. Slip the first stitch off the needle.

Thread the wool through the second stitch as if to purl. Then thread it through the first stitch as if to purl. Slip that stitch off the needle.* Repeat from * to * until all the stitches are worked.

If these cast-off directions sucked, go here for a better explanation (with photographs) or see Anna Zilboorg, Magnificent Mittens, page 134.

Reverse the colour scheme for the second sock.