Warm socks for women

Warm socks for women

Having cold feet is one of the most unpleasant experiences. Having cold wet feet is even worse. Finding a good pair of warm socks is akin to searching for a matching pair of socks that has been forever lost somewhere between the washing machine and the black hole of the legendary sock drawer.

So what makes for a good pair of warm socks? One of the main features of warm socks has to be a high percentage of natural fibre. What I really mean is that your socks need to be made from high quality wool.

I suffer with cold feet all year round so I am really well versed in that search for warm socks. I will happily share my tips so that you too can find a solution to having warm happy feet.

What is high quality wool?

By high quality wool – I mean something like merino lambswool. The merino sheep produce the softest wool and lambswool is the first shearing of the sheep, which ultimately produced a lovely soft yarn, so none of that itchy feeling.

But aren’t wool socks itchy?

If you have a good quality pair of socks made with merino lambswool, then generally you won’t find them itchy. There are some people who do find all types of wool itchy and in these cases, generally what they find is that they are allergic to the lanolin in the wool. In these cases, this is when I would recommend a pair of alpaca socks, as alpaca wool does not contain lanolin.

How do you look after your wool socks?

When it comes to washing natural fibres, it’s basically the heat or temperature of the water that is going to cause the wool to shrink and felt. So I always wash my socks on the coolest setting, such as 20 degrees, although you can go as high as a 30 degree C wash. The thing is, how much do you trust your washing machine? I can promise you that on my 10 year old washing machine that was fit for the scrap heap, I did lose a few woollies and would end up hand washing them. When that machine finally gave up and I bought a newer machine, probably with a good thermostat, the problems diminished.

How often do you need to wash your wool socks?

Another good question – where everyone is very conditioned to washing garments after one wear, simply because they have high content of man-made materials in them the bacteria and smells quickly build up. With a good quality pair of wool socks, because of the natural fibres, you’ll find that they absorb sweat and smells and you don’t have to wash them as frequently as maybe a synthetic pair. So while yes you do need to be a bit more careful when you do wash them, they need washing less frequently. Often a swill out in a basin tepid water is sufficient to freshen them up.

What are your favourite patterns and colours?

Pulling on a pair of new socks is such a joy and so it should be. What’s even more heart warming is finding a pair of socks that actually make you happy and put a spring, bounce or even a daring leap in your step as you start your day? I challenge you to do this with a dull pair of black socks. So it just remains for you to decide whether you want knee high wool socks or calf length socks.

Please leave a comment below about your favourite pattern of wool socks and colours. Do you prefer geometric shapes or animal patterns? Do you prefer pastels or dark colours.