Scrappy socks

A scrappy sock is one of my most favourite things to knit.
A handknit sock is small and doable and when knitted plain its mostly round and round knitting with not much thought. They are also very practical.
Knitted in a self patterning or hand dyed yarn, the process is interesting and can be exciting as you see the colours come together - sometimes unexpectedly.
Scrappy socks take this colour excitement to another level - whether you semi-plan how you will use your small balls of yarn or if you blindly choose a ball to add to your sock.
I was inspired to knit my latest scrappy sock whilst preparing for a new batch of Mini Ball Bag kits. A sock 'recipe' is one of the projects included as inspiration in the Ball Bag kit.
For this one I used 6 different Opal mini balls (I’m a 6.5 shoe size).
I halved them (so I’d get a pair of socks that looked alike and had lots of patterns in one sock) and then I knitted each ball in turn.
I used a basic sock pattern. My current favourite My Favourite Vanilla by Meaghan Schmaltz. There is also a different free pattern available in the shop.
I must have knitted the leg a bit longer than usual on these as I nearly ran out at the toe!
I think these look a bit un-scrappy as 5 of the mini balls have a black fake fair isle print, so it looks like they were meant to go together.
This scrappy sock (made following the same idea) looks a lot more mismatched.

If you want to do something similar and you have a pair of handknit socks already, weigh them and then collect together the same weight (plus a wee bit extra) in sock yarn scraps.
OR you can buy some Opal 4ply mini balls (they come in 10g balls).
OR try our Mini Ball Bag kit which has 20 mini balls of Opal 4ply sock (enough for several pairs!) You can read more about this kit here
You can use this kit to knit scrappy mismatched socks or accessories or even baby jumpers and cardigans (200g of yarn will be plenty of two small baby items).
shades used in these projects may not be in the Mini Ball Bag yarn kit
You can also use the bag as a countdown to a special day. Or as motivation to get you through your gift knitting list. Or as a palate cleanser during a large never ending project. Or just because it's cute mini balls and lots of fun.
Each project bag is handmade and is filled with 20 mini balls. Each is unique and non repeatable.
You can dip your hand into the bag each day to pull out a surprise mini ball of yarn. Pick a project and knit each ball daily - creating unique and surprising colour combos.
Or you can empty out the bag and choose specific colours for a project... using similar shades, or clashing colours or even try and find a gradient effect.
It's suitable for beginners, although it does not teach you how to knit. It is great fun. But if you like things to match and you don't like random, it might not be for you.
You can see our current selection of bags here... the yarn is a surprise!
Description
20 mini balls of Opal sock yarn!
What more could you want?
How about a project bag and lots of ideas to help you make the most of your 200g of self-striping self-patterning 4ply sock yarn... remember sock yarn is not just for socks!
See the Mini Ball Bag in action here.
Included in this yarn kit:
- 20 balls of 10g/42m Opal 4ply sock yarn*.
- A cotton drawstring project bag (24cm x 33cm).
- knitting ideas, tips and tricks to get the most from your mini ball bag.
You can use this kit...
- As a countdown to a special day.
- Or as motivation to get you through a gift knitting list.
- Or as a cheeky palate cleanser during a large never ending project.
- Or as a gift for a yarnie friend.
- Or just because it's cute mini balls and lots of fun!
You can dip your hand into the bag each day to pull out a surprise mini ball of yarn. Pick a project and knit each ball daily- creating unique and surprising colour combos.
Or you can empty out the bag and choose specific colours for a project... using similar shades, or clashing colours or even try and find a gradient effect.
Opal sock yarn is a classic 4ply weight. It is a wool/polyamide blend giving warmth, elasticity and durability, as well as moisture wicking properties. And it’s machine washable too! But sock yarn is not just for socks. The patterning on this yarn works well on small items, like other accessories and baby garments. And it’s great held together with other yarn, giving depth and variety to yarn blending.
See the Mini Ball Bag in action here.
The Mini Ball Bag is suitable for beginners, although it does not teach you how to knit. It does feature only knitting patterns ('in the round') but the yarn and general principle will work for crochet patterns. It is great fun. But if you like things to match and you don't like random, it might not be for you.
*Because of the nature of self-patterning yarn sometimes balls can look very different on the outside but be the same shade! Every effort will be made to fill each bag with as many different shades as possible. There should be no more than 2 balls of any shade in each bag. This will be limited to maximum of 3 shades.
Get in touch
What do you think of our Scrappy socks. Will you make one?
Let us know if you need any more info.👇