Lambswool Turncuff otks
If you’re looking for a warm wool sock to keep your feet and legs warm this winter, get the Lambswool Turncuff OTK. These are a thick knit sock, reminiscent of old socks that your granny would knit by hand for you. At first they are a bit itchy and tight to get on, just as their page mentions, and they weren’t quite long enough for me to turn a cuff down. I don’t usually pull my socks up very tight, but in writing this review I realized they should be able to have a cuff turned over, so I tried to pull them up much higher and what a nice surprise! I got at least an extra 2-3 inches in height. Which I promtly turned into a cuff. Once I pulled them tight they easily came over 4 inches above my knee. I guess the fibers needed to *warm up* to become more agreeable. Amazing what happens when you pull your socks up isn’t it? ;)
Made from 72% wool and 28% nylon, I was a little worried about itchiness before I got them on. For testing I put one sock over a nylon to try and reduce the itch, while the other sock was worn on bare skin. The one on bare skin *warmed up* better and I was able to pull it higher than the other sock. Interestingly, the sock on bare skin stopped itching completely so the nylon under the other sock became unnecessary. In fact, it became uncomfortable as the toes on that foot got colder. Wool has the amazing ability to retain body heat. So, hey, let’s learn some about wool shall we? :)
edited from wikipedia.org:
Fibers with a fine crimp have many bends and usually have a small diameter. The number of bends per unit length along the wool fiber approximately indicates spinning capacity of the wool.
Because of the crimp, wool fabrics have a greater bulk than other textiles and retain air, which causes the product to retain heat. The amount of crimp corresponds to the thickness of the wool fibers. A fine wool like merino may have up to a hundred crimps per inch, while the coarser wools like karakul (a corser wool used mainly in Asia for rugs) may have as few as one to two crimps per inch. Wool possesses much greater ability to return to its natural length after being stretched than any artificial fiber.
~In water or steam, wool can stretch to about twice its length without breaking.
~It is difficult to ignite and has low flame spread and heat release properties. (A woollen rug has protected a horse from severe burns when his trailer caught on fire.)
~Wool has the power to readily absorb and give off moisture. It can for instance, absorb moisture up to one-third of its own weight. Synthetic fibers can only absorb 2-3 per cent of moisture before they begin to feel wet.
~Wool absorbs sound and reduces noise level considerably making it an ideal material to use in such places as concert halls to attain the best acoustics possible.
~The retention of moisture within the fabric prevents a build-up of static electricity.
~The tensile strength of wool gives it a very high resistance to flexing stresses. This feature enables wool to pass through severe processing without undue waste, and allows the manufacture of a durable fabric.
~Wool does not conduct heat, but acts as insulator to keep the body at an even temperature.
~Wool and sheep have not undergone any genetic modification. (Except Dolly the cloned sheep)
~Wool is generally a creamy white color, although some breeds of sheep produce natural colors such as black, brown, silver and random mixes.
So, wool is the perfect fiber for warm winter socks! I think the Lambswool Turncuff OTK are a fabulous sock! They’re long, beautifull and comfy cozy. I can see both men and women enjoying these socks. The marling is just gorgeous & the black has alot of blue in it. It’s quite beautifull. The feet fit my 6.5 feet just a touch loosely in the toes, so I’m thinking they’d fit a size 7-8ish perfectly. There’s big thick ribbing all the way down to the toes, yet the soles of the feet are a smooth knit, so you’re not walking on ribbing. Which can hurt after awhile.
After a washing they got even softer and more dreamy. But beware: because they are wool, heat and movement while wet will make these shrink up, so best to let them soak & dry flat. But they should also work well with wet stretching if any of you need to do that. These also stay up well too. They’re made by Hot Sox and come in 3 colours. At $17.00 a pair, it’s a wonderfull winter sock.
January 4th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
Those look very comfy and warm! I just had to order a pair! Very nice review! :)
January 5th, 2008 at 12:57 am
whenever i click the link, i get a 404 not found…anyone else getting this?
January 5th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Aaaah. So beautiful, so informative, so totally convincing! Excellent excellent review Miss R =))))
If I ever move to colder weather those would be first on my list.
January 5th, 2008 at 6:49 am
I’d never get ‘em on over my tree trunks. Oh well. C’est la vie!!
January 5th, 2008 at 7:45 am
yes i have two pair including this gorgeous blue/black…great great review…they are rather snug on me but they do seem to somehow “grow”to fit me perfectly…i have a size 10 footsie so the range of these seem fabulous….and they are very very snuggly warm….i havent tugged them tight so i will have to try that and see if i can get a cuff out of them…your pics are beautiful….so artsy…geez if that is your home i am jealous of the simple clean beauty of it….on my long list this year is to simplify….beautiful beautiful beautiful!
January 5th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Nice review!!!
I love that first picture.
We haven’t been able to get these properly restocked, but I’m still trying.
Yeah, I see the 404, it’s because Rebeckah linked them from when they were on the latest items page, I’ll go in and fix it…
January 5th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Oh I didn’t know the links changed. Sorry about that. I’ll be sure to link better next time. Thanks for fixing it for me.
And thanks for all the nice comments. I’m glad my home looks clean because just between us, it’s a mess. …These socks are so nice & I wish I would’ve followed my own advice about washing them. They got into the main laundry pile and shrunk a little bit in the wash. Not nearly as much as I would’ve expected as they’re just a bit tighter now and I think a wet stretching will get them back to normal. Has anybody tried wet stretching these?
January 5th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Rebeckah, how tall are you? Or, better yet, how long are your legs? I’m wondering how high these would go on me. Any comparisons to the O Woolies?
January 6th, 2008 at 12:43 am
I have no willpower whatsoever. LOL I just ordered these in brown melange. :) Such a pretty mix of shades in all of the color choices!
January 6th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Elizabeth, I dug out my O-woolies just for you! & I remembered what a great sock those are! I have so many pairs that sometimes my not-top-faves get overlooked. The o-woolies come a wee little bit higher, are much stretchier, wash better and are not as itchy. I’m so sorry to say this, but I like the o-woolies better. The Lambswool though has those beautifull marled colours, and thick thick thick warm wool. I really think the Lambswool is best as a handwash item & I have issues with doing laundry. lol.
I’m 5′3″ with about 30″ inseam. Almost 16″ to the bend in back of my knee from the ground. I think I have long legs? I’m also shooting with my new wide angle lens which can distort how things look, but I like that warped-artsy look so much! :D
January 6th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
ps- I have the owoolies in small
January 6th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Thanks so much for the comparison! I own several pairs of O Woolies (in small, I’m a size 7 shoe). It’s been so cold here lately that I’m looking for the warmest socks possible! Wool is a fabulous thing–although I am a little paranoid about how well the sheep are treated during their lives…
I think I’ll invest in more O Woolies!
Thanks, Rebeckah!
January 7th, 2008 at 11:01 am
Lovely photos, Raubynn.
January 7th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I’m sorry, I mean Rebeckah.
January 7th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
I got my Lambswool Turncuff otks today. They are so very comfy and warm. Thank You again Sock Dreams Team… my toeseys are very nice and warm now! :)
January 8th, 2008 at 10:08 am
Oh man. I am so excited for the wishlist feature.
And you just reminded me of how I want to knit~
January 9th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
thank you & I’m happy to help. :) & pssssssttttt: there’s oodles of new goodies in the sale & clearance page!
January 11th, 2008 at 8:05 am
thank you Mz R for the clearance heads up! my all time favorite sock of any sock ever in the world is the boy sock in medium - fits my feet puuuuuurrfectly!!!! sadly i have had my heart broken with the news they are being retired…sigh. well, stocked up some….wish i could have bought them all but the only green i am aplenty on is the lime green socks ;)
love yas!
January 29th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I just got my first sockdreams delivery last Saturday. One of the pairs was the brown melange and I LOVE them. So cozy and SO warm… and the colors are beautiful. Just like you said, they were a little itchy at first and then totally soft and cozy the rest of the day (and that was before I washed them). I think they are my favorites of the 5 pairs I got.