Never Thought I’d Fall In Love With A Pair Of Socks, Yet Here We Are

Cynthia Wears Her Alpaca Socks By Nuna (Photo by Ed Lefkowicz)

Cynthia Wears Her Alpaca Socks By Nuna Knits (Photo by Ed Lefkowicz)

I don’t have to tell you that this winter has been a particularly cold one. It is not easy to be stylish when you can’t put your arms down.

Then I met Nuna Knits at the Real NYC Market in Soho. And now I am in love with my alpaca socks. Washing them out at night has become a ritual, as has slipping them on in the morning.

Nuna Knits Founder Peggie Ehlers’ farm-to-fashion company features skillfully designed and hand-spun yarns and woolen products. Her hand-knit garments are made from original patterns designed to suit the unique traits of the fibers used to make the yarns. She also studies the human body to create the best and most flattering fit for her sweaters.

Maybe I should be writing the story of all the fibers in Nuna’s collection because each one has a fascinating and thoughtful story. However, Peggie is a natural story teller, and I invite you to visit her at the designer market and have a chat about each merino sheep, alpaca, and cashmere goat, or every individual farmer and knitter who make up her supply line. I will simply whet your appetite with dreams of soft, cozy things.

WIN Alpaca Socks by Nuna Knits

Win These Socks! Let’s start with those socks made of beautiful alpaca wool cultivated in the US. They are manufactured in the US and hand-finished on the heels, cuffs and toes for durability. These socks keep my feet warm but not hot. I gave a pair as a birthday gift to my friend Cynthia (those are her feet in the photos above and below), and she can’t stop wearing hers either.

These socks are also great for working out or hiking. I use wool socks for running year round, and those socks are not nearly as soft and comfortable as the Nuna socks. You’d think wool socks would be hot and scratchy, but I’ve found them to be quite wonderful. I suppose the Swiss have known this for centuries, but we’re all stuck on polyester here. (If anyone from Paragon Sports is reading this story, call Nuna!)

Peggie is providing a pair of these amazing socks as a giveaway to Markets of New York readers! (You can pick the size and color.) Leave a comment below or on Facebook, and I will pick a winner randomly on Sunday, March 9 at 11:59 PM!

Yarns Designed For Their Own Fiber Properties: Peggie is very sensitive to the types of plant or animal fibers she uses in the yarns she designs, and how they work together. She builds her yarns with the final knitted product in mind, for example, yarns that are draping and not bulky, warm but not stifling. She also has an eye for lovely colors and combinations. The yarns she creates all feel marvelous. “If yarn or a sweater is itchy, don’t buy it,” she advises.

Nuna Knit Felted Triple Milled Soap Lasts 4-6 Months!

Felted Soaps That Last Forever: Once again, Peggie’s attention to detail has resulted in a line of remarkable soaps. The Provence triple milled bars of soap are made by a family in California that has been making soap since 1845. The father grew up in France and brought the soap business when he moved to California. All the ingredients are organic and made in the US, except for the traditional fragrances (green tea, lavender, verbena and Mandarin), which may not all be organic and come from Provence.

Each bar is covered in felted Saxon wool, which is the finest luxury merino in the world at 15.5 microns. When the drying agent in the soap evaporates, the bar becomes emulsified like whipped cream. The woolen bar feels like play-doh (you can play with a soft bar at her tables in the market). Each felted bar lasts 4-6 months!

Nuna Knits Dryer Balls (Photo by Nuna Knits)

No More Chemicals In Your Dryer: Peggie just added a new line of dryer balls to her woolen products. The balls are about the size of tennis balls, and they are made from felted New Zealand wool. They come in white, light pink and blue. Remarkably, when you throw them in the dryer with your wet laundry, they absorb the moisture and reduce drying time. They also eliminate static, and they pretty much last forever.

And I haven’t even talked about Nuna cashmere. The image I posted on this Weekend’s Market Picks is unspun cashmere, with a spool of fine spun fibers, all resting on 10 x 10 swatches of knitted cashmere. It is all so soft that touching it makes you want nothing more than to curl up and take the greatest nap of your life.

Real NYC Market is closed this weekend for repairs and renovation in their market space. But visit Nuna there most weekends and touch everything on her table. Follow Nuna Knits on Facebook for updates.

And don’t forget to leave a comment here or on Facebook to win a pair of Nuna Alpaca Socks! Join the Markets of New York City Mailing List for a second chance to win!

Many thanks to Photographer Ed Lefkowicz for contributing the photo of his wife Cynthia in her Nuna socks.

~Karen Seiger, Markets of New York City