destash: unicorn sock yarn

Hey there. I'm almost done with my first pair of
socks ever. See pics here:
http://www.knitoncastoff.blogspot.com.
I must say I'm a bit put off by sock yarn prices. As
in, "oh my sweet [insert appropriate noun here],
$20-$40 a pair??? Ack!"
I can say that I really like socks, but heaven forbid
I should ever use anything but sport weight yarn.
What is it about sock yarn that makes it so expensive?
Is it the color? Or that it is tiny? Is it spun by
unionized faeries out of sustainably harvested unicorn
down?
Where do I go to get affordable sock yarn? Is it
worth it to even look on the internet, given shipping
costs? Can someone with very little disposable income
even consider a sock yarn addiction? Eeek!

Hello! and a question

Hi everyone,

I'm one of the newbies to sock exchanges, and I am so excited about getting a pair of hand knit just for me socks.

Here's my question: my pal really needs machine washable socks, but I only hand wash my socks so I don't know what to use. I know that some yarns claim they are machine washable (like Cherry Tree Hill, which is one of my favorites), but I haven't been brave enough to put wool into the washing machine. Do any of you know a great, wool blend, yarn that machine washes like a champ?

Thanks!

welcome!

Welcome to the home of sockapalooza four! Blogger cannot, it turns out, handle a blogging community this large, so we'll probably end up using this blog much less than I had imagined. Certainly those of you without blogs should be able to use it to post your progress but those of you with your own blog may find it easier just to post updates there. I will continue to use this blog to share info about sockapalooza. Once the usage dies down, those of you who have had problems posting may find it worth trying again. And for all of us, my techguys have worked out an awesome system for staying in touch with each other and following everyone's progress. Info coming soon!

We will be posting our updates here this time. Everyone has now been sent a Blogger invite to join this blog. If you have a problem with your invite or didn't receive one let me know (alison AT knitsmiths DOT us) and I'll resend it. Follow the instructions in the invite and then start posting! (Never used Blogger before? Here's Blogger Help and Dummies Guide to Blogger.

You can write full posts here or just refer folks over to updates on your own blog. Link to your flickr or Photobucket progress pics too. Use the labels provided at the end of the post so we can keep track of progress updates and finished sock posts, etc.