Sole Mate by KREMKE

Sole Mate by KREMKE is a soft, durable sock yarn that swaps conventional polyamide (nylon) for biodegradable polyamide (nylon), making it a more environmentally conscious choice without compromising on performance.

Made from 75% virgin wool and 25% biodegradable polyamide, it has all the qualities you want in a great sock yarn: excellent stitch definition, resilience, long-lasting wear and machine washability at 30°C.

With 420m per 100g, one ball is enough for a pair of socks in most adult sizes. And because it's a classic 4-ply fingering weight, it's equally suited to shawls, garments and accessories.

Why biodegradable polyamide?

Traditional nylon is incredibly strong, but that's also its downside. It can remain in the environment for decades after it's discarded.

Biodegradable polyamide has been engineered differently. Its molecular structure has been modified so that naturally occurring microorganisms can break it down much more efficiently at the end of its life, while still retaining the strength, flexibility and durability needed for everyday use.

Will it biodegrade in my yarn stash?

No.
Biodegradable polyamide is designed to remain stable throughout the life of the yarn. It only begins to break down when exposed to the specific conditions required for biodegradation, including moisture, microorganisms and elevated temperatures. A skein stored in a dry cupboard isn't exposed to those conditions, so it won't slowly degrade while it's waiting to be knitted.

For us, it's a sensible compromise. We still wish nobody needed synthetic fibres in sock yarn, but if we're going to use one, we'd much rather choose one that's designed with its end of life in mind.

End-of-life solution:
The best approach is to direct the sock to a textile collection or recycling/valorisation system at the end of its useful life, in order to recover materials whenever possible and avoid unnecessary waste. If no recovery solution is available, disposal in landfill would have a lower environmental impact than with conventional nylon, since biodegradable nylon is designed to degrade more rapidly through the action of microorganisms under suitable conditions.