Inspired by Swedish folk art, these socks are decorated with pretty bands of colourwork and Latvian braids
MAJA KARLSSON
“IN A large room at the Siggebohyttan homestead, a miner’s estate that is now a historical site and museum in Västmanland, Sweden, you’ll find the prettiest Dala paintings, made in 1838 by Kers Erik Jönsson from Lima, Dalarna,” explains designer Maja Karlsson. “The motifs are primarily religious and based on stories from the Bible. The borders framing the paintings caught my eye, and those were the starting point for my Siggebohyttan sock design.”
SOCKS
LEG
Using 2.5mm DPNs and yarn A, cast on 72 sts. Divide sts evenly over 4 DPNs and join to work in the round, taking care not to twist sts. Pm for beginning of rnd.
Begin with a Latvian braid: Rnd 1: *K1 with yarn A, K1 with yarn B; rep from * around. Rnd 2: *P1 with yarn A, P1 with yarn B; rep from * around.
NOTE: Hold both yarns in front of work throughout. When changing colours, bring new colour under colour just used. Rnd 3: *P1 with yarn A, P1 with yarn B; rep from * around. NOTE: Hold both yarns in front of work throughout. When changing colours, bring new colour over colour just used.
Change to yarn A.
Work in st st for 2 rnds (knit both rnds).
Now work around in pattern following Rows 1-33 of Chart, working sts 1-18 four times per rnd.
Using yarn A, knit 2 rnds.
Work in (K2 tbl, P2) twisted ribbing for 3cm.
Now continue in st st. Knit 1 rnd.
Decrease rnd: Dec 24 (20:16:12) sts evenly spaced around. 48 (52:56:60) sts.
HEEL GUSSET
Sts 1-24 (1-26:1-28:1-30) = instep. Sts 25-48 (27-52:29-56:31-60) = sole.
Increase at each side of sole as follows: Rnd 1: Instep: knit. Sole: K1, M1L, knit until 1 st rem, M1R, K1. Rnd 2: Knit.
Rep Rnds 1-2 until there are 46 (50:54:58) sts on sole. NOTE: End with Rnd 2.
HEEL
Work instep in st st. Pm between the two centre sts of sole.
Now work only on sole, back and forth in st st, decreasing to join at the sides as follows:
Row 1 (RS): Knit to mrk, K2, K2tog, K1; turn. Row 2 (WS): Sl 1, tug yarn, purl to
mrk, P2, P2tbl tog (= slip next 2 sts, one at a time, from left to right needle as
if to knit; slip sts back to left needle - they are now twisted
- and purl them tog tbl), P1; turn.
Row 3 (RS): Sl 1, tug yarn, knit until 1 st before gap of previous turn. K2tog with the 2 sts before and after gap, K1; turn. Row 4 (WS): Sl 1, tug yarn, purl until 1 st before gap; P2tog tbl with the 2 sts bef
