Vikings are cool, and so are the people who fought against them. Warrior women are even cooler, so when you have a woman who fought against the Vikings—well, that’s about as cool as it gets.
The inspiration for this design was just that sort of supercool woman: Aethelflaed of Mercia, a tenth century ruler who led in war AND peace. It features a slimmed down version of the Saxon Braid from Barbara Walker’s Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns, with twisted stitches to make the design pop.
When I originally charted it, I had no idea that I was actually tapping into the tradition of Bavarian Twisted Knitting! The resulting interlaced motif runs down the leg and the side of the foot. The remainder of the sock is done in a simple rib, making the sock practical as well as pretty. It is shown in a glorious red colorway created by Meadowlake Arts especially for this design.
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Yarn
Meadowlake Arts Fine Superwash Sock (75% Superwash Merino/25% Nylon; 437 yards [400 meters]/100 grams): Aethelflaed, 1 (1,1) skein.
Needle
Size US 1.5 (2.5 mm):DPNs or circulars
Or size needed to obtain gauge
Gauge
33 sts and 44 rows = 4” [10 cm] in St st after wet blocking.
Cable Motif is approx. 1.75″ [4.75 cm] wide and 1.4″ [3.5 cm] long after wet blocking, unstretched.
Size
7” [17.75 cm] long leg
S (M, L): 5.75 (6.25, 7.25)” [14 (15.25, 17.75)cm] foot circumference, unstretched
Notions
Stitch marker, cable needle, tapestry needle, stitch holder or waste yarn (optional).
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About the Designer: Jill Bickers
About the Designer: Jill BickersJill Bickers learned to knit when she was a teenager. Life intervened and she didn’t seriously pick up her needles for almost 20 years. Since then, she has pretty much always had knitting needles, yarn, and project bags near to hand. Her Works in Progress pile is impressive – almost as impressive as her stash! She knits while watching TV, listening to audiobooks, traveling, and anywhere else she thinks she can get away with.
She especially loves to knit socks. You can find her on Ravelry as Nobleknitwit and her designs at https://www.ravelry.com/designers/jill-bickers.
So pretty!
So glad you like them!