These socks are inspired by the socks found in the tomb of Eleanora de Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de’Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Her crimson silk socks are amazingly well preserved.

 

They were knee-high with turned down cuffs. The lozenge patterned cuffs on this adaptation are NOT turned down and the motifs have been reduced in number of stitches due to gauge differences.

Yarn Requirements: 100 gram ball of sock yarn. I used Opal (75% Superwash wool/25% polyamide) (425 meters) in color 1997-13. 

 

Suggested Needles: US Size 1 (2.25mm) and US Size 0 (2.00mm) double points (sets of 5) or size needed to obtain gauge.

 

Gauge: 17 sts and 25 rows per 2 square inches in stockinette on US 1's and 19 sts per 2" on US 0's.

 

Finished Size: 6.5" from cuff to top of heel flap. 12" around upper cuff. 9" around foot. 9" from heel to toe.

 

Techniques Used: This pattern uses the following techniques: knit, purl, k2tog, k tbl, yo, placement and slipping of markers, slipped stitches, twisted stitches, p2tog, ssk, psso, and sl2-k1-p2sso (centered double decrease).