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April 27, 2021
I was browsing Instagram a few months ago when I came across these socks. They weren’t released yet but I knew I wanted to make them for this project. They incorporate some techniques I was interested in trying out (a Latvian braid and an Estonian inlay technique) that could include color without stranded colorwork or intarsia. I had to wait for their release (and to finish up last months socks) but I picked the pattern up as soon as I was able.
These are the Ambering Sock from Summer Lee Design Co. It features a Latvian braid under the cuff and dragonflies along one side created using an Estonian inlay technique (roosimine). I used Earl Grey Fiber Company’s Darjeeling sock yarn in a OOAK colorway that I picked up last year and some remnants from January’s socks, Black Cat Custom Yarn Workhorse sock yarn in Midas.
The Latvian braid involved holding the two yarns to the front of the work and spiraling them one way for one row and then the other for the next; it gets very twisted for a bit but then untwists itself by the end.
For the roosimine, I brought the contrasting color in front (held double) while I worked the main color and then moved it to the back to create the bars that make up the dragonfly. The tutorial in the pattern was easy to follow and provided good pictures to supplement the descriptions. The pattern has different dragonfly directions depending on which foot and whether they’re going up or down. I opted to go with my right sock having all the dragonflies flying down and those on my left flying up. I thought it would be fun to have them slightly off from each other.
Other than these techniques, the rest of the socks were straight forward. The only other slightly new thing was that start of the heel flap was a little different, the first two stitches of the first row are slipped before going into the heel flap pattern. I liked this method as it kept the number of slipped stitches on the side more even which made it easier to keep track of which ones to pick up stitches through.
The only mistakes and deviations I made were really minor this go around. I forgot a decrease in the toe that I eventually compensated for and added an extra stockinette row on my left toe because I was worried the sock might be a hair too snug (my left foot is slightly longer than my right). And the orientation of dragonflies and number on the leg which but those are flexible in the pattern anyway. The only thing I might change for future versions or anything else with a Latvian braid is shifting the beginning of round after the braid so that the jog is in the center back of the sock rather than on the right side.
I really enjoyed knitting these socks, they came together pretty quick (just a bit over a week) and I enjoyed learning and applying the new techniques. I’d like to explore them more, maybe doing some more elaborate roosimine designs. Overall, I’m very happy with how these came out and they might be my favorite so far. They have a bit of color (but not too much) and a bit of texture (but not too much) in fun little details which feels very “me”.