Defarge Does Socks

And here we are for round two of the Defarge Does Shakespeare sock pattern preview! There are three more patterns, including one by yours truly!

First up today are Kate Atherley's Lear's Socks:

(c) Caro Sheridan

Kate knows her socks, and this pattern shows just how great a sock designer she is. Aside from the fact that this is a perfect pattern for a knitter to knit for the men in her life (meaning that it's plain enough that a picky man, such as my husband, to wear but interesting enough to keep the knitter from getting bored), this pattern is written for five -- yes, five -- sizes, so fit is never a problem.

(c) Caro Sheridan

Of course, my husband would ask for these in black or gray (the only sock colors he really wears), but isn't this red just fantastic?

Up next: Meg Warren's The Very Sole of Wit:

(c) Caro Sheridan

First off, who doesn't love a good pun? For that alone I like these socks. These appear to be another Malvolio-inspired knit, with cross garters very subtly suggested in the stitch pattern. While this yellow might be a bit much for the man in my life, I think he would wear these if they were knit in a much more subdued color.

Finally, here's the pattern I'm most excited about -- mine! These are Viola's Stockings:

(c) Caro Sheridan

It's been very hard to keep these a secret for more than two years, so you can understand why I want to shout about them now. These socks were inspired by the character of Viola in Twelfth Night, who, finding herself shipwrecked in a strange land and separated from her twin brother, decides to disguise herself as a man. These are knit from the cuff down and have two distinct stitch patterns. At the top is a beaded picot cuff and a flowery lace pattern to represent Viola's femininity:

(c) Caro Sheridan

This top part is easily hidden under a pant leg, though, showing only the lattice-like pattern on the rest of the leg and foot that is meant to be a man's stocking. My idea was that Viola, if she knit her own socks, might have that lacy bit hidden under her clothes to remind herself that she was still a woman under her disguise.

Well, that does it for the socks. You can see all the patterns from the book on Ravelry, and there's still time to preorder the book! You can also sign up for the Defarge newsletter here to find out more.