No matter how old I get, how far away I am from my school days, the waning of summer always makes me crave new clothes. And new fall clothes, somehow, are always associated with plaids and tartans. I didn’t go to a private school, but I am a child of the 1980s, and I have a very soft spot for tartans.

This pattern is a nice gentle introduction to colorwork - after all, it’s really not much more than some horizontal stripes. The vertical stripes are worked with a single strand of the contrasting color that just rests in the back until you need it.

Being slightly perverse, I’m fond of odd-but-related socks, and have provided instructions for getting four different socks of varying degrees of matchiness from 4 skeins of yarn.

Not only do I change the positions of the colors, but I also change the positions of the vertical accent stripes. If you insist on making two the same, you can -- but where’s the fun in that?

Pattern uses one skein of each: #735 Lavender, #710 Blue Violet, #372 Tangerine, #535 Wheatgrass. Four skeins of the recommended yarn will give you four socks of varying “matchiness”.

Notions:

• Split ring marker or safety pin
• Stitch markers
• Stitch holder (optional)
• Yarn needle