These socks are perfect for keeping your feet warm as you roam through the cold stone halls of Doune Castle.

The costumes are one of my favourite parts of historical dramas.

Named after the historic Doune Castle, the inspiration for the Doune socks design came from the 18th century bodices which are a feature of the dresses worn in the Outlander series.

Overlapping diamond and textural cable motifs echo the criss-crossing shapes that are created by the bodice lacing. A hint of simple lace snakes its way through the diamonds, giving the socks a romantic, feminine feel.

The Doune socks are worked in the round and are constructed from the top down with an eye of partridge heel flap, which adds strength and gives a very subtle lattice effect to the back of the heel.

The socks start with my favourite long tail cast on, the twisted German or Old Norwegian cast on. This gives a neat cast on which is nice and stretchy but also durable - perfect for socks!

The cuff is then worked in a slightly offset rib, which keeps the cuff section interesting. The ribbing flows into the overlapping diamond cable and lace motif against a reverse stockinette background. A ribbon of textural twisted stitch panels border the diamond cables on each side. The diamond motifs continue down onto the foot, ending in a completed diamond before beginning the toe decreases.

The same motifs are repeated on the back of the leg, before moving into an eye of partridge heel flap.

Tips for working the pattern

Needles with sharp tips are recommended.
Because of the small gauge the pattern has been written using a cable needle to work the cables and twist stitches. However, if you’re feeling adventurous or comfortable with cabling without a cable needle then this could be a great pattern to practice this techinque.