Egyptian Socks by Nancy Bush

Egyptian Socks

Knitting
Sport (12 wpi) ?
18 stitches and 19 rows = 2 inches
in colorwork pattern
US 2 - 2.75 mm
490 yards (448 m)
women's shoe sizes 6-8
English

Note: This pattern is an updated version of the Mamluke Socks in the 1994 edition of Folk Socks.

Summary: Written for 5 double-pointed needles with short-row heel, star toe.

Additional Yarn Information: 1 skein #674 Atlantic Blue, 1 skein #500 Natural.

From the book:

The inspiration for these decorative socks comes from the collection of the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. The socks are typical of Islamic footwear of the fifteenth to sixteenth centuries. On the original socks in the museum, a band of simplified Kufesque letters (an early form of Arabic script) above the heel and before the toe shaping spelled the word for the Kufic name of God. I have replaced the original stitch pattern in these two areas with a geometric diamond pattern that works well with the other patterns. The heel is shaped similar to a Round Heel, although it is worked with a series of simple short-rows. The toe is shaped with four pairs of blue decreases in each decrease round, with a natural colored knit stitch between each pair. These socks were called Mamluke Socks in the first edition of Folk Socks: I believe Egyptian is a more appropriate name.