“A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest While gathering his bits of twine and twig…”

When I found out that I had a little one on the way, these lines from Mary Poppins wouldn’t stop dancing around and around my head. It’s such a sweet image: the little bird bobbing in and out of a hedgerow, carefully selecting just the right twig or the perfect bit of twine and then tucking them in, one by one, just so. The nesting instinct is very real, in people just as much as birds, and it’s a rather delicious feeling. It’s not frantic busyness, it’s not anxious fussing, it’s something much more rooted in contentment. A quiet anticipation. A gentle, interior insistence which drives you to daydream, plan, gather, and arrange everything just right before your adventure begins.

Any kind of new arrival can set you off on a nest-feathering mission. When our little cat Teddy was coming home, we feathered his nest with cosy beds, cute toys, and a generous stock of kitty treats. At the beginning of a new creative project, there’s a similar urge to find all the supplies you need, clear a peaceful space to work, and organize your ideas before you plunge in. There’s nothing like that happy bustling, except maybe the moment when you stand back and breathe a sigh of satisfaction and excitement. You’re ready.

About the Socks

The Feathering the Nest Socks feature a gentle texture created by the “Twine and Twigs” stitch pattern. A contrast colour cast on and toe add a pretty spot of interest. These socks are knitted cuff down and finished with a slip stitch heel flap and a rounded wedge toe.

Sizes

S (M, L) the sizes are measured on leg and foot circumference as the length of the foot is adjustable

Finished Measurements

Leg length 15cm / 6” from the cuff to the start of the heel

Leg and foot circumference 15cm / 6” (18cm / 7”, 20cm / 8”)

Gauge

36 sts and 48 rows per 4 inches/10 centimetres in stocking stitch worked in the round

Yarn

You will need approximately 70g (80g,100g) of fingering weight yarn for your main colour (mc)
and 10g (15g, 20g) of fingering weight for your contrast colour (cc) - I used a sock set from Elm Tree Yarns called Blackbird Nest

Needles

A set of 2.25mm needles for knitting a small circumference in the round or size needed to obtain gauge.

Notions

Stitch markers - different coloured ones may help

A cable needle

Darning needle to sew in your ends

Photography by Deb Hickman