The Hexham Socks are an homage to the sheep breed that provides their natural woolly base: the Bluefaced Leicester. Bluefaced Leicester wool (also commonly referred to as “BFL”) is a long wool with incredible strength and beautiful lustre, making it a perfect choice for an all-natural sock yarn. No nylon (or mohair) needed here! The breed was established and concentrated early on around Hexham, England, before spreading further afield a couple hundred years later to Canada, the United States, and elsewhere.

The Hexham socks are worked in the round from toe up and feature arch shaping. Twisted stitches create stunning lines forming larger X’s across the front of the foot and leg, and also a mirroring cable up the centre back leg to match the centre front while providing some visual interest among the reverse-stockinette background. They are on the taller side thanks to a long chart repeat, and finish up with those same centre cables across the length of the ribbing. They are challenging enough for an established sock knitter looking for a fun and semi-mindless new project while not being overly complicated for a confident beginner.