With the book Socks of Iceland, Hélène Magnússon is reinventing the tradition of socks in Iceland. Taking inspiration from old Icelandic socks, historical patterns, but also traditional Icelandic mittens, the book contains 17 socks patterns with a definite Icelandic flair. The socks involve all sorts of techniques and constructions that will ravish beginners and more advanced knitters alike. The book also draws a complete history of sock knitting in Iceland.
For more info, please visit https://icelandicknitter.com/product/socks-of-iceland

HILDUR SOCKS
The oldest known written socks instructions in Iceland, were consigned by Skúli Magnússon, first bailiff of Iceland and founder of Reykjavík, sometime between 1860 and 1870 when he was living in the isle of Víðey. The instructions are for 3 pairs of top-down high socks, reaching above the knee and shaped to the leg. Historian and costume maker Guðrún Hildur Rosenkjær í Annríki, recently underwent a reconstruction of those 3 socks. Although the socks may seem all rather similar at first glance, a closer look shows that the greatest attention is given to the shaping of the leg, around the ankle, the calf, the knee pit. The carefully thought sets of increases and decreases are placed at the back of the leg and/or on the sides, to perfectly fit different types of legs.
Skúli´s instructions don´t give any indication however about the heel or toe.
My Hildur socks are not reaching above the knee and aren´t by any means based on Skúli´s instructions. I simply wanted to create a well fitted knee sock that perfectly fits around any leg. I achieved this by placing the shaping of the calf and knee pit, not at the back of the leg or on the sides, but at the front, within a very elastic lace motif that keeps growing larger. To make it easier to achieve the right length, the socks are knitted from the toe-up with yet another sort of band heel. The lace motif in the middle of the instep runs uninterruptedly from the fantasist toe all the way up to the cuff.
I was thrilled to bits to be able to test the sock on an old wooden sock blocker dating 1800-1900 in the Árbær Museum: they were a perfect match!

Sizes: 1(2,3,4) to fit shoe size EUR 35-36(37-38,39-40,41-42). Shown in Size 3.

Finished measurements
Foot circumference after blocking: 20(21.5,23,24.5) cm / 8(8½,9,9¾)
Foot length, adaptable: 18(19,21,24) cm / 7(7½,8¼,9¾)”
Recommended fit: negative ease 2,5 cm /1” in circumference and 15% in length.
Height above heel (from end of gusset), adaptable: 40 cm / 16”

Wool
Katla sokkaband by Hélène Magnússon: new wool, pure Icelandic lambswool with a dash of silk (1%), DK/sport weight sock yarn, 4 ply, non superwash, 100g skein = 220 m/ 240 yds: natural white, 2 skeins

Yardage used: 275(305,360,400) m / 300(332,395,437)