The Cottars Almanac pattern for January is….socks! I spent the month churning out pair after pair of these.Chilly toes in January call for socks and the grey skies send me stash diving for the brightest jewels of (usually impulse bought) sock yarn in my stash and socks that are easy fitting and substantial enough to wear with boots. With stripes of simple rib to give a close fit in all the right places, my January socks have the simplicity to show off the fanciest indie-dyes, but with enough interest to keep you nicely hooked, so that they fly off the needles onto your feet.

Skills Required
Tubular 1x1 rib cast on (optional); knitting and purling in the round and flat; turning work mid-row to create short rows; pick up and knit along row ends, decreasing using ssk and k2tog; Kitchener Stitch.

Yarn required
400m/ 440 yds 4 ply sock/fingering weight or 4ply yarn- yarn amounts are approximate due to variations in foot size.
Sock/fingering weight yarn will result in a lighter, somewhat closer fitting sock (see variegated sample worked in Old Maiden Aunt 75% superwash merino, 20% nylon, 5% stellina 4ply) while a slightly heavier, more traditional 4ply yarn will give a warmer, chunkier sock more suited to wearing with boots (see solid colour sample, worked in Blacker Mohair Blends 4ply).