This sock pattern is a tribute to the Grandmothers of my Grandmother who left the safety of their ancestral home in Devonshire in 1850, for the unknown promised land of Australia. Ahead of them lay a long 91 day journey, over 10,000 miles of sea travel. They brought with them the inner strength and resilience that they would need to survive this treacherous journey.

They also brought with them a knitting tradition passed down from generation to generation, and a passion for natural fibers. It is this tradition, passed onto me from my mother and grandmother, that drives my creative spirit and my love for knitting.

The motif of the socks is symbolic of the many long nights my ancestors lay upon the ocean, staring at the night sky, dreaming of an unknown future.

The beautiful wool used in the pattern is the Daughter of a Shepherd 4ply in the Brume (MC) and Heritage (CC) colorway. You will find it hard to stop smelling and feeling this wool long enough to get the socks on your feet. It is absolutely divine and soft, redefining for me what rustic woolly wool can feel like.

Rachel, who is the Daughter of a Shepherd, began her journey with the 2015 clip of the Hebridean sheep who graze Escrick Park Estate, shepherded by Rachel’s Father, John Atkinson. The company is firmly commitment to using only 100% British wool from shepherds and producers within the United Kingdom, and aims to support all aspects of British manufacturing in processing and production.

These socks are knit from the cuff down. The length of the leg can be shortened or lengthened by adding or deleting motif repeats. The heel is shaped using the heel flap method and the toe is grafted together with Kitchener stitch. Instructions are written for the magic loop technique.

We hope you enjoy them.