The Old Oak King Tale:

In Celtic mythology, the Oak King and the Holly King were twins, pitted against each other in a never-ending fight for supremacy. Oak Trees, sacred to the Celts, lose their leaves, while the Christmas holly trees are evergreen. As cold weather approached, the Celts marveled at how the evergreen Christmas holly trees, hidden amongst the leafy oaks the rest of the year, now stood out prominently on an otherwise barren landscape. The Holly King had won out, as it were, as the incarnations of his twin brother had shed all their leaves and stood naked in defeat. Every year at the Winter and Summer Solstices, these two fight for dominance. In actuality, these brothers are two parts of the same thing, the yearly cycles of the Earth. These two mighty kings fight a symbolic battle to win the Crown of the year. Despite being enemies, without one, the other would no longer exist

Sizes

Small (Medium, Large) to fit 18 (20, 23) cm 7 (8,9) inch foot circumference at widest point.
Foot size is customizable with chart repeats to fit your size.

Yarn

For this pattern I used Adriafil Calzasocks, 75% superwash virgin wool, 25% nylon poliammide. 50g skein = 210 m (229 yd).
Other Yarns suitable: Cascade 220 fingering, Olann Sock Lite, Studio Donegall Darnie.

Yarn Requirements

• MC: 1 50g skein in color 44, anthracite
• CC: 1 50g skein in color 58, beige

Tension

34 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm 4 inch over stockinette
36 sts and 30 rounds = 10 cm 4 inch over stranded colorwork pattern
38 sts and 35 rounds = 10 cm 4 inch over unstretched rib (k1,p1)

Needles Suggestion

• 2.25 mm US1 circular needle or DPN
• 2.50 mm US1.5 circular needle or DPN

Note: Needle sizes are just indicative. For best results please swatch first and choose a needle size that works for you!

Other Materials

Darning needle
3 stitch markers

For more information, see: http://www.irishfarmart.com