The Spjald socks are part of the book Socks of Iceland.

Old Icelandic socks were often plain and little decorated with the exception of a few colored stripes or vertical lines of purl stitches. If any embellishment was to be found in the traditional hosiery, that would be mostly on the bands that were used to hold the high socks in place. Those sock bands were often woven with tablet weaving, in many colors and all sorts of motifs in complicated brocading techniques. They were wrapped around the leg, above or under the knee.

I ran with that idea with the Spjald socks (spjald means tablet in Icelandic). Bands of motifs alternate with short rows to give the illusion of woven bands wrapped around the foot and leg. For a more striking effect, the socks are not symmetrical and the motifs in the different bands don´t align. Other than this visual effect, the socks are not constructed in any traditional Icelandic way: they start with a Midwest cast on and are knitted from the toe up with a short row heel.

The short rows in the leg and heel are however all worked with yarn overs as is commonly done in Iceland.

Sizes: 1(2,3,4)5,6 to fit foot 18.5(20,21.5,23)24.5,26 cm / 7¼(7¾,8½,9)9¾,10¼” in circumference.

Finished measurements
Foot circumference: 18.5(20,21.5,23)24.5,26 cm / 7¼(7¾,8½,9)9¾,10¼”.
Foot length 20.5(22,24,25.5)28,30.5 cm / 8(8½,9½,10)11,12
Recommended fit: zero ease and 15% in length.
Socks shown are a size 2.

Yarn: Katla sokkaband by Hélène Magnússon: pure new Icelandic lambswool with a dash of silk (1%), DK/sport weight sock yarn, 4 ply, non superwash, 100g skein = 220 m / 240 yds: 1 skein in each color

Yardage used (estimation)
MC, Raven black: 100(113,126,140)156,175 m / 110(123,138,154)171,191 yds
CC1, Palagonite ochre: 72(80,88.96)104,116 m / 80(88,96,105)115,127 yds
CC2 Arctic coral & CC3 Natural grey: 12(14,15,16)18,20 m / 13(15,16,18)19,21 yds