Stripy socks with a hidden secret: Depending on the angle you look at the socks, the diagonal lines are almost invisible or they are a prominent feature.

Sizes
Women’s S, M and L to fit leg circumference 16.5 (18.75, 21.25) cm 6.6 (7.5, 8.5)”. Leg length and foot length are adjustable.

Material
2 skeins of fingering weight yarn with high contrast and a yardage of approximately 400 m (437 yds) per 100 g
Used in the sample: MC – Cascade Yarn Heritage in colourway Pine #5608, CC – Tausendschön Handgefärbte Sockenwolle 4-fach in colourway Niels
2.25 mm / US size 1 DPNs or circular needle(s) for your preferred way to knit in the round
2 stitch markers, darning needle

Gauge
34 sts /44 rows = 10 cm/4” in Stockinette stitch

The socks are knit in Illusion Knitting technique, also called Shadow knitting. From one angle the socks look like simple hooped socks, but from another angle the hidden motif of diagonal stripes appears. The effect is created by the shadow caused from the raised purl stitches worked throughout the pattern.

The socks are knitted top down with heel flap and gusset. Cuff, heel and toe are worked in main colour only; leg and foot are worked alternating between two rounds in main colour and two rounds in contrast colour.

There are individual instructions for left and right sock. The terms ‘left’ and ‘right’ refer to the direction in which the stripes slant only; you can choose to wear right and left sock on whichever foot you prefer.

You can choose to work the pattern from charts or written instructions.