The ‘Grand Depart’ of the 2014 Tour de France comes to Yorkshire & the excitement is growing! I will be watching on Day One as the racers speed through Hawes in Wensleydale & as part of the crafty activities that spin off (no pun intended) from the Tour I intend to add five patterns inspired by the five Yorkshire Dales that Le Tour will race through on Day One.

Wensleydale Sock is a lacy summer sock. It includes broad sweeps of pattern that fit in with the wide sweep of the upper dale and micro details reminiscent of the details in the dale such as the winding stone walls and the steps in the river & stream beds. Wensleydale is a ‘pretty’ dale, not wild or bleak and this is a pretty sock.

The lace pattern is knitted over 8 rows & is fairly easy to memorise. The centre pattern is continued down onto the foot. I have knitted the first sample pattern in a self patterning yarn but I think it would look equally good in a plain or shaded yarn - maybe a primrose yellow for a feminine take on the ‘Yellow Jersey’?