I designed these socks in response to Clara Parkes’s request for me to “pull out all the stops and make a pair of indestructible socks that you could wear to the top of Mt. Annapurna.” The fact that I’d never make it to the top of any mountain aside, I think it will take a long, long time for these socks to wear out.

The leg and instep are worked in the two-row slip-stitch pattern commonly used to add strength to heel flaps. The last inch or so of the heel flap, the heel turn, and the toe are worked with two strands of yarn held together. The sole of the foot is also worked with two strands of yarn in a technique Mary Snyder used for her Padded Footlets in Favorite Socks (Interweave, 2006). Even if you don’t plan to climb mountains, you’ll find these socks extremely comfortable (and warm!).