Finished size
Medium (Large) 8”/20 cm (8 ½”/22 cm) circumference after blocking

Yarn
John Arbon Textiles Exmoor Sock 4 ply
60% Exmoor Blueface Superwash 20% Corriedale Superwash 10% Zwartbles 10% Nylon
50 grams 200 meters per skein (218 yards)
2 (3) skeins or 435 (475) yards or 398 (430) meters of fingering weight
Yarn usage will vary depending on length of leg and foot
Shown in Fairy Thimble in size Medium

Gauge
36 stitches over 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette

Needles
US 1 (2.25 mm) or size to obtain gauge, double pointed, set of 5

Notions
Two unique stitch markers
Cable Needle
Tapestry needle

Welcome to the April Full Moon Sock!

With April, winter has loosened its grip, for the most part. As I write, we had two minor ice storms in the last seven days that made everything look as if made from glass. Yet, the trees are budded and ready for the warm days around the corner. The Celts also called April’s full moon the Pink Moon, so it is fitting to knit this month’s socks in the delightful Fairy Thimble in Exmoor Sock. The cable and purl ridges are inspired by the gansey patterns of Filey, in North Yorkshire. Traditional Filey patterns often feature a simple cable and purl ridge or other knit and purl design. Classic horseshoe and rope cables make great texture but are easy to work. Simple, effective, and oh so satisfying to knit.

Full moon folklore is a legacy of many cultures and persists today. These sock of the month patterns celebrate the Celtic themes surrounding the full moon. Many of the Celtic full moon names are shared by the Anglo Saxons and Native Americans. As the monthly patterns unfold, you will see how I was inspired by each moon’s theme and was also inspired by the incredible color range of Exmoor Sock yarn which I used exclusively for each month’s sample pair of socks. So inspired, in fact, that there are three bonus patterns to be released later in the year so I could continue to play with Exmoor’s luminous and nature-inspired palette, and you get more sock patterns!

As a designer who specializes in cabled knitting designs, most of these socks feature cables in some form. Designing an Aran at the miniature scale of socks is no easy task and I found that simpler is better to save myself from frustration and allowing me to offer more than one size of sock each month. Each month’s theme allowed me to really distill my ideas to a spare but emotive design. To offer a bit of respite, there are gansey inspired socks as well that are only knit and purl patterns to offer us a bit of a break throughout the year. I hope you enjoy knitting these socks as much as I have enjoyed designing them.