A few years ago I got overwhelmed by my back catalog, retired most of my earlier work, and launched Tiny Nonsense. That gave me space to make Cool New Stuff! But some people missed the earlier things, so I make many of the retired patterns available for a few days once or twice a year.

This particular pattern is old enough it’s probably never coming back. But if you want to hear when some of the others do, you can subscribe to the mailing list or patreon, or keep an eye on my instagram.

Cataphyll noun a specialized leaf whose main job is not photosynthesis

I sort of adore these. Most of the leg is nice easy ribbing (which means they’ll fit beautifully), but you’ve also got a column of lovely leaves down the outside of your ankle to keep you occupied. The column splits apart, and half continues down your heel while the other half goes skimming across the top of your foot.

The result is utterly charming. It’s just the right mix of fun to knit and ridiculously impressive looking. On the right feet, they might even qualify as dainty!

The pattern comes in four sizes (58, 66, and 74 stitch cast on) to fit most anyone. And of course you should feel free to adjust your gauge a bit to fine tune the fit of the sock. Just be sure that you’re working at a gauge that gives you a sturdy sock fabric with your chosen yarn. I recommend working at something around 7, 8, or 9 stitches per inch, and I’ve included a table to help you figure out what gauge you’ll want to use for the size you need.

These are perfect for you if:

• You want to do something special with your next pair of socks
• You love mirrored socks

They’re not for you if:

• You don’t like charts (the pattern uses charts)
• You hate swatching (you need to swatch to check your needle size)