The Cedar Sparks Socks are inspired by the beauty of a lakeside bonfire. In the forests around the Great Lakes, Eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) trees are a common sight, and if you toss a sprig of cedar into a fire, it crackles loudly and creates sparks, like a tiny natural firework. This phenomenon is due to cedar wood’s high levels of moisture and resin. The moisture trapped in the wood expands rapidly in the heat, causing sudden pops as it escapes, and resin is an oily, highly-flammable substance, so when it is exposed and catches fire, it explodes, creating bright sparks that shoot away from it. (Always follow proper bonfire safety protocols; cedar wood should not be used for fires unless it has been thoroughly dried.)

Pattern Description

These socks use a combination of gently-clustered stitches and elongated cables to create a small spark patterns all over the fabric. This texture highlights the subtle colour details we all love in handpainted yarns. The socks also feature a rounded Chinstrap short row heel and a twisted-rib cuff. Both toe-up and cuff-down instructions are provided.

This pattern requires the knitter to be able to work a small circumference in the round (the pattern is method-neutral) and clearly explains all techniques required. Corresponding written instructions are provided for the charts.

Yarn Requirements and Sizing

Sizes available: Adult Small (Medium, Large) for foot circumferences of 18 (20.5, 23) cm / 7 (8, 9) inches — 56 (64, 72) stitches — with highly-adjustable foot lengths and leg heights. (If you are between sizes, I recommend sizing up.)

These socks are for fingering-weight yarn; approximately 275 (300, 325) m / 300 (325, 350) yards required for average foot lengths and equal leg heights.

The texture used in this pattern stands out on any colourway, but randomly-multicoloured yarns and speckled yarns are most effective.

These socks are rated 3/5 — Intermediate — on my sock pattern difficulty scale. This is because they require working a few uncommon stitches.