Lithuanian forests are places of age-old magic and beauty that sustain not only humans, but also wildlife. With 60 species of mammals including wolves, foxes, otters, elk, wild boars, and European bison, and over 300 species of birds, including white and black storks, swans, owls, hawks, and cuckoos, Lithuanian wildlife is diverse and beautiful.

Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis (1875–1911) is Lithuania’s most beloved composer and artist. His symphonic poem, “Miške” (In the Forest), captures the natural beauty of Lithuania in sound and portrays the emotional attachment of the people to the land. Written in 1901, “Miške” was the first symphony written by a Lithuanian composer.

Like Čiurlionis’s symphonic poem, these socks represent the forest to me. The dark, variegated greens of the yarn representing the light flickering down through the leaves on the tall trees, and the diagonal lines of lace representing the shapes of the tree branches reaching to the sky overhead.