Orchid Socks Bring More Fun with Cables and Lace

Just the other day I was talking about combining cables and lace to make a fun knitting pattern that uses lots of skills and brings different textures to the party, with the example of a cable and lace shawl. Here’s another version of the same idea, this time in socks.

The Orchid socks from Mirella Moments are worked from the top down, with a twisted rib stitch on the cuff and panels of cables and lace worked down the leg and the top of the foot.

It uses a heel flap worked with slipped stitches, a gusset for the foot and a wedge-shaped toe.

The pattern comes in a single size (a women’s medium, worked with 60 stitches). You could make it bigger or smaller by adding or removing a repeat, but since lace is stretchy there’s probably some variation in the size of feet this sock will comfortably cover.

The designer used a solid color sock yarn but I think this one would be pretty in a tonal yarn, too, or something multicolored with longer color runs. You don’t want a yarn that’s too busy or it will detract from the pattern.

This is a free pattern available from Mirella Moments.

Looking for more Sock patterns to knit? Check out our dedicated Sock Knitting Patterns board on Pinterest. A couple of great sock knitting patterns I’ve shared recently include Roam (If You Want to) and these shorty Sneaker Socks, which are a perfect way to use up leftovers from other sock knitting projects.

Or if you’re looking for a way to use sock yarn that isn’t socks, I’ve collected a whole bunch of shawl knitting patterns that use a skein or so of sock yarn. They’re perfect for that single skein you bought on vacation or on sale that you never figured out what to do with!

[Photo: Mirella Moments]

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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