Helianthus Socks

These stranded socks were knit with handspun yarn, but commercial fingering weight yarn works well too. Marigolds are a very popular flower in the midwestern United States, as are sunflowers (the Kansas state flower). Like my Helianthus Mitts pattern, the Helianthus Socks pattern pairs handspun marigold dyed fiber with a stranded colorwork design featuring a sunflower. In addition, the project uses handspun black walnut (the Missouri State Nut) dyed fiber, another local source of dyestuff found in the Midwest that is easy to use as a natural alternative to chemical dyes.

For information on how the fiber was dyed and spun into yarn for this project, see the accompanying article “Easy Methods of Dyeing Fiber Naturally with Ubiquitous Midwestern Plants,” originally published in Spin Off Magazine's Summer 2018 issue. The finished 3-ply yarns measured 13-14 ply wpi.

The pattern is written for a 9"/23cm long foot, but instrictions are given on extending the foot length if needed.