Pair of hand knit socks featuring pink and black stranded colorwork on wooden sock blockers, held by a person over a light-colored background with scattered objects.
Person lying on a wooden floor wearing light-colored jeans and hand knit socks featuring pink and black stranded colorwork, with one foot crossed over the other.
A flat lay of two patterned knitted socks with wooden sock blockers, a ball of pink yarn with a strand leading to a cookie, a piece of driftwood, a rock, and a black yarn ball on a white textured surface.
A person holding a black and pink patterned sock with other socks and a small object on a light-colored surface in the background.
A person wearing colorful patterned socks sitting on a hardwood floor next to a mug of black coffee, a small rock, and a feather.

Mesa Dreams Socks

YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THE MOTIFS in these socks from my Mesa Dreams Tee. The Mesa Dreams series began as a short poem that I scribbled in a notebook one morning—a half-formed vision of dawn breaking over Utah’s southeastern desert, amidst the traditional territories of the Nuwuvi, Pueblo, and Timpanogos peoples.

Later I revisited the poem, this time envisioning the scene’s observer and what she might be wearing, how the colors and textures of the desert would translate into fabric. I sketched out a design involving allover colorwork and small-scale southwestern motifs.

I often travel with extra sock yarn (just in case!), so I knit a pair of colorwork socks as a “swatch” to test my idea. Then I put those socks away and mostly forgot about them—until I traveled to the desert once more…

The Mesa Dreams series is my textural ode to the Southwest, with the desert’s sparse beauty and muted hues knitted into every stitch. I am thrilled to add a pair of socks to this series. These just might be my favorite socks yet!

  • Design & Construction: The Mesa Dreams Socks are worked from the top down and feature a forethought heel. The leg and foot feature allover, small-scale southwestern-influenced motifs.

    Fit: These socks are designed to fit with approximately 0.25 to 1 in. (1 to 2.5 cm) of negative ease for a snug, comfortable fit. To choose your size, measure the circumference of your foot at its fullest point—typically around the ankle where it meets the foot. Then subtract 0.25 to 1 in. (1 to 2.5 cm) from that measurement. Select the size with a finished circumference closest to the result.

    Stitch Patterns: The stranded colorwork stitch patterns in this sweater are only charted, so you should be confident in your chart reading skills—or be open to learning!

  • SIZES
    (1, 2, 3)(4, 5, 6)

    FINISHED CIRCUMFERENCE
    The circumference as measured around the foot is as follows.
    (6, 7, 8)(9, 10, 11) in.
    (15, 17.5, 20)(22.5, 25, 27.5) cm

    These socks are designed to be worn with approximately 0.25 to 1 in. (1 to 2.5 cm) of negative ease. The sample is shown in Size 3 with 1 in. (2.5 cm) of negative ease.

  • YARN
    Light fingering weight

    Matching Pair
    MC: (35, 45, 55)(70, 80, 95) g/(140, 180, 220)(280, 320, 380) yds or (130, 165, 200)(255, 295, 345) m
    CC: (15, 15, 20)(25, 30, 35) g/(60, 60, 80)(100, 120, 140) yds or (55, 55, 75)(90, 110, 130) m

    - or -

    Mismatched Pair
    MC: (25, 30, 40)(45, 55, 65) g/(100, 120, 160)(180, 220, 260)
    yds or (90, 110, 145)(165, 200, 240) m
    CC: (25, 30, 40)(45, 55, 65) g/(100, 120, 160)(180, 220, 260)
    yds or (90, 110, 145)(165, 200, 240) m

    SUGGESTED YARN
    Les Garçons BFL Sock (100 g/400 yds (365 m)) – 80% superwash Bluefaced Leicester, 20% nylon

    Matching or Mismatched Pair
    MC: 1 skein (all sizes)
    CC: 1 skein (all sizes)

    The sample socks are knit in the colorways Moira’s Black Rose
    and Jill’s Dusty Rose.

  • Needle A (ribbing & stockinette): US 1 (2.25 mm)
    Needle B (colorwork): US 1.5 (2.5 mm)

    For each needle size, you will need 32 in. (80 cm) circular needles to work in the round using the magic loop method, or your preferred needles for smaller circumference knitting, such as short circular or double-pointed needles.

  • Measure gauge knit in the round, after blocking.

    32 sts and 42 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stockinette on Needle A
    32 sts and 38 rows = 4 in. (10 cm) in stranded colorwork on
    Needle B

  • German twisted cast on, chart reading, knit decreases, picking up stitches, grafting stitches together

Purchase the Mesa Dreams Socks pattern on Ravelry