These socks reflect historical use of color in Fair Isle knitting. In addition to the natural colors of Shetland sheep, imported natural dyestuffs were originally used for blue and red, and local plants were used for yellow. With the advent of aniline dyes in the late nineteenth century, a host of new colors became available and were used in bold and sometimes garish combinations. Marking the intersection of the old with the new, I combined soft sheep’s gray and lichen yellow patterned with a brilliant Norwegian star. I couldn’t decide which color to use for the heel; hence the name morroless, which means “unmatched” or “odd” in Shetland dialect.

Errata: Two skeins of MC are required, plus less than one skein each of 7 other colors.