The Ambient Socks are the 2nd pattern in the Handmade Sock Society Season 3 collection.

It’s the sort of sound that’s carried on the wind. The type of music that subtly invokes a specific emotion. The kind of lighting that can make a room feel cosy, intimate, inviting.

Ambient is an interesting word. It comes from the Latin for “surrounding, encircling.” Used in turn by great scientists and inspired poets, it has a gentle reputation but holds a secret power. The things it describes are so all-encompassing and so much a part of our environment that we barely notice them consciously. And yet, our environment has immense influence on every part of our lives, our moods, and our creativity. When you change your environment, you change your world.

The Ambient Socks offer an absorbing knit, with eyelet lace on the front of each sock, continuing down the foot, and a textured pattern on the back. The stitch patterns have been chosen to make the most of even highly variegated yarns, spreading and diffusing the different colours. An eye of partridge heel flap and gusset and a round toe in contrast colour finish things off: I love to use up scrap sock yarn or minis this way. There are three sizes to choose from, and as always the pattern is easy to adapt if you prefer a different heel or toe so you can always find a great fit.

SIZE:
Small (Medium, Large)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS:
To fit approx. foot circumference of
7 (8, 9)” /17.5 (20, 22.5) cm

YARN
Main Colour: The Walk Collection Tough Sock 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon; 100g = 425m/465yds 1 x 100g skein
Colour: Cosmic Chaos

Contrast Colour: The Walk Collection Tough Sock Mini 75% superwash merino, 25% nylon; 100g = 425m/465yds 1 x 20g mini skein
Colour: Propolis

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Medium Size, 10.5” length sample used approximately:
Main Colour: 66g, 281m/308yds of
fingering weight sock yarn

Contrast Colour: 11g, 47m/52yds of
fingering weight sock yarn

NEEDLES
2.25mm (US 1), 100cm (40”) long circular needles (or size to obtain
gauge) for magic loop method or DPNs if preferred

NOTIONS
Tapestry needle
Stitch markers

GAUGE
32 sts/46 rounds = 10 cm (4”) in stockinette stitch