The Mrs. Bennet Socks are the tenth in a collection of patterns named after women from Jane Austen novels. I like to design the socks with an eye to what the character might like to knit. Elinor has a lot of time to sit and think, but I imagine that she might like to distract herself from her misery with an attention-demanding lace pattern, all the while making something pretty.

These socks are worked from the cuff down. They are written for magic-loop knitting and include a heel flap and gusset, but feel free to substitute your own style of knitting and preferred heel method. The irregular ribbing (follow the chart/instructions!) blends as seamlessly as possible into the lace pattern for a nice effect. The lace pattern is included only on the top of the sock - the back of the leg and bottom of the foot are in plain stockinette.

You can even work this pattern from the toe up, although the lace pattern will be flipped around. This likely will not detract from the pattern’s affect. I would not recommend simply flipping the lace chart, as this does not work to switch the direction of lace and will mess with your decrease directions!

My sample of this was knitted in Quince and Co. Tern in the colorway Beach Glass, but can be knitted in any fingering- or sock-weight yarn you like. For an average-to-larger sized woman’s foot, you should find that one 100-gram skein will suffice.

This pattern includes charted lace instructions and written instructions for each row of lace are also included in a separate document for download. I hope you find it accessible! Please contact me at barnabyknits@gmail.com with any questions.