It is entirely within the realm of possibility that I have read too many fantasy novels. This may explain why I think of elves every time I see a sock pattern with twisted, travelling stitches. I just imagine elves wearing socks that have twisted stitches that weave in and out of each other as well as travel around the sock.

For that reason, I chose to name this pattern Neldoreth after the beech forest on the banks of the River Esgalduin that formed the northern and lesser part of the Kingdom of Doriath in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. Lúthien was born there during the Years of the Trees. It was the place, during the First Age, in which Beren first saw Lúthien as she danced in the moonlight.

Neldoreth features two cable panels on the sides of the legs separated by a subtle textured stitch pattern. Just above the heel, the cables change slightly so that they are set up to travel across the instep. When the two cables meet on the instep, they merge to form the same cable pattern appearing on the leg. After the main cable, the cable ends in a point above the toes.

Errata:

Gusset Set Up Round: With RS facing, pick up and knit 14(16, 18) sts along the first side of the heel flap; place marker; work Instep patterning row 1 across 32(36, 40) sts, place marker; pick up and knit 14(16, 18) sts along the second side of the heel flap; k to start of instep. This is the new start of round. 78(88, 98) sts.