These little socks have been a part of our Christmases ever since I found the pattern in the Denver Post when I was about 14. I’ve made anywhere from 2 to a dozen new ones nearly every year since then. It has become a point of honor to only use white, red and green yarns, generally in sport weight on size 2 or 3 needles.

Eventually the original newspaper clipping was lost, but this is the pattern that has settled into my mind.