When I was pondering on the design for this Christmas Eve cast on I started thinking about the Vintage Love Story collection that I released at the beginning of the year and wondering how Cyril and Rita would decorate their tree on their first Christmas together as a married couple.

I imagined their beautiful etched glass baubles, just a few, both placing them carefully one by one. They might wrap their tree with a delicate string of red ribbon or a sprinkling of golden tinsel strands. Their tree would be sparse leaving room for all of the special ornaments that they would gather throughout their life together.

The last decoration they place on their tree would be the shining star, the beacon, the heart and then they stand back together to take in their simple and beautiful Christmas tree - ready for the festivities to begin.

The Twinkling Trees socks begin at the cuff with a neat and tidy twisted rib and then come the twinkles. Contrasting bobbles top a row of simple cable trees around the leg. We then move into peaceful stocking stitch and a slip stitch heel. This top down sock is finished off with a rounded wedge toe - the perfect finish for these elegant socks.

Sizes

S (M, L) the sizes are measured on leg and foot circumference as the length of the foot is adjustable

Finished Measurements

Leg length 15cm / 6” from the cuff to the start of the heel

Leg and foot circumference 15cm / 6” (18cm / 7”, 20cm / 8”)

Gauge

36 sts and 48 rows per 4 inches/10 centimetres in stocking stitch worked in the round

Yarn

You will need approximately 70g (80g,100g) of fingering weight yarn for your main colour (mc)
and 10g (10g, 10g) of fingering weight for your contrast colour (cc) - I used The Wool Barn Twist Sock 4ply in Sage and a gold mini skein.

Needles

A set of 2.25mm needles for knitting a small circumference in the round or size needed to obtain gauge and a set of 2.5mm needles for knitting a small circumference in the round or one size larger than your gauge needle.

The stitches used in the Rustling Trees pattern tighten up your fabric so I would strongly recommend using a needle one size larger for that section.

Notions

Stitch markers - different coloured ones may help

Darning needle to sew in your ends

Cable needle - optional