After enjoying the breezy summer style of She Wears Seashells Cover Up by Denise Powell last week, I’m staying outdoors for another project filled with warm weather inspiration.
August feels like the perfect month to cast on Sunflower Socks by Lorraine Thompson. Sunflowers are reaching toward the sky, gardens are at their fullest, and the first hints of cooler days remind us that cozy sock season will soon return. Starting now gives you time to enjoy the cheerful colorwork while creating a beautiful pair of socks that will brighten your wardrobe well into autumn.
These aren’t ordinary hand-knit socks. A sunflower climbs each calf, while the encouraging words “Be a Flower” and “Stretch in the Sun” are knitted into the soles. They’re colorful, thoughtful, and filled with the cheerful spirit of a sunlit garden.
skill level Advanced
time An absorbing colorwork sock project to begin in August and enjoy when cooler autumn days arrive
ideal for Experienced sock knitters, sunflower lovers, mindful knitting, colorful gift making, and knitters who enjoy detailed designs with meaningful messages
you will practice color stranding, following colorwork charts, knitting words into the soles, sock construction, knitting sunflower motifs, changing colors, managing multiple strands, maintaining even tension, finishing hand-knit socks
finished size Women’s medium
Sunflower Socks by Lorraine Thompson for ANPTmag Issue 59; photo by Simon Pelletier for ANPTmag
Sunflower Socks are the thirteenth design in Lorraine Thompson’s Thoughtful Soles Series. Lorraine was inspired by a mindfulness magazine featuring a photograph of a vast field of sunflowers stretching toward the sun. The accompanying thought offered a gentle reminder that even during busy moments, somewhere there is a field of flowers quietly reaching toward the light.
Lorraine transformed that peaceful image into socks that carry their message with every step. One sole reads “Be a Flower,” while the other reads “Stretch in the Sun.” The sunflower colorwork rises along the calf, allowing the design and its uplifting message to work together beautifully.
The soles of the Sunflower Socks by Lorraine Thompson for ANPTmag Issue 59; photo by Simon Pelletier for ANPTmag
The pattern uses Universal Yarn Bella Cash and Fibra Natura Donnina, yarns Lorraine found especially enjoyable to work with. The downloadable pattern includes the material list, knitting instructions, and charts needed to complete the colorwork.
This project appeared in ANPTmag Issue 59, Inspired by Gardens. The issue celebrates flowers, foliage, gardens, and meadows through knitting, quilting, embroidery, and other forms of needlework. Its projects explore blooms and leaves using techniques that include double knitting, intarsia, lacework, appliqué, embroidery, and machine piecing.
The theme encourages us to bring the restorative beauty of the garden into our creative work. From realistic, embroidered flowers to imaginative knitted and quilted interpretations, Issue 59 is filled with projects designed to help us create beauty, enjoy good feelings, and feel refreshed through our stitching.
Get the Sunflower Socks pattern here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/knitted-sunflower-socks-with-colourwork-design/
Get ANPTmag Issue 59 print version here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/issue-59/
Get ANPTmag Issue 59 digital version here
https://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/product/issue-59-digital-version/
The sunflower motifs, stranded colorwork, chart reading, and knitted words make these socks an exciting technical project, while their uplifting message adds meaning to every stitch.
Would you knit Sunflower Socks for yourself, or give their cheerful message to someone who could use a little extra sunshine?
Join me next week to find out which inspiring ANPTmag knitting project I’ll share with you!