A sock knit by hand is a wondrous object, both functional and decorative. The oldest scrap of textile identified as having been knitted is a blue and white cotton sock made in early 12th century Egypt. Socks today can be geometrically intricate and extravagantly colored works of art. This course will explore the evolution of socks and examine the many and ingenious ways that imaginative knitters have worked to fit the foot with warmth and distinction.

Participants will learn methods for shaping the heel and trimming the toe; how to knit top-down and toe-up; how to knit two socks at once, side-by-side, or one inside the other; and how to integrate color and pattern. Participants, both seasoned knitters and beginners, will be encouraged to design and knit a pair of socks, as basic or complex as they wish.