My Fairy Maiden Socks – An Intricate Cable Knitted Sock Project

By Jodie Morgan

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I’m using the merino silk Rosehip Island yarn in a new sock project. The Fairy Maiden sock pattern is by Olivia Villarreal (@thishandmadelife). I loved the look of the cables. Such a pretty sock design!

My Fairy Maiden Socks complete in purple merino/silk yarn

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I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on May 13, 2023.

Fairy Maiden Socks is free at Olivia’s Ravelry store. I’m grateful for designers who offer free patterns. It’s extremely generous of them. Olivia is a prolific sock designer. All her patterns are delightful. You can see her sock patterns in her Etsy Store.

I checked with Hanna at Rosehip Island whether she had made socks with this yarn. She had, but said it’s not as elastic as other yarn.

Fairy Maiden Socks Feat Img

I struggled to get this project underway. Using Chiaogoo circulars with the magic loop technique was my chosen method to knit these socks. For more information about this brand’s circulars see here.

I lost count of the number of times I ripped back! Doing cables without a cable needle is difficult! I also kept splitting the yarn as I bumbled along. Because of the attempts and ripping out, the yarn became fuzzy. I didn’t have other yarn to practice on.

It took a long time to find my rhythm with the chart pattern. I eventually got to the gusset!

Fairy Maiden Socks Progress. Stitches arranged on the needles in magic loop, to start the gusset decrease stitches.

I’d worked similar cable stitches without a cable needle in my Smaug Socks project but I couldn’t remember how.

I looked for tutorials by knitting experts and found one. The video tutorial by Rachel Gibbs showed the steps. I knitted all my stitches when doing the left and right 1×1 cable.

YouTube video

I’m confident the second sock won’t have any hassles. Fingers crossed. After the gusset decreases I finished the rest of the sock without too much bother.

Fairy Maiden Socks Finished - Front Side
Fairy Maiden Socks - Finished - Back Side

I’ll continue update this post with my progress! It’s been challenging but a fascinating way to expand my skills on my knitting journey.

Second Fairy Maiden Sock with stitches ready to close the toe using the Kitchener Stitch.

Fortunately the second sock went smoothly and I finished it in less time.
I tried something different when knitting the foot on the second sock. I left the stitches on the needles in the same arrangement as I used for the gusset .

This was somehow easier to knit. It wasn’t until I reached the toe section that I arranged all the instep stitches on one needle and the bottom of the foot stitches on the other needle.

The toe was closed with Kitchener stitch. I feel more confident with doing this technique. I still use a video tutorial from Purl Soho to get me started. I’ve now managed to memorize the steps.

Conclusion

I’ve worn these socks with joy in my heart and a spring in my step! They feel beautiful on my skin and are so soft.

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About The Author

Jodie Morgan From Knit Like Granny

Jodie Morgan (Author & Founder)

jodie@knitlikegranny.com | Lives In: Regional Australia

Author: Jodie Morgan is a passionate knitter and blogger with 40+ years of experience currently living in regional Australia. Taught by her mother and wonderful grandmother “Mama”, she fell in love with crafting from a young age. When she’s not knitting, you’ll find her enjoying a cup of coffee with cream, or sharing helpful resources and tips with the online knitting community. Get to know Jodie and the team on our meet the team page.

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