Fleur de Lace Socks Pattern

Category:

Knitting

Type:

Accessory

Fit:

Women

Item:

Socks

Skill Level:

Intermediate

Basic Skills Necessary:

• knitting socks cuff to toe
• beads are strung on yarn before knitting begins
• stitch instructions are both written and charted

Pattern Description:

In tribute to the state of Louisiana and Mardi Gras celebration, the French fleur de lis is outlined in lace embellished with gold beads against a purple and green background.

Inspiration: The fleur-de-lis is often associated with areas formerly settled by France, such as Louisiana. I named this sock design "Fleur de Lace" as a play on words.

The French translation of fleur de lis is lily flower. The commonly occurring decorative and symbolic representations of the fleur-de-lis are stylized designs of either a lily or iris. Thus I chose a yarn colorway with purples and greens to suggest purple iris flowers and leaves.

With the addition of the gold beads to accentuate the top of the head, petals, and stamen of the loosely rendered flower amid the lace background, we now have the popular purple, green and gold colors of New Orleans Mardi Gras. The beads encircling the cuff of the sock represent the necklaces thrown to the party-going crowd by masked riders on festive Mardi Gras floats.

The trellis lace background suggests the ornamental ironwork of balconies and courtyard gates of stately Louisiana homes that are lovingly preserved as one of Louisiana's state treasures.