Valinor Socks

I never managed to make regular blog writing a part of my routine – but that’s no reason to stop writing altogether ;). So I decided to take it easy and post only when there’s something worth sharing and a moment to sit down and tell about it. Suddenly it turned out that it’s already autumn – the most active knitting season – so the release of a new pattern feels like a perfect reason to remember that I still have a blog here!

So, the new pattern

The idea started a few years ago when I first tried a pair with a similar texture. Later I decided I wanted a pattern with this stitch that would be clear, practical and easy to follow – from sizing and structure to every detail – something that works exactly the way I like to knit, yet friendly even for a brave and attentive beginner.

It probably won’t surprise anyone that, like many of my other projects, this one was also knit with Arwetta by Filcolana. You might think they sponsor me – sadly, they don’t (though I definitely wouldn’t mind if they did!). I just genuinely love this yarn. Over 80 shades to choose from, that perfect light-fingering weight, and the soft, pleasant feel in the hands – it’s hard to resist. And once again, Arwetta didn’t let me down. This texture looks balanced and beautiful in almost any colour.

I promised myself I’d knit a few more pairs of Valinor Socks in different yarns. And guess what? Right — I’ve already made at least five, all in Arwetta. But I’ll do better next time, I promise 😉

Arwetta in Marzipan | Colour 977

Valinor Socks

Arwetta in Avocado | Colour 809

Valinor Socks

Arwetta in Nougat | Colour 973

Why Valinor?
Choosing a pattern name is always a curious process. I often invite my Instagram followers to help with it, and if I end up choosing someone’s suggestion, they receive the pattern as a small thank-you gift. It’s always fun to see what people come up with – sometimes the ideas are so good that I wish I could use more than one.

This time there were many beautiful options again. Since I originally planned to knit the sample pair in dark yarn, one of my favourite suggestions was Mines of Moria. I absolutely loved that idea – mysterious, deep, full of quiet strength. But autumn had its own plans. With short daylight hours and grey weather, filming a dark project suddenly felt like a bad idea. So I switched to light yarn instead, slightly sad that such a great name would have to wait its turn.

Still, that suggestion set the direction. Valinor also comes from Tolkien’s world, but don’t expect any grand fantasy references here. I simply liked the sound of it – soft, balanced, light – and somehow matching the calm rhythm of these socks.

I actually have plans to make a matching pair of fingerless mitts with the same stitch pattern. I’ve already started knitting the first version, so we’ll see how it goes.

To be honest, at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn I felt like I was a bit out of tune with knitting. It scared me a little, because knitting has always been my way to slow down, recharge and keep some balance. Luckily, October brought new ideas and that familiar urge to cast on twenty projects at once 🙂 So I can finally breathe again and get back to creating. Wishing you all a good and cozy autumn!