Victor Op-Art Socks

Dimensions: Fits men's U.S. shoe sizes 9-10
Completed: January 2016

Vega-Nor by Victor Vasarely (1969)

I made these socks using the pattern called "Victor" in Op-Art Socks by Stephanie van der Linden. (This is the same book I used to make the Symmetry socks in 2015.) These socks are based on the art of Victor Vasarely, who liked to use optical illusions in his artwork.

As with the Symmetry socks, I substituted Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock hand-dyed yarn for the pattern's original Zitron Trekking Sport 4-ply yarn. I used 2 skeins each of #511 Buckingham Fountain for the variegated khaki, and #4ns Blackberry for the purple. I knitted these on a US #1 needle.

To avoid the problem I ran into with the Symmetry socks, where one of them ended up slightly larger than the other, I knitted these socks simultaneously on a 36" circular needle.

This pattern involved a lot of complex chart-following two-color knitting. And I'm not that skilled when it comes to keeping my gauge correct in two-color knitting; I tend to make it far too tight. I tried to remain loose with these socks, and to catch my floats using this method whenever I had done three stitches of the same color. The socks still came out a little tighter than I had planned, but they are wearable.

  They look great from the top...

  ...and the heel is cool, too.

Socks at rest.