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Rolling Thunder Socks...Beaded slouch socks!

According to the online Encyclopedia Brittanica, a Thunderbird is “a powerful spirit in North American Indian mythology in the form of a bird that watered the earth and made vegetation grow. Lightning was believed to flash from its eyes or beak, and the beating of its wings was thought to represent rolling thunder.”

In honor of this spirit which often manifests in the wet winter months here in the Pacific Northwest, and with a bow to the great Barbara Walker, I used the Thunderbird pattern from Volume 1 of the Treasury for these socks, which are sized for women’s medium and baby.

The socks are worked from the top down and hemmed, one of my favorite ways to start top-down socks. Although kind of a fiddly technique, there is something very satisfying about making socks without any cast on edge to bind at the top. The Thunderbird pattern causes a subtle slouch effect because of the natural pleating of the knit/purl pattern. The garter rib stitch used on the leg and foot is soft but form fitting, resulting in very comfortable, squishy socks.

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Rolling Thunder Socks

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Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock [80% superwash wool, 20% nylon; 215yd/197m per 50 g skein]; Color: Gold Hill; 2 skeins
Note: 2 skeins of this yarn is enough for both Woman’s and Baby’s socks. If you use a yarn which has less yardage, you may need a third skein if you want to make both pairs of socks.

Leg Length
Woman: 5.5 inches from top of cuff to ankle
Baby: 4 inches from top of cuff to heel

Foot Length
Woman: To fit
Baby: 3.5 inches

36 sts / 52 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, worked in the round

2 US #1/2.25 mm circular needles, any length; 24-inch is recommended
Crochet hook (used for Crochet Cast On)
Smooth waste yarn
Seed beads, size 8/0 - 280 (140 for each sock) for women’s socks, 168 (84 for each sock) for baby socks. Sample socks used metallic gold iris 8/0 beads available from Earth Faire
Dental floss threader or big-eye beading needle
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle

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