Happy September and happy Confident Knitting release day! The time has finally come for me to introduce you to my very own design for Confident Knitting: Moorland Socks. These are knitted in a Fab Funky Fibres colourway designed specially for Confident Knitting! Do you spy that ever so squishy looking heel? It’s this month’s featured technique, the garter stitch short-row heel!

It will come as no surprise to most of you to hear that I looooooove stripes. Especially striped socks, and especially, especially striped socks knitted with yarn from the self-striping geniuses of Fab Funky Fibres. So when Elaine and Alex agreed to come on board as hand dyers for Confident Knitting, I knew I wanted to let whatever magic yarn they came up with for us to really shine. The Moorland Socks are the result. Knitted from the cuff down in stocking stitch, they let the self-striping yarn do all the work for you! The garter stitch short-row heel provides a fun twist and means that, once you’re past the socks’ cuffs, this is a purl-free project.

And let’s take a closer look at that heel! Short-row heels are a really versatile heel option that work particularly well with a self-striping yarn! When worked with a contrasting skein, as I’ve done for the Moorland Socks, the short-row heel allows your stripe sequence to continue uninterrupted down the leg. Working the heel in garter stitch adds extra stretchiness, which, combined with my tried-and-tested heel formula, helps counterbalance the lack of gusset, while also hiding the short-row wraps and adding a lovely extra squish factor. A hug for your heel!

I have, of course, sung the praises of Fab Funky Fibres yarn on many an occasion … and that’s not going to stop me doing it again! Elaine and Alex dreamed up two colourways for our Confident Knitting Autumn Kits, and oh, do I love them both! The Designer’s Choice colourway that features in the pattern photos is Feet Firmly On the Ground. With its gentle sage green background and rich jewel-toned stripes, it’s a distinctly autumnal colourway, reminiscent of September walks on the moor. The alternative colourway, Walking on Sunshine, features a buttery yellow background with stripes in shades of pink, purple, jade and blue that have an almost retro feel to them and remind me of late summer days at the beach. Both colourways feature the deep colour saturation and impeccable stripes that make Fab Funky Fibres’ yarns so special, in an ever so-slightly more restrained palette than their mega-bright rainbows (which you know I also love!) and come with a coordinating mini skein for the heels. At the moment, these are only available as part of the Autumn Kits, but you can, of course, knit the Moorland Socks with any of the Fab Funky Fibres yarns we have in stock (Something to Knit a Rainbow With, Walking on Rainbows, and Lazy Sunday Afternoon all come as sets of 2 x 40g skeins + contrasting 20g mini, so would be great choices).

Whether you choose to take a stroll on the moor, a walk on sunshine or rainbows, or take a dive into your own stash of sock yarn, I hope you’ll enjoy knitting the Moorland Socks with us this month! As always, we’ll be hosting an all-things-garter-stitch-short-row-heel knitalong over in The Knitalong Hub. Any project that uses this month’s technique is very welcome.

You can buy a copy of Confident Knitting over in our online shop for £20.00 plus shipping, as well as Autumn Kits for £95.00 plus shipping.