Following the Threads:
Finding the Culture of Origin by Analyzing Motif and Form

My project this semester centers on reconstruction and cross examination of motif. This two pronged approach strives to answer the most pressing question regarding my object: who made them? According to the original entry in the database, this pair of socks is Latvian in origin. After weeks of research and examination, I am certain this is not the case. Their shape, patterns and construction are consistent with socks made by the formally nomadic Sarakatsani people of Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria. 

Construction 

My first piece of evidence is the construction of the sock itself. It is knit from the toe up until the ankle at which point the top of the sock is bound off and the bottom is continued flat, the heel flap is folded and joined to make the heel. On the pair in our collection, the cuff was knitted separately and attached with whip stitch. As far as I have been able to glean from pictures of specimens in the Textile Resource Center in Leiden, Netherlands and the British Museum, the cuffs appear to be made by picking up stitches from the opening of the foot and continuing to knit in the round. Without examining a larger selection of socks in person, I cannot say for certain if our pair is an outlier.

Above: Heel and pattern comparison between the sock in the British Museum collection (left) and the Textile Resource Center at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (right).

Motif

My second piece of evidence is the patterns and motifs seen on the sock. The visual pattern displayed on the heel of our pair of socks is the same as three separate pairs found in the institutions listed above. While no two pair of socks are the same, I have been able to confirm several motif matches between the SAIC TRC socks and the other examples.

Latvian vs.  Sarakatsani 

Third and most crucially, the motifs and style do not match those found on Latvian mittens and socks. Sarakatsani patterning features two separate patterns on the top and bottom of the foot and do not blend into each other. Latvian patterns are continuous and symmetrical throughout the entire piece.

Object Reconstruction Study

In order to confirm my hypothesis about the heel construction, I recreated a version of this style of anklet sock using the foot chart from a pattern by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts which I found on a blog curating the historical costume of the Sarakatsani. The cuff was my own design compiling motifs from the different socks I have researched that thematically match the foot of the sock. It is important to note that unlike the foot of the sock, the pattern is consistent on the cuff.

One of the aspects about this particular sock design was the juxtaposition of the very simple heel construction and the advanced and intricate colorwork. My knitting experience and my gut instinct pointed towards there being a reason the simple heel hadn’t changed over the years. After completing my initial sock reconstruction to confirm that I was correct about the manner in which the heel was constructed, I decided to make a pair of socks that would fit my foot. Several false starts and some gauge finegling later, one sock was  finished. As I suspected, it is incredibly comfortable and fits well. During the knitting of the second sock in my pair, my copy of Ethnic Socks and Stockings, in which the anklet pattern was published, arrived and I was able to cross reference the techniques I had intuited from the chart and examining the SAIC TRC’s socks as well as the Leiden TRC and British Museum’s records. While the crocheted bind off is not applicable in my personal pair of socks, I did try the zig zag joining on the heel in order to compare to the three needle bind off I used previously. Having finished both socks, I can definitively say I prefer the three needle bind off, especially when done on the inside of the sock. 

Conclusion

All in all, this project has been a joy to work on. Not only have I had the opportunity to work closely with an antique knitted object, but I will be able to take what I learned and apply it to my current knitting practice. To say that this heel has revolutionized my sock making is no understatement. I have avoided socks due to my annoyance with gussets since I started knitting sixteen years ago. I still have some kinks to work out in my sizing, but that is a result of my relative inexperience with handmade socks not the style. Ultimately, what I learned from this experience was to trust your eyes, trust your gut, and when in doubt try and try again.