Jacquard Knit Socks - Merino Wool - Darlana Red (Adults 38-45)

*New! Snuggly Merino wool socks for winter, knitted in patterns inspired by traditional Swedish motifs.

Gorgeous fine merino socks made in Sweden by Öjbro Vantfabrik. Knit with reinforced heel & toe for extra strength, and dyed in subtle natural colours. Wonderfully cosy for home, work, or out and about.

Öjbro Vantfabrik is dedicated to preserving and sharing Swedish knitting heritage. Each pair of beautiful jacquard knit socks features a design drawn from traditional patterns and personal stories.

The Darlana design is inspired by Sweden's famous Dala horse, which is typically painted with the traditional Kirbits pattern. A blue colourway of this design is also available in a woven blanket. See below to read the Darlana story.

*Buy a pair of adults' socks, get 20% off our Sock Darner's Kit. A wonderful gift for sock lovers, wool lovers and Zero Wasters everywhere!  Learn the age old art of darning your socks.

Colour: Darlana Red

Sizes: EU38/41, EU42/45

About the fit: Öjbro socks are jacquard-knitted: this is stranded colourwork characterised by floats on the inside which carry the coloured yarns and create such intricate patterns. This means each pair gets its own little personality. It also changes the thickness of the sock, and affects the fit. Some socks fit a bit slimmer, others a bit more “hug-friendly.” Wondering about the fit? See below:

Fit advice:

• SLIM - fits like a gentle little foot hug. Patterns: Futhark, Lycksele
• MED - the sweet-spot fit for most feet. Patterns: Ekshärad, Fästfolk, Gotland, Kören, Yggdrasil
• GENEROUS - for those who like a bit of extra wiggle room for their toes. Patterns: Dalarna, Haga, Skaftö, Skogen.

How to put them on:
Because jacquard socks have floats on the inside, we recommend you put your socks on like your mum used to do for you when you were a child. Bunch them up to the toe, put your foot in place and then unravel the rest of the sock up your leg. Don’t try to just shove your whole foot in from the cuff as your toes might catch some of the floats!!

Brand: Öjbro Vantfabrik
Designed in: Sweden
Origin of Fibre: Italy
Country of manufacture: Sweden
Fabric structure: Knitted from Merino wool with Lycra, reinforced in toe and heel with Polyamide (80% Merino - mulesing free, 5% Lycra, 15% Polyamide)
100% biodegradable: No
Machine Washable: Yes (see our guide to washing wool)

Care: Handwash using a gentle wool shampoo recommended for best results. To machine wash, choose a cold wool cycle, skipping the spin cycle. Dry flat on a towel, gently reshaping while wet. Do not tumble dry. Wool feels comfortable and dry, even when you sweat. It can absorb a lot of moisture (up to 33% of its dry weight). Air between uses, wash only when required. 

The story of the Dalarna pattern: Designer Åse Öjbro, founder of Öjbro Vantfabrik, has created the Dalarna design to celebrate the dalahäst (Sweden's Dala horse, a traditional painted wooden toy). In this design the horse is surrounded by kurbits-inspired decorations.

"I visited Dalarna many times as a child and I will never forget the impressive mine. It was amazing to hear the stories about Falun's important impact on Sweden's prosperity. The mine is no longer active and is now a world cultural heritage site. To me, the Swedish soul is in the red cabins, the folklore theatre and the Swedish crispbread. Dalarna is simply a balm for the soul, and I wanted to honour the most Swedish symbol we have through my interpretation of our dalahäst."

The oldest mention of Dalarna is from the “Sverresagan” from the late 1100s, in which the landscape was called Järnbärarland and was described as a pagan land. Early on, the southern parts of the region, as well as the Bergslagen area, was industrialised. The region otherwise remained a settler area, especially in the areas around Siljan and Dalälven.

Falu mine is one of Sweden's oldest copper mines. The work at the mine was dangerous and arduous, but as early as the 1600s the miners had a fair wage and regulated working hours. Technical knowledge was high, and the best engineers in Europe worked to streamline production. During the 1600s, Falu mine was Sweden's largest and most modern workplace, responsible for over 70 percent of Europe's copper production. The mine was called Sweden's treasure chest and its development influenced the economic, social and political situation in Sweden as well as Europe.