Jacquard Ankle Socks - Merino Wool - Fästfolk (Adults 38-41)

*New! Merino wool ankle socks for all seasons, knitted in patterns inspired by traditional Swedish motifs.

Gorgeous fine merino sneaker socks made in Sweden by Öjbro Vantfabrik. Knit with reinforced heel & toe for extra strength, and dyed in subtle natural colours. Wonderfully comfortable for home, sports, 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 Fästfolk design celebrates all the lovestruck sweethearts of the world and is dyed in traditional colours. This pattern is also available in cosy kneehigh socks and handwarmers. See below to read the Fästfolk 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.

Colours: Fästfolk Estelle (lilac/orange), Fästfolk Evelina (yellow/green)

Size: EU38/41

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 Fästfolk pattern: Engagements and betrothals have been part of human history for generations. In Swedish, a betrothed woman is called a fästmö, a betrothed man is a fästman, and together they used to be called fästfolk.

The Fästfolk design depicts an engaged couple standing beneath an archway above a field of love hearts, watched over by a pair of reindeer. With this pattern, designer Åse Öjbro, founder of Öjbro Vantfabrik, has created a tribute to togetherness.

Carl Larsson gave his beloved Karin many affectionate and down-to-earth nicknames, such as "Blue Crow", "Markatta" (a playful but teasing term for a monkey), "Owl", and "Little Gnat". Karin answered just as tenderly: "Dear big oaf!", "Dear troubled soul!", "My own, dastardly handsome, beloved boy!" Their exchange of letters, filled with trust and respect, reveals a love that only deepened over the years. In Per I. Gedin’s collection of their correspondence, we can follow their lifelong love, from their first meeting at the artists’ colony in Grez-sur-Loing to their final years in Sundborn, Dalarna. Karin, who also designed textiles and furniture, wrote in an undated letter from 1883, "thank God I came up with the idea of getting engaged to you."

Being apart and longing for each other seems to have been part of the passion in Carl and Karin’s marriage. They moved between different homes and wrote several letters a week when they were separated. A letter from Carl in December 1885 reveals how deeply he missed her:

"You little rascal! How can you so wickedly delay your letters! Surely you understand that I am almost going mad with longing for you. Honestly, I would be happier if I didn’t love you so boundlessly, you little markatta. You wretched Örebro spawn, you mashed potatoes. You heartless Karin."

In Åse Öjbro's words, "I want to honour the duality and capture the wonderful feeling of being two. I find great inspiration in Carl and Karin Larsson and their lives. When you love, give everything you have, and when you reach the limit, give even more, and forget how much it hurts. Because in the end, it is only the love you have given and received that matters. Your partner has chosen to share their life with you, you give your days to each other. I dedicate this pattern to all current and future couples. Long live love and duality. Ted, I give you my life - the only one I have."