A Pair of Ethnic Stockings: Floral-Motif Bulgarian Socks

The glorious stockings of Bulgaria are easy to knit but include some techniques that may be unfamiliar to Western knitters—the wrap cast-on over two needles, the “make one, yarnover” increase, and a modified form of intarsia knitted in the round, which I have dubbed “circular motif knitting.” The socks are knitted in a hard-wearing wool yarn typical of the yarns used to knit older ethnic stockings.

The brilliant floral motifs and Eastern-style toe-to-cuff construction characteristic of traditional Bulgarian stockings are fully explained in the directions for these delightful socks, which were featured in the November/December 1994 issue of PieceWork and Knitting Traditions 2010, a special issue devoted to historical knitting from PieceWork. Photo by Joe Coca.

Materials Rauma Finullgarn, 100% wool yarn, fingering weight, 180 yards (164.6 m)/50 g (1.8 oz) ball, 1 ball each of #436 Black, #456 Pink, #465 Rose, #476 Green, and #4986 Yellow
Needles, set of 5 double pointed, size 0 (2 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
Tapestry needle
Scrap yarn of similar weight

Finished size: 9½ inches (24.1 cm) from toe to heel and 9 inches (22.9 cm) around the ball of the foot for an average woman’s feet
Gauge: 9½ stitches and 13 rows = 1 inch (2.5 cm) in St st

—Priscilla Gibson-Roberts

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Priscilla Gibson-Roberts has dedicated her life to empowering contemporary knitters with the skills of their ancestors. She is the author of numerous books, including Knitting in the Old Way: Designs and Techniques from Ethnic Sweaters (1985; revised and expanded edition, Fort Collins, Colorado: Nomad Press, 2005) and Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy (Fort Collins, Colorado: Nomad Press, 2001).

Download a copy of the November/December 1994 issue of PieceWork or Knitting Traditions 2010 to knit Priscilla Gibson-Roberts’ charming Bulgarian floral stockings and learn her method of circular motif knitting.