Walking Through Time: A History of Socks

Stories from our home at 682.5 metres above sea level

Socks may seem simple, but they carry centuries of craftsmanship and tradition. Long before knitting became a pastime, people were already finding ways to protect their feet from the cold — first with woven or knotted cloth, and later with intricate techniques that spoke of both skill and pride.

From Egypt to the royal courts

The story of socks begins far earlier than most of us might imagine — not in the chilly north, but under the Egyptian sun. Archaeologists have found hand-knitted socks dating back to around the 3rd century AD, crafted with shaping for the split-toe sandals of the time. These earliest examples were made using nålebinding — a looping technique that predates true knitting by hundreds of years, worked stitch by stitch with a single needle and a length of yarn.

As knitting spread through the Middle East and into Europe, socks became both a sign of refinement and a symbol of comfort. By the 1500s, fine silk stockings were the height of fashion among the wealthy — especially in the courts of Spain and England. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have received her first pair of knitted silk stockings from one of her ladies-in-waiting, and she loved them so much that she refused ever to wear cloth ones again.

The invention that changed everything

The arrival of the stocking frame in 1589 — an early mechanical knitting machine created by William Lee — changed everything. For the first time, socks could be produced in quantity. What had once been a luxury item for the aristocracy slowly made its way down the social ladder. Wool replaced silk, and hand-knitters began to fill the gaps between what machines could and couldn’t do — adding strength, warmth, and often beauty through pattern and colour.

Everyday life and Norwegian traditions

A shepherd on the Jutland heath, knitting as he walks — painted by Frederik Vermehren in 1855. A quiet moment from another century.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, knitted socks had become essential to daily life across Europe. In Norway, they were not only practical but deeply cultural. Each valley and village developed its own motifs and methods, many of them still visible today in bunadssokker — the traditional socks worn with folk costumes. Some were plain and sturdy, others adorned with bright embroidery or bands of colourwork, each pair reflecting the pride of its maker and the character of its region.

Knitting was part of daily life in a very literal sense. Shepherds would walk with their flocks, knitting socks as they went, their fingers moving as steadily as their steps. Arne’s grandmother often said that “you couldn’t be idle,” and she would tell the story of her own grandmother, who supposedly knitted a pair of socks while walking to and from Lillehammer each day. As all stories from the past seem to go, it involved walking for hours through deep snow, uphill both ways, and usually before sunrise. True or not, it captures something about that generation — industrious, practical, and always making something useful with their hands.

Arne is knitting the most intricate stockings – which belong to the Setesdal bunad.

From necessity to joy

That heritage lives on in ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More, our new line of yarn created for makers everywhere. Each skein carries a little of that history — the patience, the craft, and the quiet beauty of something made to last.

Later this month, we’ll share a special video about the making of our new sock yarn — and a few stories from our visit to the factory in Romania. Stay tuned for October 26.

You can purchase our sock yarn for immediate delivery here:

ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More World Wide (Except USA) – Click here.

ARNE & CARLOS Socks & More USA – Click here