We've been releasing quite a few collaborative projects this holiday season - they've all been in the works for quite some time and we're excited that they are all coming to fruition. Next up is a project that we worked on with Japanese sock specialists CHUP. We've been fans of CHUP's work for some time now and exhibited across from them at Jumble Tradeshow a year and a half ago, where we had the opportunity to meet their sales and design team. From there, a relationship was forged and we began discussing ways to work together. The result was a sock style made exclusively for us, crafted of indigo-dyed yarns entirely in Japan on CHUP's famed vintage sock-knitting machines.  Only 250 pairs of each colorway were made, and they will be available via our website at noon EST on Friday, December 4th, and via select retailers. 

CHUP, a brand under the Glen Clyde umbrella, specializes in intricate socks that resemble hand-knit varieties from decades past. They routinely design new seasonal patterns based on old Nordic, Fair Isle, and Native American styles. We chose a pattern called "Sonoran" from CHUP's archives and paired it with Japanese indigo-dyed yarns to create a unique sock that will fade over time as the sock is worn and washed. 

One of our favorite features about CHUP socks are their hand-linked toes. Most commercially-produced socks are knit on a circular machine and the heels and toes are then sewn down, creating a ridge on the inside of the sock. CHUP socks are closed up on a hand-linking machine that utilizes a single thread to give the heel and toe a flat, seamless finish. It's a time-consuming process that few companies offer anymore; you can see this machine at work here.