Strawberry Thief – The thrushes that stole his strawberries
In the vegetable garden at Kelmscott Manor, William Morris' home in Oxfordshire, thrushes slipped through the nets to steal strawberries. The gardener wanted to chase them away. Not Morris – he drew them instead. Two birds, head to head, each with a strawberry in their beak, among tulips, bluebells and curling foliage.
The pattern was produced using indigo discharge printing: a centuries-old technique where the fabric is first fully submerged in indigo, then the pattern is bleached out afterward. Morris first attempted this method in 1875 and only mastered it years later at his own dyeworks in Merton Abbey. In May 1883, he wrote to his daughter that he "spent the entire week in Merton, watching anxiously during the first printing of the Strawberry Thief". It became one of the most expensive fabrics sold by Morris & Co. – and immediately one of the most popular as well.
We stuck with the rich indigo design: a dark blue base, with the birds, strawberries and foliage woven stitch by stitch instead of printed. The colours are woven right into the sock and won't fade.
William Morris · 'Strawberry Thief', 1883 · cotton, indigo discharge print, Morris & Co.
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More than just a nice design
Our socks are designed for maximum comfort and durability.
Soft organic cotton with a slight stretch, super comfortable all day long.
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