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National Argyle Day

Fun ยท January 8

A day for argyle, the diamond pattern seen on socks, sweaters and vests, and for wearing a little of it on purpose.

National Argyle Day

National Argyle Day falls on Friday, January 8, 2027. That is 73 days away.

Argyle is the pattern of diamonds set in a grid, usually in two or three colors, with thin diagonal lines crossing over them like stitching on a quilt. It shows up most often on socks, sweaters and sweater vests, and it has a way of making a plain outfit look like it has opinions.

The pattern comes from Scotland, where it grew out of the tartans of the Campbell clan of Argyll on the country's west coast. Knitters adapted it for socks and stockings, and it later spread to golf clothes and school uniforms. In knitting, true argyle is made with a technique called intarsia, where each block of color is worked from its own strand of yarn rather than carried across the back.

Marking the day is mostly a matter of putting some on. A pair of argyle socks peeking out under trousers counts. So does a vest pulled from the back of the closet, or a scarf. Some people take it as a nudge to try knitting the pattern, which is slow at first because of all those separate bobbins of yarn hanging off the work.

Argyle also turns up in less expected places, from umbrellas and phone cases to wrapping paper and upholstery. Once you start looking, the little diamonds appear on shelves and strangers' ankles more than you might expect.

The diagonal lines are the part people forget when they sketch it from memory, and they are what keep the diamonds from looking like a checkerboard tipped on its corner.

Ways to celebrate

Dates

YearDate
2026Thursday, January 8
2027Friday, January 8
2028Saturday, January 8
2029Monday, January 8
2030Tuesday, January 8

All national days on January 8

Also on January 8

Categories: Fun days