A snug, two-color fingering-weight sock with a centered snowflake motif on the leg/instep. Worked in the round from cuff to toe; uses stranded colorwork for the motif and a classic slipped-stitch heel flap, gusset and Kitchener-grafted toe. Written for 3 adult sizes with full stitch counts, charts and tips for even floats and tension.
Intermediate: comfortable working in the round, stranded colorwork and short-row shaping is not used (standard heel flap & gusset).
32 sts × 40 rounds = 4 in / 10 cm in stockinette stitch after blocking, in fingering-weight yarn, in the round. Use the needle size that gives you this gauge. Tension for stranded colorwork should be slightly looser than single-color stockinette to avoid puckering.
Choose the needle type you prefer: set of DPNs, two circulars for 2-circ method, or one long circular (magic loop). Use needles to obtain gauge.
Using MC and your chosen needles cast on:
Join to work in the round, being careful not to twist. PM to indicate beginning of round. Work 1×2 rib (k1, p1) for 1.5 in / 4 cm (or to desired cuff length).
After rib, switch to stockinette in the round. The snowflake motif is worked as stranded colorwork over a 17-stitch chart. The motif is intended to be centered on the front of the leg/instep. The instep is normally half the stitches. To center the 17-stitch chart on the instep, place the chart so that there are equal or nearly equal MC-only background stitches on either side of the chart within the instep stitches.
Example positioning (Small size 56 sts): 28 sts for instep. Place 5 MC sts, 17-st chart, 6 MC sts = 28 sts. Adjust for other sizes similarly.
Legend: "." = MC; "O" = CC.
Row 17: .....O.....O..... Row 16: .....O.....O..... Row 15: ....O.O...O.O.... Row 14: ...O...O.O...O... Row 13: ..O.....O.....O.. Row 12: .O......O......O. Row 11: O.......O.......O Row 10: ........O........ Row 9 : .O.....OO.....O. Row 8 : ..O...O..O...O.. Row 7 : ...O.O....O.O.... Row 6 : ....OO....OO..... Row 5 : .....O....O...... Row 4 : ......O..O....... Row 3 : .......OO........ Row 2 : .......... Row 1 : .........
Note: The simplified ASCII chart focuses on motif placement and contrast. Treat any empty or truncated rows as MC where no CC is specified. For an exact stitch-for-stitch printed chart you may enlarge the chart keeping a 17×17 grid; the motif is vertically symmetric. When working from the chart: read right-to-left for odd-numbered rows (if you work in flat) but because these socks are worked in the round read every row right-to-left (the chart above is oriented bottom-to-top).
Round 1 and onward: Work in stockinette in the round following your chart placement for the instep/leg area. If you are not confident in stranded colorwork, you can knit the motif with duplicate stitch afterward or use intarsia-style occasionally catching floats, but proper stranded knitting results in a neat reversible fabric.
Work snowflake chart once every 17 rounds so that the snowflake appears centered and not stacked too tightly. Repeat rows of the chart until leg measures 6 in / 15 cm from cuff (or desired length above heel).
Work heel flap on half the stitches (the back of the sock). Slide the next half of sts onto one needle or holder for instep; the heel uses the back half of the stitches.
Heel flap pattern: (worked back-and-forth)
Row 1 (RS): *Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, k1* across (slip 1, k1) - half the sts total. Row 2 (WS): Slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front, purl to end.
Repeat these two rows for 16 rows (or until flap measures approx 2.0 in / 5 cm or desired length). End with a WS row.
Continue on heel flap sts only.
Row 1: K to last 10 sts, ssk, k1, turn. Row 2: Slip 1, p to last 10 sts, p2tog, p1, turn. Row 3: Slip 1, k to last 11 sts, ssk, k1, turn. Row 4: Slip 1, p to last 11 sts, p2tog, p1, turn.
Continue working decreasing 1 stitch each WS and RS row following the established pattern until all heel turns are worked and you have a semicircular heel cup with roughly the original heel flap width + 1. You should have an unworked center section of sts on either side of the turned heel.
Pick up and knit stitches along the sides of the heel flap: pick up 1 stitch for every slipped row plus one extra at the base if it produces a neat corner. Typical pick up counts: Small: pick up 14–16 sts total across both sides; Medium and Large will be proportionally larger. Place markers to mark transitions.
Set-up round: Knit across instep stitches (working snowflake chart where instructed), knit across picked-up sts along the other side of heel flap, then knit across remaining heel stitches to join in the round. You will now decrease on the foot rounds to restore original stitch count. Gusset decreases (every right-side round): On needle with heel sts at needle ends, k to last 3 sts before instep, k2tog, knit instep, on other side, ssk, knit to end. Repeat these decrease rounds every second round until you are back to your original total stitch count (56/64/72). When decreases finish, distribute stitches evenly across needles as usual for sock in the round.
Work even in the round in MC (and stranded chart on instep if you wish to repeat motif on top of foot) until foot measures approximately 2.25 in / 5.5 cm less than desired total foot length from back of heel to tip of toe. For example, for a 9 in foot length work to 6.75 in before starting toe decreases.
Start toe shaping when foot is the target length minus grafting allowance (approx 2.25 in / 5.5 cm for most sizes). For toe, use decreases on two needles as follows (standard star toe):
Round 1: *K to last 3 sts on needle 1, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to last 3 sts on needle 2, k2tog, k1; k1, ssk, k to end.* (You will decrease 4 sts every other round) Round 2: Knit even round. Repeat Rounds 1–2 until you have 8–12 sts remaining total (Small 8 sts, Medium 12 sts, Large 12 sts depending on preference).
Cut yarn leaving a long tail, thread through remaining stitches and pull tight or graft with Kitchener stitch for a neat finish.
You can repeat the 17-st snowflake across the leg for a banded look (multiple motifs around circumference) if your stitch count allows (e.g., 68 sts allows four 17-st motifs). Alternatively, knit the motif only on the front/instep for a single striking snowflake.
This pattern is written for private use. For support, errata or commercial pattern licensing contact team@verde.uk. Full pattern page and PDF: https://purljam.verde.uk. Share your makes with #purljam on social media.
Enjoy knitting — stay cozy!