These cozy socks evoke the alternate hush and crunch of a nighttime walk on fresh snow, with colorwork and slip-stitch patterning forming images of snow falling against the starry sky before piling up in drifts and banks below. Fun to knit and even more fun to wear, these socks will quickly become a winter favorite.

Winter’s Gift is knit from the toe up in the round. Beginning with the lighter main color, slip-stitch patterning is worked across the top of foot and up the ankle. Mini gussets are added before and after the short-row heels to give a more generous heel allowance. Above the ankle, the slip-stitch pattern extends around the entire leg before changing to a wide band of two-color stranded colorwork.

Errata:

The Snowdrift Stitch pattern is written differently across the top of the foot versus when it extends all the way around the leg:

Snowdrift Stitch Pattern for the foot:
Rnds 1-3: K1, (Sl1WYIB, K3) to last 2 sts, Sl1WYIB, K1
Rnd 4 for sizes 1, 3: K2, (SL3WYIF, K5) to last 9 sts, Sl3WIF, K6
Rnd 4 for sizes 2, 4: K2, (SL3WYIF, K5) to last 5 sts, Sl3WIF, K2
Rnds 5-7: K1, (SL1WSYIB, K3) to last 2 sts, SL1WYIB, K1
Rnd 8 for sizes 1, 3: K1, (K5, SL3WYIF) to last 2 sts, K2
Rnd 8 for sizes 2, 4: K1, (K5, SL3WYIF) to last 6 sts, K6
Rep Rnds 1-8 for pattern.

When knitting Snowdrift Stitch pattern around the leg, it is a simple multiple of 8:
Rnds 1-3: K1, (Sl1WYIB, K3) to last 3 sts, Sl1WYIB, K2
Rnd 4: K2, (SL3WYIF, K5) to last 6 sts, Sl3WIF, K3
Rnds 5-7: K1, (SL1WSYIB, K3) to last 3 sts, SL1WYIB, K2
Rnd 8: K1, (K5, SL3WYIF) to last 7 sts, K5, SL3WYIF (final slipped st will replace st 1 of Row 1)
Rep Rnds 1-8 for pattern.

In the Gusset Decrease section, Round 2 should read:

Rnd 2: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, K2tog, K1.