Strawberry Socks in Novita Venla - Downloadable PDF

Strawberry Socks in Novita Venla – Knitting Pattern Summary

These charming Strawberry Socks are a colorwork knitting pattern designed by Minna Metsänen and published by Novita. Available as a free downloadable PDF, the pattern produces a pair of ankle or crew-length socks featuring a bold, repeating strawberry motif worked in traditional stranded colorwork. The design is rated advanced in difficulty, making it a rewarding project for experienced knitters who are comfortable with colorwork charts, double-pointed needles, and sock construction techniques.

What Is Being Made

The pattern creates a single design: a pair of knitted socks sized for a European size 38 foot. The socks are distinguished by a vivid strawberry colorwork pattern that runs across the instep and leg, giving them a playful, seasonal character. The finished socks feature a shaped gusset heel, a wedge toe, and a carefully charted colourwork section that integrates seamlessly with the sock's construction.

Design Details and Construction

The socks are worked entirely in the round on a set of double-pointed needles, divided across four needles (needles I through IV). The construction follows a traditional top-down or cuff-down sock method, progressing through the leg, gusset, heel, foot, and toe. Key structural elements include:

• Gusset shaping: Decreases are worked simultaneously with the colourwork chart, with specific instructions for each needle. Needle IV requires one additional decrease beyond what is marked in the chart, ensuring a precise fit through the heel and arch.
• Colourwork chart integration: Two charts are used — Chart I and Chart II. The 35-stitch strawberry pattern on needles II and III follows a 12-row repeat worked four times, followed by rows 13–24. The sole stitches (needles I and IV) follow sections A to B and D to E, working rows 1–14 once and then repeating rows 15–20 in the colour used for the strawberry pattern at that point.
• Toe shaping: A wedge toe is worked using paired decreases — k2tog and k1 at the end of needles I and III, and k1, skp at the beginning of needles II and IV. Decreases are initially worked every other round, then every round once the colourwork is complete. The toe is finished in off-white yarn only. When 10 stitches remain, the yarn is broken and drawn through the remaining stitches.
• Sole length: Toe decreases begin when the sole measures approximately 19 cm. In the sample socks shown in the pattern, decreases began on row 17 of the final chart section.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of intermediate-to-advanced knitting techniques, making it suitable for knitters looking to develop their colorwork and sock-knitting skills:

• Stranded colorwork (Fair Isle-style): Multiple yarn colours are carried across the round simultaneously, following a charted strawberry motif. Knitters must manage yarn tension carefully to maintain an even fabric, especially across the 35-stitch pattern repeat.
• Knitting in the round on double-pointed needles: The sock is worked across four double-pointed needles, with each needle assigned a specific role in the construction.
• Gusset decreases: Worked in tandem with the colourwork chart, requiring the knitter to read both the written instructions and the chart simultaneously.
• Wedge toe decreases: A classic paired decrease method using k2tog and skp (slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over) to shape the toe symmetrically.
• Chart reading: Two separate charts guide the colourwork, with different repeat structures for the instep and sole sections.
• Yarn management and weaving in ends: Multiple colours require careful weaving in of yarn ends at the finish.

Stitches Used

• Stockinette stitch in the round (knit every round) — used for the sole sections and the toe
• Colourwork stockinette in the round — used for the strawberry motif sections, following the