I heard the news that I was to receive an invitation to a garden party at Buckingham Palace when I was working on these socks. It seemed right to commemorate such a special occasion, and so ‘Garden party’ seemed like the ideal name for this pretty design.

This is a straightforward top-down pattern with a band of stranded colourwork just after the cuff, and then an easy-to-remember slip stitch pattern that forms little vertical lines down the finished sock.

The pattern is written in two sizes:

Small: To fit Woman’s US Shoe size 5 – 7/European size 35 – 38; Medium: to fit Woman’s US Shoe size 8 – 10/European size 38.5 – 43.

The finished measurements are:

Small: To fit foot circumference; 20 cm/8 in; Medium: To fit foot circumference 23.5 cm/9¼ in.

Four colours of any fingering or 4 ply sock yarn are required:

MC: 260 mts/285 yds (310 mts/340 yds);

Oddments of the contrast colours are needed as follows:

CC1: 20 mts/22 yds (24 mts/26 yds); CC2: 20 mts/22 yds (24 mts/26yds); CC3: 1.75 mts/2 yds (2 mts/2½ yds).

Needles: Set of four 2.5mm (US 1½) DPNs.

Other Tools and Supplies: Removable stitch marker, tapestry needle.

The pattern includes a chart for the colour work.