I’ve knit the legs of my Tea at Downton socks, and though I had to un-knit and re-knit several rounds, I managed to keep them in pattern, and did three repeats of it.
One thing I did differently was to decrease from the medium size to the small size as I knit through the repeats. This yarn is a bit heavier fingering weight, so it tends to knit to a slightly larger gauge than my normal preference for socks. I had forgotten that when I started the socks, and decided rather than rip out, I would try to decrease half of the stitches needed during pattern repeat round 2, then the other half of the stitches during pattern repeat round 3. I don’t think it’s noticeable in the photo, but it should feel good around the ankles.
I’ll be adding in the heel flaps next, in the deep maroon/wine color.