Saturday, November 30, 2013

Skinny Christmas Stocking Pattern

It feels like decades since I have posted here... teaching has been busy, busy, busy!

After making a shawl for my grandmother-in-law last Christmas (subbing schedule = lots of time for handmade gifts...) out of LionBrand Fisherman's Wool in Oatmeal, I realized I wanted to make Christmas stockings for my husband and I in a cable pattern. I had made a pair of cable crochet stockings for my nephews and was inspired to make some for myself.

However... I have a very small fireplace and wanted to make long, skinny stockings. So, after browsing my copy of Robyn Chachula's Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia: 300 stitch patterns, edgings, and more, I found a stitch I liked: the Jeobneun Stitch. It was just the right mix of texture, cables, and delicate to meet my needs. And thus, the stockings were born...



Supplies
  • Size H or 5.00mm crochet hook
  • I used less than 465 yards of Fisherman's Wool (medium worsted weight) yarn to make 2 stockings. There is plenty left over to make something else... Christmas ornaments or garland anyone?
  • A length of ribbon for hanging your stocking
  • Scissors
Abbreviations
  • st - stitch
  • ch - chain stitch
  • sp - space
  • chsp - chain space
  • sk - skip
  • slst - slip stitch
  • hdc - half double crochet
  • dc - double crochet
  • fpdc - front post double crochet
  • rsc - reverse single crochet (aka "crab stitch")
  • sc2tog - single crochet 2 together
Special Stitches
  • starting post stitch (starting post st): ch2, yo twice, insert hook around middle st of the set of 5 dc two rows below (from front to back to front - like in a fpdc), yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo and pull through all loops on hook
  • right post stitch (right post st): yo, insert hook in next sc (1st in set of 5), pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yo twice, insert hook around middle dc of 3dc set two rows below (from front to back to front - like in a fpdc), yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook,  yo, pull through 2 loops on hook (3 left on hook), yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook
  • left post stitch (left post st): yo twice, insert hook around middle dc of 3dc set two rows below (front to back to front - like in a fpdc), yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through 2 loops on hoook (2 left), dc in next sc of working row and complete by pulling through all loops on hook

Starting at the toe...
To begin: Make a magic ring, ch1

Round 1: 12 hdc in magic ring, slst to top of first hdc

Round 2: ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around, slst to top of first hdc

Round 3: ch 1, 1 hdc in each st around, slst to top of first hdc

Round 4: ch 1, *1 hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st,* repeat * * around, join with slst to top of first hdc (ends with 36 sts)

Round 5: ch 1, hdc in each st around, join with slst to top of first hdc

Round 6 - 7: repeat round 5



Begin foot...
Round 8: ch 2 (counts as first dc, here and throughout body of the stocking), dc in next 4 sts, ch1, sk1, *dc in next 5 sts, ch1, sk1,* repeat * * four more times, join with slst to top of ch 2 (created 6 sets of 5 dc)

Round 9: ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 4 sts, ch1, sk1, *sc in next 5 sts, ch1, sk1,* repeat * * four more times, join with slst to top of ch1 (6 sets of 5 sc)

Round 10: starting post st, dc in next 3 sts, left post st, ch1, sk1, *right post st dc in next 3 sts, left post st, ch1, sk1,* repeat * * four more times (six sets total, including starting set), join with slst to top of starting post
Round 11-21: repeat rows 9 & 10

Begin heel...
Round 22: ch 1, sc in same st, sc in next 4 sts, sc in ch space, sc in next 5 sts, sc in ch space, sc in next 5 sts, ch 1, turn

Round 23: sc in each st across, ch1, turn

Round 24-26: repeat round 23

Round 27: sc2tog across row, ch1, turn (9sts + ch1)

Round 28: sc2tog across row, ch1, turn (4sts + ch1)

Round 29: sc2tog across row, ch1, turn (2sts + ch1)



Rejoining with the stocking body...
Round 30: work 9 sc across heel, ch1, sk1 (sk the ch1 space), sc in next 5 sts, ch1, sk1 (sk the ch1 space), repeat * * two more times, work 8 more sc across heel, ch 1, join with slst to 1st sc

Round 31: slst until you are 5 sc away from the 1st ch space, ch 2 (counts as 1st dc, dc in next 4 sts, ch 1, *right post st, dc in next 3 sts, left post st,* repeat * * twice, dc in next 5 sts, ch 1, sk1, dc in next 5 sts, ch1, sk1, join with slst to top of ch2

Round 32-55: repeat rows 9 & 10 (total of 12 pattern repeats on "leg")

Round 56: repeat row 9

Begin cuff...
Round 57: ch2, dc in each st around (including ch spaces)

Round 58: ch 2, fpdc around ch2 from round below (hiding the ch2 in the working row), fpdc in each st around, join with slst to top of first fpdc

Round 59-60: repeat round 58

Round 61: ch1, reverse sc (crab stitch) in each st around, slst in last st, cut yarn, weave in ends.

 

Use a length of ribbon to create a loop for your stocking. Hang by fireplace, (carefully - don't let it catch fire!) and wait. This pattern has not been tested, so if you give it a try and have questions or run into issues, please contact me!

Blessings to you and your family as your enter into this Christmas season. May you be filled with unspeakable joy and peace!

Creative Commons License
Skinny Christmas Stocking Pattern by Emily Bittel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

5 comments:

  1. hello emily, visiting your blog via ravelry.com, you chose a lovely stitch pattern and created a spectacular holiday stocking - and a crocheted one at that!!! thank you for sharing, and peace and joy to you and yours this christmas and throughout the new year. sally

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I'm glad you like the stockings! Blessings to you as well in the coming year!

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  2. Is this pattern an actual wearable sock, or purely decorative?

    thanks,

    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  3. Is this a wearable pattern, or strictly decorative?

    thanks,

    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. These stockings are designed to be decorative. I don't think the heel would articulate well enough to work as a sock. I have put them on to be goofy, but I haven't actually worn them around. :) If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

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