I don't do a lot of Christmas knitting for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I figure you don't get the wear. Secondly, I largely don't start in time for the project to be ready for Christmas. This stocking would be a case in point. I promised to make my husband a Christmas stocking for last Christmas and I only got it done for this year by the skin of my teeth.
I was looking around a few months ago for a suitable pattern or kit. I didn't want anything too tricky or that would take the rest of my life to knit. Hence, I was delighted to come across this Knit and Design Your Own Christmas Stocking Kit from The Little Knit Kit Company, which specialises in children's and beginner kits. I've made a few of their kits before, including most recently, my surf van bag.
The stocking is made in two identical pieces with chunky red yarn knitted entirely in garter stitch with some simple shaping. I used the 5mm sparkly Pony needles Julie kindly sent me with my kit as I already have several pairs of the ones that normally come with the kits.
The kit provides some white felt to make the top of the stocking, but I opted to make the top with some leftover Rowan Pure Life chunky and did a little section in stocking stitch finished with rib. One side has 1x1 rib and the other 2x2 rib because I forgot which I'd done, but it's not very noticeable.
The stocking is a fair size at 16 inches long, although I think that's good as hubby's presents are quite chunky and I don't want to stretch my precious knitting. It took a while to sew the two sides together though. I did it all in mattress stitch, which I don't find as traumatic for garter stitch as I do for stocking stitch.
Again, the kit provides felt to make some embellishments for your stocking. I went off-piste a little here too and made a couple of pom poms using the white yarn and my trusty Clover pom pom maker. I also sewed on a couple of bells to the heel for a satisfying jingle.
For the felt embellishment part, I opted to use my Cuttlebug to die cut two reindeer for each side using a Tim Holtz Sizzix Bigz die and some green felt with silver sparkles. I glued the reindeer on with craft glue as they were a bit spindly to sew.
So, hubby is very pleased with his stocking and hasn't once commented about it being 12 months late.Now, if I could just motivate myself to make another one for myself. Maybe next year...
Merry Christmas
Melx
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