Christmas stockings
’Twas the night before Christmas, and Ann Franklin’s brilliant stockings were hung by the chimney with care.
Perfect for filling with festive fun!
Do you remember the joy of fetching your festive stocking down from the loft and hanging it up, ready for Christmas morning? Recreate that delight with this fun and colourful pair. As a gift for a friend or an excited little one, young and old alike would be overjoyed to welcome a bright and colourful stocking or a classic appliqué addition into their traditions.
Notes on stranded colourwork
When working colourwork motifs both colours should be carried along the whole length of the round where two colours are being used, with the unused yarn being stranded as floats across the back of the piece. To make your knitting neater, when changing colours, always pass one colour above the other, and pass the other colour below the first and pass the colours in the same way consistently across every row. (e.g. always pass Yarn A over Yarn B, and always pass Yarn B under Yarn A.) Traditionally, longer floats (those stranded across 5 or more stitches) are caught up and anchored in the knitting as it is being worked. An easy alternative to catching the strands as you knit is to leave all of the floats loose until the stocking is completed, and then catch up the floats by sewing as part of the finishing process. Use one strand of the yarn in the background colour of the column you wish to anchor down, and then weave over the strands and under one or two strands of the knitted material, making sure that the stitches do not show through on the right side. For more help with your colourwork visit www.theyarnloop.com/index. php/2013/10/6- steps-fantastic-fair-isle.
Notes on Charts A and B
As the stocking is worked in the round, every row of the chart is worked from right to left, starting with the first stitch of the pattern repeat. Each of the motifs in the stocking is worked over 9 sts, and is repeated 8 times over the round. Start at the bottom of the chart and work up.
COLOURWORK STOCKING TOE AND FOOT
Cast on 9 sts using Yarn A and 4mm DPNs. Distribute the stitches evenly over the needles and join into the round taking care not to twist the stitches. Place a marker to indicate the beginning of the round. Round 1 (RS) *Kfb; rep from * to end. [18 sts] Round 2 and every alternate round Knit.
Round 3 *K1, kfb; rep from * to end. [27 sts]
Round 5 *K2, kfb; rep from * to end. [36 sts]
Round 7 *K3, kfb; rep from * to end. [45 sts]
Round 9 *K4, kfb; rep from * to end. [54 sts]
Round 11 *K5, kfb; rep from * to end. [63 sts]
Round 13 *K6, kfb; rep from * to end. [72 sts]
Round 14 Knit. Round 15 Knit.
Breaking off and joining yarns at the end of rounds as required, work rounds 1- 47 of Chart A.
WORK HEEL
Slip the last 18 sts worked from the right- hand needle to the left- hand needle. Join in Yarn A to the beginning of these 18 sts. Row 1 K36, w& t. [36 sts] Row 2 P35, w&t. Row 3 K34, w&t. Row 4 P33, w&t. Continue working short rows in the same way, working 1 fewer stitch before the w&t in each subsequent row, until 7 wraps have been worked on each side of the heel. (14 wrapped sts altogether.) Row 15 K23, knit the next (wrapped) stitch along with the wrap, w& t. ( The last stitch will have two wraps). Row 16 P24, purl the next (wrapped) stitch along with the wrap, w& t. ( The last stitch will have two wraps). Row 17 K25, knit the next (double wrapped) stitch along with the 2 wraps, w&t. Row 18 P26, purl the next (double wrapped) stitch along with the 2 wraps, w&t. Continue in the same way, (working 1 more stitch on each row to reach the first double wrapped stitch, then working the wrapped stitch along with both wraps, before w& t the next stitch), until only 1 double wrapped stitch remains on each side of the heel. Row 27 K35, knit the next (double wrapped) stitch along with the 2 wraps, w&t. ( The final wrap should be worked with the stitch on the first round of Chart B.) Row 28 P36, purl the next (double wrapped) stitch along with the 2 wraps, w&t. ( The final wrap should be worked with the stitch on the first round of Chart B.) Slip 18 stitches back onto the right hand needle.
Rejoin the yarn to the centre back stitch and work rows 1-76 of Chart B.
STOCKING TOP
Break off last colour. Join in Yarn A. Knit 2 rounds. Next round *K1, P1; rep from * to end. Work a further 11 rounds in (K1, P1) rib. Cast off.
HANGING LOOP
Cast on 40 sts using Yarn A and 4mm needles. Knit 1 row. Cast off.
TO MAKE UP
Neaten all ends. Fold the Hanging Loop in half lengthways. Join the hook for approx 3cm from the side edges up to the centre, creating a large loop. Sew the straight sides of the hook to the ribbed section of the Stocking at the centre back, having the side edges of the hook level with the bottom of the ribbed section, and the Loop lying above the cast off edge of the Stocking. Block gently to measurements, following any yarn care instructions on the ball band.
SNOWMAN STOCKING
Make the Snowman Stocking in exactly the same way as the Colourwork Stocking, but using Yarn H ( White) for the Toe, Heel, ribbing and Hanging Loop, and working the 47 rounds of Chart A and 76 rounds of Chart B as plain stocking stitch in Yarn G (Red).
SNOWMAN
Cast on 18 sts using Yarn H and 4mm needles. Knit 2 rows. Row 3 (RS) Kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, K1.
[20 sts] Knit 3 rows.
Row 7 Kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. [22 sts] Knit 3 rows.
Row 11 Kfb, knit to last 2 sts, kfb, K1. [24 sts] Knit 11 rows.
Row 23 K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, K1. [22 sts] Knit 3 rows.
Row 27 K1, k2tog, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, K1. [20 sts] Knit 3 rows.
Row 31 K1, k2tog, K3, k2tog, K4, k2tog, K3, k2tog, K1. [16 sts] Knit 1 row.
Row 33 K1, k2tog, (K2, k2tog) twice, K2, k2tog, K1. [12 sts] Knit 1 row.
Row 35 K1, (k2tog) twice, K2, (k2tog) twice, K1. [8 sts] Knit 1 row.
Row 37 Kfb in every st to end. [16 sts] Knit 9 rows. Break off Yarn H and join in Yarn I. Beg with a K row, work in st st for 4 rows.
Row 51 *K2, k2tog; rep from * to end. [12 sts] Row 52 Purl. Row 53 *K1, k2tog; rep from * to end. [8 sts] Row 54 Purl. Row 55 *K2tog; rep from * to end. [4 sts] Break yarn and thread the end through the stitches left on the needle. Pull the end of the yarn to tighten the stitches together.
HAT BAND
Cast on 17 sts using Yarn I and 4mm needles. Row 1 (K1, P1) to last st, K1. Cast off in rib.
SCARF COLLAR
Cast on 12 sts using Yarn I and 4mm needles. Knit 1 row. Cast off.
SCARF
Cast on 5 sts using Yarn I and 4mm needles. Knit 30 rows. Cast off.
TO MAKE UP
Make the main Stocking up in exactly the same way as the Colourwork Stocking.
Sew the Hat Band to the front of the Snowman’s head, level with the colour change row. Make a pompom for the top of the Hat by wrapping a length of yarn around two fingers; cut the yarn off and then tie it through the centre to the top of the hat. Take one further length of yarn and tie it around the yarn bundle to create the pompom. Loop the main Scarf over the Scarf Collar and sew in place. Sew the completed Scarf to the neck of the Snowman. Sew the three buttons to the front tummy section of the Snowman. Use ordinary sewing thread to sew the sequins and bugle beads onto the head portion to create eyes and a mouth. Using three strands of Yarn B (orange) embroider a triangle at the centre of the face for a nose.
Once the Stocking has been blocked, sew the Snowman to the side of the Stocking, about halfway up the leg.
DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW, NEXT MONTH CAST ON A RUDOLPH-THEMED TEATIME SET BY TEA COSY FOLK! ISSUE 166 IS OUT FRIDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2017.