Free Felted Christmas Stocking Pattern

Bring your mantel to life during the holiday season! Select your favorite shade of wool for this elegant stocking, or choose several. Just imagine how festive the mantel will look when you hang a different-color stocking for each member of your family.

Picture of red Christmas stocking.
These beautiful hand-knit stockings are
great as is, or you can personalize
them with your own decorations.

Techniques

Binding off -- BO
Casting on -- CO
Felting
Joining new yarn
Knit 2 together -- k2tog
Picking up stitches
Purl 2 together -- p2tog
Slip a stitch knitwise, purlwise
Slip slip knit decrease -- ssk
Stockinette stitch -- St st
Weaving in yarn tails

Size

After felting: 16 inches (40.5cm) in length, 11 inches (28cm) circumference

Gauge

13 stitches=4" (10cm) in stockinette stitch, before felting

What You'll Need

Yarn: 200 yards (183m) heavy worsted weight 100% wool yarn for stocking (do not use superwash wool for felting projects); 50 yards (46m) fuzzy yarn for trim

We used: Brown Sheep Lambs Pride (85% wool, 15% mohair): M145 Spice (yarn A), 2 skeins; Garnstudio Pelliza (100% polyester): #5 red (yarn B), 1 ball.

Needles: US size 101/2 (6.5mm)

Notions: Tapestry needle; 2 stitch holders

Miscellaneous: Washing machine; dishwashing liquid

Making the Stocking

Cuff: Holding both yarns together as 1, cast on 50 stitches. Purl 1 row. Work in stockinette stitch for 7" (18cm). End with a knit row. Cut yarn B, leaving a 6" (15cm) tail; thread tapestry needle and weave tail to wrong side of work.

Stocking Leg: Continue stocking with yarn A only. Work in stockinette stitch for 11" (28cm), measuring from last row of yarn B to the row beneath needle. End with a knit row.

First 1/2 Heel Flap: Purl 14 stitches; slip remaining 36 stitches onto stitch holder. Turn and work in stockinette stitch for additional 15 rows, ending with a knit row.

Heel Turn: The heel is turned using short rows, which means that some stitches in the row are not worked until later.

Next row (Row 1): Purl 3, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn work (leave remaining 8 stitches on needle).
Row 2 and all right-side rows: Slip first stitch knitwise, knit to end of row.
Row 3: Purl 4, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn work.
Row 5: Purl 5, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn.
Row 7: Purl 6, purl 2 together, purl 1, turn.
Row 9: Purl 7, purl 2 together, purl 1, cut yarn. You will have 9 stitches on the needle. Slip them onto a second stitch holder.

Second 1/2 Heel Flap: Starting at other edge of stocking, slip 14 stitches purlwise from first stitch holder onto tapestry needle (leave center 22 stitches on holder). With wrong side facing, rejoin yarn at 14th stitch; purl to end of row. Work in stockinette stitch for additional 14 rows.

Heel Turn

Next row (Row 1): Knit 3, slip slip knit decrease, knit 1, turn work (leave remaining 8 stitches on needle).
Row 2 and all wrong-side rows: Slip first stitch purlwise, purl to end.
Row 3: Knit 4, slip slip knit, knit 1, turn.
Row 5: Knit 5, slip slip knit, knit 1, turn.
Row 7: Knit 6, slip slip knit, knit 1, turn.
Row 9: Knit 7, slip slip knit, knit 1 (do not turn). With 9 stitches on needle, pick up 9 stitches along side of heel flap; knit across center 22 stitches from stitch holder; pick up 9 stitches along side of first heel flap; knit remaining 9 stitches from holder. (58 stitches)

Gusset Shaping

Row 1 and all odd-number rows: Purl across all stitches.
Row 2: Knit 17, knit 2 together, knit 20, slip slip knit, knit 17.
Row 4: Knit 16, knit 2 together, knit 20, slip slip knit, knit 16.
Row 6: Knit 15, knit 2 together, knit 20, slip slip knit, knit 15.
Row 8: Knit 14, knit 2 together, knit 20, slip slip knit, knit 14.
Row 10: Knit 13, knit 2 together, knit 20, slip slip knit, knit 13. (48 stitches)

Work in stockinette stitch for 5 inches (12.5cm). End with purl row.

Toe Shaping

Row 1: [Knit 6, knit 2 together] 6 times. (42 stitches)
Row 2 and all wrong-side rows: Purl.
Row 3: [Knit 5, knit 2 together] 6 times. (36 stitches)
Row 5: [Knit 4, knit 2 together] 6 times. (30 stitches)
Row 7: [Knit 3, knit 2 together] 6 times. (24 stitches)
Row 9: [Knit 2, knit 2 together] 6 times. (18 stitches)
Row 11: [Knit 1, knit 2 together] 6 times. (12 stitches)
Row 13: [Knit 2 together] 6 times. (6 stitches)

Finishing the Stocking

Cut yarn, leaving 18" (46cm) tail. Thread tapestry needle, and draw needle and yarn through remaining stitches to close toe. Insert tapestry needle to wrong side of work, and weave yarn tail through several stitches to secure. Fold stocking in half, and sew edges together using simple overcast stitch. (Cut more yarn and rethread needle as necessary.) Fold cuff in half, and sew edge loosely to stocking, working from the inside. Weave in all loose ends to wrong side of work, and secure. Follow felting instructions to felt stocking.

With these simple patterns, you'll be surprised at the number of things you can create with only your knitting needles and a ball of yarn. Now other knitting projects won't seem intimidating at all.

Colors to Dye For

Have fun dyeing your own yarn with simple and inexpensive things you probably have stocked in your pantry. You can use tea, food coloring, RIT dyes, Easter egg dye tablets -- even Kool-Aid soft drink mix. And it's easier than you might think! (Children will love to do this with you, as it's one of the few times they can stain to their heart's content and not get in trouble for it.)

Use wool yarn (acrylics and synthetics won't work as well). Wind the yarn into small hanks or skeins, and fill a stainless-steel or enamel pan with enough warm water to completely cover the yarn. Sprinkle a few packages of Kool-Aid or other dye into the water; stir. Add yarn, and place pan on stove. Heat the water until it just simmers; don't let it boil. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off, and let the water cool slightly.

Fill a dishpan with warm water and a little mild detergent, and soak the yarn in it for 10 to 20 minutes. Empty the pan, and fill it with clean, warm water. Repeat until the water runs clear. Gently squeeze the excess water from the yarn, and hang the yarn over a dowel, a clothes hanger, or an old curtain rod. Let dry.

For more helpful knitting tips and interesting patterns, try:

Contributing designers: Chrissy Gardiner, Darlene Hayes, Judith Horwitz, Lucie Sinkler, and Beth Walker-O'Brien