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Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Stockings were Hung by the Chimney with Care...

My grandma has been making tiny stockings simply forever at Christmas time. (The best thing about how she makes them is that she adds a little cash when she hands them out ;0) Mine are poor stockings, they will just have candy. LOL)



I was so excited to learn how to create a heel. This isn't a sock pattern since you sew up the bottom and the back but I figure I am at least on my way to getting more knitting skills under my yarn belt. She makes them with sport weight yarn and makes them on smaller needles to make them tiny. My love for plus size yarn and big needles has created a slightly bigger stocking.

Cast on 20 stitches in white
Knit 8 rows (I knit 16 so the cuff can fold over)
Switch to red, knit 16 rows in stockinette
On red row 17, knit the first 7 stitches onto a stitch holder


Knit the middle six stitches in stockinette for 8 rows (while the last seven stitches just hang out on the needle unknitted. Cut yarn.


 Knit the seven stitches from the holder, then pick up eight stitches from the side of the instep.
Note: there will be a kind of "U" shape between the stitches that were on the holder and the six in the middle that were knitted to form the instep, or, heel. Using your left needle, start at the top right of the U shape and pick up 8 stitches as you go around.


Knit the six stitches in the middle and then pick up eight more stitches on the other side of the instep using the same technique.
Knit the remaining seven stitches.
You should have 36 stitches. Purl your way back. Then knit six (sometimes I knit eight) rows of stockinette. Bind off.
Sew up bottom and side seam.


The stocking on the left was done with size 3 yarn (micro spun for the red and rayon for the white), the one on the left with worsted weight (using the same size needle, #8).

I'm still learning how to pick up stitches on the instep without creating big holes but with each one and I getting better! (Note, my mom did the instep pick ups on the size 3 yarn model ;0)

1 comment:

  1. You bring back so many memories Jenn - I so remember those mini stockings from Grandma and the little cash tucked into them too. :o) What a fun pattern to learn! Can't wait to show these pics to my knitter!

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