Personalized Christmas Stocking

By Mare Allison

Materials: Worsted weight acrylic yarn such as Red Heart in assorted colors. (The Red Heart yarn I
used is called worsted, but the weight is actually more like bulky or aran.)

Length about 20 inches. Gauge can vary since this is a decorative item. If using smaller gauge ‘worsted’
yarn, the overall stocking length will need to be shorter. So the places in the pattern with length
measurements will need to be proportionally reduced.)

Needles: US size 5 or 6 (3.74 or 4 mm)

-at least 24” circular needles to work magic loop or
-5 Double Pointed Needles (DPNs)

Abbreviations:
K = knit p2tog = purl two together
P = purl ssk = slip one, slip one, knit the two stitches together through the back loops.
Sl 1 – slip one stitch

Cuff: Cast on 48 stitches leaving a 4 yard tail to make the hanging loop. Join into a round.
For magic loop, arrange 24 stitches on each needle. If using DPNs, arrange 12 stitches on each needle.
K1, P1 ribbing for 6 rows.

Leg: Knitting all rows in the round, begin color patterns. Make a border. Use graph paper or a pattern
generator to make a pattern for the name you will add. I suggest making the letters 9 rows high. Knit the
name pattern. Repeat the border.

Continue with your desired color patterns until your work measures a total of 12 inches. (If your gauge is
smaller, this part needs to be proportionally shorter.)

Tip: You can make any patterns you like. I have included my scribbles for the designs I used. Some are
adapted from designs on Pinterest. Several are original. For our stocking size, designs probably need to
be 24 stitches wide or less.

Option: If using smaller gauge yarn, you could cast on more stitches and have the option to create more
detailed designs.

Tip: When knitting stranded colors, carry your unused thread loosely along the wrong side. Be sure to
twist your un-used colors around the working color every 2 to 3 sts to prevent loops inside the stocking.
Make these twists in different places on each round so to avoid unsightly ridges from forming.

Heel Flap:
K 12 sts. Rearrange the stitches with 24 stitches on each needle. This is the beginning of your round for
now. Next knit across the 24 instep stitches

DPNs: Knit 36 stitches. Place next 24 stitches on one needle and work the heel flap flat.

Knit back and forth on the 24 heel flap stitches using your desired k1, sl 1 pattern for 22 rows. You can
add a color pattern on the heel flap as desired using intarsia techniques.
Right side: K1, sl 1, to end, K last st.
Wrong side: sl 1 purl all sts.

Turn heel:
Row 1: K14 (1/2 of flap stitches plus 2), ssk, k1, turn.
Row 2: Sl 1, p5, p2 tog, p1, turn.
Row 3: Sl 1, knit to the stitch before the gap, ssk across the gap, k1, turn.
Row 4: Sl 1, purl to the stitch before the gap, p2tog across gap, p1, turn.
Repeat row 3 and 4 until all the stitches are used. The heel now has 14 stitches.

Gusset: Set up: Re-divide the stitches so that the round begins at the center of the heel. Pick up 11 sts
along each side of the heel flap. Divide the instep stitches as well so that each of the two needles now
has 30 stitches.

DPNs: With right side facing, place left 7 stitches of heel flap onto one needle. With the same needle,
pick up 11 stitches on the side of the heel flap. Knit across next 24 stitches over 2 needles. Pick up 11
stitches on remaining side of the heel flap and knit last 7 stitches of heel flap. Place marker for beginning
of the round.

Knit in rounds. (It might be helpful to place markers before and after the 24 instep stitches.) Maintaining
these 24 instep stitches, reduce 1 stitch where the gusset joins the heel on each side until there are 24
sts on each needle. Before the instep, reduce using k2 tog. After the instep, use SSK. (You can also
introduce some simple design like stripes while constructing this gusset if desired.)

Foot: Continue to knit in rounds incorporating your desired color pattern for the next 5 inches (or
proportionally appropriate length.)
Toe: K 12 sts. Now rearrange the stitches to make this the beginning of the round, with 24 stitches on
each needle.
DPNs: Remove beginning of round marker. Knit 12 and place marker.

Toe Decrease: Round 1: K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1.

Round 2: knit

Repeat these two rows until there are 20 stitches total (10 on each for magic loop and 5 on each for
DPN).
Bind off in Kitchener stitch.

Hanging loop: With the excess cast-on end, using a crochet hook, ch 12, sl st in each chain st, secure
to the top of the beginning point. Finish by weaving in all ends.

©Marilyn Allison, 2016

Thanks to Melissa Koh Yeaman for test-knitting and notes for DPN.