Are you feeling festive yet? I so enjoyed working on this project – the fun zig-zag pattern in Christmas colours have really got me in the mood for the holidays. And I’m excited because it is made as a first Christmas gift for my soon to be arriving niece.

This stocking works up pretty quickly as the pattern is nice and simple, beginning from the toe up and worked seamlessly.  You can make a larger (or smaller) version by doing extra (or fewer) rounds of the toe.  You’ll just need to adjust the heel to be worked over around half of your total stitches.  Or alternatively just make the stocking longer so you can stuff in even more presents! (Pattern makes a chunky stocking about 40cm long, with a 25cm wide opening)

If, like me, you hate weaving in ends, just carry the yarn up the inside of the work when you change colour, especially if you are planning on lining it, because no-one will ever know you did it this way!

Scroll down for pdf patterns! (US and UK notation)

Materials:

A light aran (worsted) weight yarn in at least 2 colours – I used 4 colours of Rico essentials soft merino aran:

• Red – 200m
• Cream – 84m
• Sage green – 84m
• Grey – 84m

4.5mm hook (If you are substituting a lighter or heavier yarn, use one hook size down from that recommended on the ball band. This will make sure your stocking is a little denser for added stability when full!)

You may wish to use some stitch markers.

I have also lined my stocking with a woven cotton fabric to prevent it from stretching out of shape – you’ll need two pieces approximately 45x30cm.

Special Stitch: (dc-tr-dc)3tog

I don’t suppose I’m the first to use this stitch but I’ve never seen it anywhere and so I’ve just made up a name which sounds sensible to me.  If anyone knows the official name of this stitch let me know in the comments because I’d love to know what it is!

This stitch is basically a dc3tog stitch, but with the middle dc stitch replaced by a tr stitch:

• Yarn over hook, insert into next stitch, draw up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (2loops left on hook).
• Yarn over twice, insert into next stitch, draw up a loop, *yarn over and pull through two loops, repeat from *, (3 loops left on hook)
• Yarn over hook, insert into next stitch, draw up a loop, yarn over and pull through 2 loops (4 loops left on hook).
• Yarn over and draw through all 4 loops.
  

  I love the zigzags on this Christmas Stocking – Free crochet pattern.

Pattern:

The pattern is worked in rounds, turning at the end of each round, until the heel section.  The heel is added by working backwards and forwards in rows.  The remaining stocking is then continued in rounds.

Chain 2 at the start of a round counts as an hdc.  Begin with the toe colour:

Ch 6+2

R1: hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc in each of next 3chs, (5hdc) in final ch, rotate the piece and continue working down the other side of the chain, 4hdc, (4hdc) in first ch worked into, join into the top of the starting ch 2 (18sts)

R2: ch2, turn, (2hdc) in each of the next 3 sts, 6hdc, (2hdc) in each of the next 3 sts, 5hdc, join with a sl-st to the ch2 (24sts)

R3: ch2, turn, 5hdc, *(2hdc), hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, join to starting ch with a sl-st (30sts)

R4: ch2, turn, *(2hdc), 2hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 2hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 5hdc, join with a sl-st to the ch2 (36sts)

R5: ch2, turn, 5hdc, *(2hdc), 3hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 3hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, join to starting ch with a sl-st (42sts)

R6: ch2, turn, *(2hdc), 4hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 4hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 5hdc, join with a sl-st to the ch2 (48sts)

R7: ch2, turn, 5hdc, *(2hdc), 5hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 5hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, join to starting ch with a sl-st (54sts)

R8: ch2, turn, *(2hdc), 6hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 6hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 5hdc, join with a sl-st to the ch2 (60sts)

R9: ch2, turn, 5hdc, *(2hdc), 7hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 7hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, join to starting ch with a sl-st (66sts)

R10: ch2, turn, *(2hdc), 8hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 8hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 5hdc, join with a sl-st to the ch2 (72sts)

R11: ch2, turn, 5hdc, *(2hdc), 9hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, 6hdc, *(2hdc), 9hdc, repeat from * 2 more times, join to starting ch with a sl-st (78sts)

Fasten off and join second colour (cream in example).  Join to the stitch 16 places back from where you fastened off – this should be at the central stitch on one end of the oval.  This is so that the round joins and colour changes will be worked up the back seam so that they are less visible.

Work in the direction opposite to the last row.  This is now the right side of the work.

R12: ch1, sc in each st around, join with a sl-st (78sts).

R13: ch1 (counts as sc), turn, *hdc, dc, (dc, tr, dc), dc, hdc, sc, repeat from *around, omit the final sc and join with a sl-st (104sts)

Change to the next sequential colour (green in example).

R14: ch1, turn, sc in next st, *2sc, (3sc), 2sc, sc3tog, repeat from * around, omitting the final sc3tog.  To finish the round, insert hook in final st, draw up a loop, insert hook in first sc, draw up a loop and pull this loop through the two loops on the hook.  This stitch (together with the ch1 and sc made at the very start of the round) counts as a sc3tog st. (104sts)

R15: repeat round 14.

Change to the next sequential colour (grey in example).

R16: ch2, turn, dc in next st, *dc, hdc, sc, hdc, dc, (dc-tr-dc)3tog, repeat from *around, omitting the final (dc-tr-dc)3tog.  To finish the round, yarn over hook, insert hook in next st and draw up a loop, yarn over and draw through two loops, insert hook into the first dc st made in this round, draw up a loop, draw this loop through the two loops on the hook.  This stitch, together with the ch2, dc made at the start of the round counts as a (dc-tr-dc)3tog stitch. (78sts)

R17: ch1, sc in each st around, join with a sl-st (78sts).

Change to the next sequential colour (red in the example), and repeat rounds 12-17 two times, making sure you follow your desired colour sequence.  (For a longer foot section, you can add a further repeat if you like.)

Heel insertion:

The heel is worked over the back 40 sts (i.e. approximately half of the sts).  Join your heel colour yarn 20 sts back from where you have fastened off.

Heel row 1 (HR1): ch1, (counts as sc), sc2tog, 34 sc, sc2tog, sc (38sts)

HR2: ch1, (counts as sc), turn, sc2tog, 34 sc, sc2tog, sc (36sts)

Repeat HR2 until 14 sts remain.

HR3: Work one row of sc evenly (14sts).

The lower portion of the heel has now been made.  The upper portion of the heel reverses the decreases just made and joins the sides of the heel together at the beginning and end of each row.  (You may find it useful to place a stitch marker in the post of the stitch at the end and beginning of each row made for the heel).

HR4: sl-st into the side of the final st of the row with 16sts in it (this is two rows below, you will need to fold the work slightly). Turn and work back along the row as usual, but with no turning chain. (2sc) in first st, 12 sc, (2sc) in final st, sl-st into the side of the row with 16 sts in it (16 sts – do not include the the sl-sts – these are to join the sides and do not need to be worked into)

HR5: Repeat HR4, but now work the sl-sts into the next row down where there will be 18sts.

Continue to repeat HR5, always working the sl-sts into the next row down the heel, until you are back up to 40sts.

Join the colour next colour for continuing in the zig-zag pattern, into the centre back stitch of the heel (such that your zig-zags will line up).

Repeat rounds 12-17 as for the foot section until your stocking is your desired length. (6 repeats for example shown).

Cuff section:

To work the cuff, change to your desired colour.  The cuff is worked first in the round and then in rows.

Cuff Round 1: ch2, turn, hdc in each st and join with a sl-st (78 sts)

Cuff Row 2 (CR2): ch2, turn, hdc in same st, 76hdc, (2hdc), do not join (80sts)

CR3: Repeat CR2 (82 sts)

Continue to repeat CR2 until your cuff is the desired length when folded down (8 rows in example shown).

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing:

For the hanging loop, make a lobster cord (tutorial here) of the desired length.  Either stitch this directly to the inside of the stocking, or do as I did and machine stitch it to the lining for strength (I also did this to prevent the hanging loop distorting the top of the stocking, as the lining fabric will not stretch out).

To make the lining, I cut two pieces of fabric using the stocking as a template, and hemmed the top edges.  I then stitched around the edges and trimmed the seams with pinking shears (the lining seam is hidden inside the stocking).  I lined up the hanging loop with the split in the cuff and hand stitched the lining into place around the top edge, following the line of the first round of cuff stitches.

What colours will you make yours in? And who are you making it for?

Downloadable pdf patterns:

Christmas Stocking US

Christmas Stocking UK