Saturday, December 3, 2016

Baby REB Christmas Stocking Knitting Pattern


At the end of the summer, I sat down to write out the crafting projects I needed to finish by the end of 2016.  As I worked through gifts and birthday party projects, it suddenly hit me.  I needed to design Rowdy a stocking of his very own!  With a January birthday I thought I had plenty of time, but it is time for me to get cracking on his stocking.

Materials
  • KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Sport in three colors: White (MC - 42 g, 115 yards), Grass (Green; CC1 - 17 g, 47 yards) and Winter Night (Blue; CC2 - 28 g, 78 yards)
  • Needles: 5 US Size 5 (3.75 mm) Double Pointed needles or circular needles with a cable long enough for a magic loop.  
  • Gauge (post light blocking): 25 sts/4"; 26 rows/4" over colorwork stockinette.
  • Notions: Yarn Needle for weaving in loose ends, Pins and blocking mat for light blocking (optional)
  • Finished Size (post light blocking): 5.5" wide x 19.5" cuff to toe.




Abbreviations used in the REB Christmas Stocking Knitting Pattern
  • MC - Main Color
  • CC1/CC2 - Contrasting Color 1 or 2
  • K - Knit
  • P - Purl
  • Sts - stitches
  • SSK - decrease by slipping two stitches then knitting them together. Alternatively, you could slip one stitch, knit one stitch and pass slipped stitch over. 
  • K2tog - decrease by knitting two stitches together.  

The Chart - There are 120 rounds to the chart total (not counting the row illustrating the afterthought heel - shown in grey and yellow). See the written instructions below for further afterthought heel instructions!  Open the images in a new windown for a larger view of the chart.  

The REB Stocking chart split into two images.  Open these charts in a new window to view at a higher resolution.

If you want to edit the chart to fit your needs, here is a link to a spreadsheet version of the chart through google docs.  You will need to save this as a new file before you can edit it since the pattern is shared as read only.  I used a Celtic Cross Stitch generator for the origional RFR/RFB and KAB stockings but unfortunately it is now offline.  You can design your own letters (I struggled with my "E" here!) or use another alphabet knitting chart.  Check out my tutorial on how to make knitting charts in Excel to help with making changes.


The REB Christmas Stocking Knitting Pattern
  • Cast on 70 stitches in MC. I arranged the stitches on 3 double pointed needles as follows: 35, 20, 15.  (If you'd prefer to use 4 double pointed needles I recommend dividing the stitches 20, 15, 20, 15.)
  • Join in the round, and begin to work the chart (see below). The first two knit rows are the first two rows in white on the chart. The chart is followed starting at the bottom, and working from right to left.  When you substitute your own initials, make sure that you turn them upside down to knit. Since we are knitting the stocking from top down, if you were to leave the chart as you expect to see it in the finished product you would end up with upside down letters.  
  • Setting up the Afterthought Heel: After the third section has been completed, we will use some waste yarn to set aside stitches for the afterthought heel. This occurs after round 78 and before round 79 of the chart (see the yellow stitches below). You will have completed one complete row in CC1.
    Rearrange the stitches on the four needles as follows: 18, 17, 18, 17. Using waste yarn (I recommend using a color that is not MC or CC), Knit across the 35 stitches of needles 2 and 3. Turn the work and purl back across needles 3 and 2. The stitches that you are knitting are shown highlighted in yellow in the chart above. The stitches shaded in gray are not knit.
  • Resume the chart (in the star section), starting with working one complete row in CC1.
  • Follow the rest of the chart, ending with one CC1 row before starting the toe decreases.  
  • Decreases for the toes using CC1 (starting with 70 sts)
    • *K5, K2tog* repeat across (60 sts)
    • K 1 row even
    • *K4, K2tog* repeat across (50 sts)
    • K 1 row even
    • *K3, K2tog* repeat across (40 sts)
    • K 1 round even
    • *K2, K2tog* repeat across (30 sts)
    • K 1 round even
    • *K1, K2tog* repeat across (20 sts)
    • K 1 round even
    • K2tog across (10 sts)
    • K2tog across (5 sts)
    • Cut yarn, pull through the remaining 5 stitches and weave in loose ends.
  • Knitting the Afterthought heel (in CC1)
    • Pick up 70 stitches of the CC1 that is on either side of the waste yarn, cut waste yarn and remove from stocking. (I found it easier to pick up stitches from the inside of the stocking with a smaller needle than those used to knit the stocking.)
      Pictures from the KAB Stocking.
    • Knit one round even, (70 stitches). To minimize gaps, I will sometimes pick up and decease extra stitches at the edges, or else you can stitch these closed after you finish the heel. 
    • Decrease as instructed for toe decreases
  • Braided tie
    • For the tie, I cut 3 - 24" pieces of yarn in each of the three colors (1 green, 1 blue, and 1 white) and braided them. I then wove these into the hanging corner (I went in and out of the knit fabric more than one time so it would be sturdy when hung).
      Attaching the tie on the KAB stocking: Red line is where the braid is on the outside of the stocking, blue dashed line is where the braid is on the inside of the stocking.
    • Tie a bow, hang and admire! (I used a bow rather than a loop so I would not be limited to hooks to hang the stocking)
  • Finishing - Weave in loose ends and then Block (Optional.) I basted the top of the stocking together with white yarn and then soaked it in luke warm water for 30 min before lightly pinning it out.  This will even out the fabric.  

Rowdy's stocking ended up being a little smaller than the ones that I created for Keith, Lucky and myself.  I'm not going to stress the gauge difference.  If I was going to start designing stockings for my family all over again there are a few things I'd do differently, but I am so proud of have this set of holiday decor hanging in my home


Coordinating Stocking Patterns:

Pictures through construction

Before knitting the toe.

The complete stocking, minus the afterthought heel.

Picking up stitches for the afterthought heel.

The afterthought heel stitches are picked up and the waste yarn has been cut away.

I tried on the finished stocking.  It IS a sock, after all!

Close up of the penguin family motif.

Close up of the star motif.

The Brown Family stockings, all designed and knit by ChemKnits.  


These knitting pattern was created by ChemKnits for your personal or charity use. You are not to sell, distribute or reprint this pattern without the permission of ChemKnits. © 2016 ChemKnits