Fast and Easy Christmas Stockings

I decorate for the holidays in drips and drabs, starting with wreaths and setting out little touches as Thanksgiving approaches. Every year I add at least one craft item.

Our old Christmas Stockings were getting worn, so I bought some new ones on sale, but when I hung them up, I realized I hadn’t gotten one for my dog. If you have a fur baby who’s a member of the family, you understand this.

Since the big stockings were knitted, I decided to knit Buffy a small one. Trouble is, I never learned how to turn a heel. Or is it called setting a heel? My knitting skills are limited. So, I turned to crochet and used a technique that doesn’t require shaping at all for either knitting or crochet. And the added thickness inside helps hold the stocking in shape.

For this project, you need yarn in two colors. (I used red and white.) A pattern cut in the shape of the stocking. I winged it, but children’s coloring books have lots of stocking shapes. You’ll also need a yarn needle and knitting needles or crochet hook G or J.

All you have to do is either knit or crochet 2 rectangular swatches in one color, big enough to cover your pattern from the lower right to the upper left. And 2 triangular swatches in the opposite color, big enough to cover the heel and toe area. (To knit the triangles, cast on 2 stitches and increase at each end, repeating until the triangle is big enough.) (To crochet the triangles, chain 2 and increase by 2sc at each end, repeating until the triangle is big enough.) Finally, knit in ribbing or crochet in sc rows a strip about 5 inches wide and long enough to go around the top of the stocking.

With all pieces complete, lay one of the rectangles on a flat surface, position the triangles in the appropriate places on top and lay the other rectangle over all. Now, position the pattern over your work, making sure the toe is hanging lower than the heel. Pin in place and sew all around the pattern, through all layers. Turn the stocking inside out. Whip stitch the heel and toe in place and sew the cuff strip to the top opening. Fold over the cuff and add a loop at the top with ribbon or crocheted string.

I’m going to add Buffy’s initial if I can find some black felt.

Now, the mantel is complete.

Even if you don’t knit or crochet, if you have a stocking pattern, you can sew anything together to create a festive stocking.

What was the best gift you ever found in your stocking on Christmas morning? Buffy will be excited to find a bone. But what is the perfect gift for a stocking?

Comment today or anytime before November 27 for a chance to win a copy of my Christmas novella, The Perfect Gift, either ebook copy or print. Incidentally, the perfect gift my heroine searched for would fit in Buffy’s little stocking.

It's Christmas 1963, and Macy Lance has it all. She'll soon graduate from a prestigious southern college, and a position in a top pharmaceutical firm waits for her. Best of all, Jonathan Tennent has proposed. But Macy has a secret. She isn't the woman Jon thinks she is. Knowing she must confess by Christmas Eve, she searches for a gift to rival the engagement ring Jon is giving her. Maybe she'll be able to convince his society-obsessed family she's good enough for their only son.

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Why Knit?

Whoever invented knitting must have been hard up for something to do.

That was my assessment when I learned how to knit, and after taking up the needles again after several years, it remains my belief.

Really, shifted a little loop of yarn from one needle to another, knitting three loops together without dropping everything off one needle or the other, yarn over, passed slipped stitch over. Who dreamed this up?

Probably the Egyptians. Knitted articles appeared in Egypt before 1000 a.d. Because of the intricacy of socks knit in blue and white cotton, there must have been something earlier.

Before knitting with two needles, there was nålbinding. Nålbinding looks like knitting, but used one needle, splicing and knotting string together. This may have evolved into knitting, and spread into Spain and the rest of Europe.

The tomb of a Spanish prince contained the first known European knitting in 1275 a.d. Most knitting was intended for liturgical garments and accessories for the church.

Then, in the 14^th century, paintings in Germany and Italy depicted Mary knitting beside Baby Jesus. This suggests that knitting had become commonplace. According to the Encyclopedia of Knitting, women knitting would be seen as “sweetly domestic.” Mary would not have been portrayed as usurping a male-dominated trade.”

By the 16^th century, men of fashion in Italy and Spain demanded elegant knitted stockings to go with their knee breeches. To supply the demand, knitting guilds popped up. These were exclusively male. To become a Master Knitter in the Middle Ages, a young man had to train for six years; three were spent as an apprentice studying under the masters, and three spent traveling around, learning foreign techniques. Then, to pass a painstaking exam, he spent thirteen weeks knitting an assortment of articles. Among the requirements were a pair of stockings or embroidered gloves, a felded cap, a shirt or waistcoat, and a knitted carpet. Parisian guilds were considered the best.

A knitting machine was invented by an Englishman in 1589. The Industrial Revolution created an upheaval in many trades and knitting wasn’t exempt. Knitted goods were now manufactured by machine.

Once again, knitting became a sweet pastime for ladies. Why do we knit? With our needles, we create works of art. Like these poppies. Why am I knitting poppies? Because a character in my work-in-progress knits poppies, and I needed to understand what she experienced.

The pattern calls for casting on 120 stitches. To practice after several years absence from knitting, I used a remnant, casting on 60 stitches. It still has 15 rows like the full-sized poppy, but instead of appearing only flattered than the ruffled one, it’s half the size. Oh well, knitting is supposed to be fun, right?

As I struggle to knit three together, I can’t help thinking, someone must have been awfully bored to dream up this exercise.

Be Your Own Fashion Designer

After I’d been knitting a while, I decided I wanted to create my own sweater designs. I was young and foolish. Well, maybe not foolish, but brave. I had seen several stitches I thought would look good together, so I bought the yarn—a fisherman’s wool. Not cheap. But I was full of youthful confidence.

First I decided on a style-I wanted cables and I'd seen a seed stitch I liked so I thought I'd add that in. And the garter stitch. I had already chosen my yarn. One thing I would suggest is that your yarn match the stitches you choose. You don't want to mix a fine yarn like mohair or cashmere with an Aran pattern of cables like you find in Irish sweaters. Fine yarns are meant to be knitted simply so their beauty will show. An Aran pattern needs a yarn that has enough body to hold its shape.

The next step requires a pencil, paper, tape measure, and another person to help you measure. Measure and record your bust, arm, hip, and wrist measurements. 

• To measure your arm length, start at the top inside and measure to your wrist.
• Armhole depth--measure from the top of your shoulder to the soft part of your underarm and add 1 1/2 " for ease.
• Length--measure from under your arm to your waist and then from your waist to the desired length. Record both measurements so that if you want a shaped waist you will know where to begin shaping.
• measure you bust and add at least 2" for ease. On a bulky sweater you can add as much as 4".
• Don't fudge on any measurements, especially the hip.

Another way to get the correct measurements is to take a garment you like and measure it. To do this lay it on a piece of paper and carefully trace an outline of the garment.

Actual Knitting:

Start by knitting a 4" swatch of the pattern in the needle size you will be using. Use a stitch gauge or ruler to count the number of stitches in two inches. Half this will be your stitches per inch. Do this for the rows as well.

How many to cast on:

Most sweaters are worked from the bottom up. I use my bust measurement, including ease, and divide it half. This will be my front. Multiply this number by the stitches per inch you've already determined, then I always add 4 stitches for seams. This is how many stitches you will cast on.

Example: 

Bust measurement: 38" + 2" for ease = 40"

Unless you are working in the round, divide this number in half for front and back = 20"

Let's say your stitch gauge is 5 stitches per inch.  20 X 5 = 100  + 4 = 104 stitches to cast on.

What if you choose a pattern like cables or diamonds?

That means you have to see if your stitch pattern will divide evenly into this number. Say your stitch pattern requires a multiple of 5 (5 stitches to complete the pattern). Five divides into 100 evenly with 4 left over for the seams.

Sleeves: 

After you reach the desired length, you are ready for the armholes. For Ragland sleeves, at each end every other row until one third of the stitches you started with remain. Continue in with these stitches until the desired armhole depth is reached. For Cap sleeves, decrease one stitch at each end of every row every other row 5 times. Continue to work the back in pattern until the desired shape is reached. Then bind off the neck edge or place the remaining stitches on a holder to finish later.

Here is one of the sweaters I designed.

This is enough to get you started on a vest. If anyone is interested in learning to be your own designer, leave a comment and next month, I will give directions on how to make sleeves.

 Patrica Bradley

Shadows of the Past

Yarn Doll

By Patricia Bradley

I first made this yarn doll in the '80s, and thought a new generation might enjoy making it. If you don't knit, you can easily make an A-line dress to fit, and I made a small hat out of a circle of material. 

Materials needed:
Knee high stocking
Stuffing such as kapock, etc.
Q-tip (plastic)
1 skein 4 oz. 4 ply yarn
Strand of yarn for eyes (blue, brown, black)
Strand of pink or red yarn for mouth
1 oz sport yarn for hair

Arms: Wrap yarn 50 times around a stiff cardboard measuring 20" in length. Slipp off cardboard and tie in the middle. Use a double strand of yarn to tie. Cut ends. Beginning at the middle, braid yarn to within 2" of the end. Repeat for the other side. Trim hands evenly. If yarn tangles, "comb" with fingers.

Body:  Stuff toe of knee-high stocking with kapock. Head should measure at least 10". Insert half of Q-tip into head and tie. Stuff remaining stocking just enough to cover end of Q-tip. Tie and cut off rest of stocking. This forms the body the yarn will fit over. Now wrap remaining yarn around cardboard, keeping the tension even and yarn smooth. Tie with a double yarn at top and cut threads at bottom of cardboard. Slip this over stuffed stocking head, spreading the yarn evenly over stocking and tie. Insert arms and tie to stocking body at neck. Spread yarn evenly over arms and stocking body, covering them well and tie. Divide the remaining yarn in half for lets. Braid each leg tightly to withing 2 and 1/2 inches of end and tie with double yarn. Trim

Hair: Using a 6" piece of cardboard, wrap yarn 55 times. Tie at top of cardboard and slip yarn off. Tie on the top of the doll head. Repeat, two time, tie hair on either side of the first yarn. 

Face: Using strand of blue, black or brown yarn, make eyes using satin stitch.Using pink or red, make 5 or 6 short satin stitches for nose. Use back stitch to make mouth.

Dress:

I also made this doll in a 3' size and made a dress, apron and bonnet for it. But that's a whole different pattern for another day.