Splendid Stockings

You need: 1/2 yard dark green velvet; 1/4 yard light green velvet; 1/2 yard red twisted cord; sewing supplies.

Cutting: Enlarge and decrease stocking pattern from Bodacious Boot Stocking to desired sizes. Our large stocking is 12" tall and the small one 3-1/2" tall. Transfer to large sheet of paper, adding 1/4" seam allowance all around. Cut out to use as patterns. Fold dark green velvet in half. Using patterns, cut through both layers to cut out front and back pieces for large and small stockings. From light green velvet, cut one strip 8" wide x length to fit around top edge of stocking plus 1/2" seam allowance, for large stocking cuff. For small stocking, cut one strip 3" wide x length to fit around top of stocking plus 1/2" seam allowance.

Sewing: With right sides together, sew front and back pieces together along side and bottom edges. Clip curves and turn right side out. Sew short edges of cuff pieces together. With wrong sides together, fold cuff loop in half lengthwise. With wrong sides together, sew raw edges of cuff piece around top of stocking. Fold cuff over to right side of stocking. Cut an 8" length of red cording. Fold in half and sew ends inside back edge of stocking for hanger. Cut a 5" length of red cording. Sew one end inside larger stocking and opposite end inside small stocking.

--Designed by Robin Tarnoff

Skill Level: Intermediate

You need: 1 skein (1 3/4 oz/50g) of Dalegarn Ara* (wool) in Autumn Roses #AR-23063; size 9 double-pointed needles or SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE; stitch marker; tapestry needle; burgundy felt; bright orange thread; size I/9 crochet hook. Gauge: 17 sts to 4 1/2" and 24 rows to 4" in Stockinette st. TAKE TIME TO CHECK GAUGE.

Knitting stocking: Cast on 34 sts. Divide sts evenly over three needles. Join, taking care not to twist sts on needles. Mark end of rnd and slip marker every rnd. Work even in St st until leg measures approximately 7 3/4" from beg.

Heel: Sl last 9 sts from 3rd needle and k 9 sts from first needle-18 heel sts. Divide rem 16 sts onto two needles to be worked later for instep. Row 1 (WS): Sl 1 purlwise, p to end. Row 2 (RS): Sl 1 purlwise, k to end. Rep these two rows until 1/2", end with a RS row.

Turn Heel: Sl 1, p8, p2tog, p1, turn. Sl1, k3, skp, k1, turn. Sl 1, p4, p2tog, p1, turn. Sl 1, k5, skp, k1, turn. Cont with 1 more st before dec until all sts have been worked-10 sts.

Shape Instep: With same needle, pick up and k 7 sts along side of heel piece with needle 1, k next 16 sts of instep, pick up and k 7 sts along other side of heel piece, k 5 sts from needle 1—There are 12 sts on needles 1 and 3, 16 sts on needle 2 for a total of 40 sts. Mark center of heel for end of rnd. Rnd 1: K to last 3 sts of needle 1, k2tog, k1, k 16 sts on needle 2, k1, skp, k to end. Rnd 2: Knit. Rep last 2 rnds 2 times more—34 sts. Cont to work even until foot measures 5" from back of heel.

Shape toe: Rep Rnds 1 and 2 four times—18 sts. Place 9 sts on 2 needles and weave tog using Kitchener st.

Adding heel, toe and cuff: From felt, cut cuff piece that fits around top of stocking plus 1/2" x 4 1/2". Overlapping short ends, fold cuff piece around top of stocking and sew in place with long running stitches and orange thread. Following shape of toe and heel, cut toe and heel pieces from felt, adding 1/2" all around to be turned to wrong side of stocking. Sew in place with long running stitches and orange thread. With crochet hook, crochet a chain 8" long for hanger. Fold in half and sew ends inside back of stocking.

--Designed by Rebecca Rosen

*For Dalegarn Ara yarn, visit the Dale of Norway website:

You need: 3/4 yard red felt; 4 green 3/8" diameter buttons; thread in pink and red; sewing supplies; pinking shears.

Cutting: Enlarge pattern to desired size. Ours is 12" tall. Transfer to large sheet of paper, adding 1/2" all around for seam allowances. Cut out to use as a pattern. Fold felt fabric in half. Using pattern, cut through both layers to cut out front and back pieces and two handle pieces. Cut one piece, 2-1/2" x 32" or length to fit around sides and bottom edges of stocking, for boxing strip.

Sewing: With wrong sides together, baste boxing strip along side and bottom edges of front and back pieces, leaving top edge open. Using 1/2" seam allowance, sew pieces together with pink thread. Clip edges with pinking shears. Position handles on front and back pieces. Position buttons on lower edges of handles and sew handles to stocking through buttons with red thread.

--Designed by Robin Tarnoff

You need: 1/2 yard dark pink satin; 1/4 yard white organza; red embroidery thread; embroidery needle; red seed beads; sewing supplies; 2-1/2 yards 5/8" wide red satin ribbon; 1 yard 1-1/2" wide red satin ribbon.

Cutting: Enlarge stocking pattern to desired size. Ours is 12" tall. Transfer to large sheet of paper, adding 1/4" seam allowance all around. Cut out to use as a pattern. Fold pink satin fabric in half. Using pattern, cut through both layers to cut out front and back pieces. Cut one front piece from white organza fabric.

Sewing: Baste organza front piece to right side of satin front piece. Embroider straight stitch stars randomly around front of stocking. Sew beads in center of each star and randomly around front of stocking. With right sides together, sew front and back pieces together along side and bottom edges. Clip curves and turn right side out. Cut 15 strips, each 5", from 5/8" wide ribbon. With wrong sides together, fold each strip in half crosswise. With raw edges aligned and longer edges abutted, baste edges of folded strips around top edge of stocking. Cut a length of wider ribbon to fit around top edge of stocking plus 1/2". With right sides together and edges aligned, pin wider ribbon length around top of stocking, overlapping short edges at back of stocking. Sew ribbon length along top edge. Fold ribbon over top edges of stocking to inside and sew remaining edge of ribbon length to inside by hand.

--Designed by Robin Tarnoff