Tree-rrific Christmas Stocking

Scroll down for the FREE pattern, or get the inexpensive ad-free PDF in my shop!

I’d had a vague idea for a stocking for a few months, but wasn’t sure I would get to it this year. Then last month when I was visiting my best friend we were talking about stockings with her husband, and how their about-to-be-born baby didn’t have one yet. Both of them have stockings that were made for them and I offered to make one for the new baby! The dad-to-be requested that it be green, which immediately put a variation on this design in my head. That one didn’t quite work out, but it got me to this version of the tree.

Scroll down for the FREE pattern, or get the inexpensive ad-free PDF in my shop!

Like many of my washcloth patterns this is created using just knits and purls to create an image with a change in texture. As I started knitting this stocking I realized I had been picturing it with a toe pointing to the left, which is the direction my friend’s stocking goes. But I realized her husband’s stocking was facing the opposite direction. So rather than make them choose immediately which way to hang the stocking, I figured, why not just make it reversible?! So there is a Christmas tree on both sides of the stocking, and to add one more reversible aspect – you can decide that either side of the knit is the “right” side! I like the reverse stockinette side with the stockinette tree myself, which means that I knit it inside out, and turned it around once I was done. Ultimately that means there are 4 options in this one stocking!

The free pattern is below, or if you want a printable version (with no annoying ads), you can purchase that from my Shop or on Ravelry, it even has Christmas-themed pricing (yes I’m a bit of nerd 🙂 ).

Pattern

Materials

• 99 m/108 yds super bulky weight yarn (I used Bernat Softee Chunky – 100% Acrylic)
• 8 mm/US 11 circular needles, 40 cm/16” long
• 3 stitch markers (recommended 1 colour for the BOR, and another colour for the other 2 stitch markers)
• Darning needle

Finished Size

Height (Cuff to bottom of heel): 35.5 cm/14”
Height (Cuff to bottom of toe): 40.5 cm/16”
Width (Cuff): 16.5 cm/6.5”
Width (Heel to toe): 25.5 cm/10”

Scroll down for the FREE pattern, or get the ad-free PDF.

Gauge
Knit in stockinette: 10 sts x 16 rows = 10 cm/4”
*Note: gauge is not crucial for this pattern

Stitch Glossary

CO – Cast On
BOR – beginning of round
k – knit
p – purl
sts – stitches
RS – right side
WS – wrong side
PM – place marker
DS – double stitch
sl1 – slip 1 stitch purlwise
wyib – with yarn in back
k2tog – knit 2 together

Stitch Explanation

Make DS – Double Stitch: With yarn in front sl1 st from left needle to right needle. Pull yarn over the top of the needle and behind it. This distorts the stitch so it looks like there are two stitches on the needle. Knit or purl the next stitches as indicated.

When working back across the DS the double stitch is worked as if it were a k2tog or p2tog (purl 2 together).

Cuff

CO 34 sts (I prefer the long-tail cast on)
PM and join in the round
R1: *k1, p1, repeat from * to end of round
R2: *p1, k1, repeat from * to end of round
R3-6: repeat R1 & R2

Body of Stocking
R7-14: k all sts
R15: *k8, p1 k8*, pm, repeat from * to *
R16: *k8, p1, k8, repeat from *
R17-18: *k7, p3, k7, repeat from *
R19-20: *k6, p5, k6, repeat from *
R21-22: *k5, p7, k5, repeat from *
R23-24: *k4, p9, k4, repeat from *
R25-27: *k3, p11, k3, repeat from *
R28-30: *k7, p3, k7, repeat from *
R31-38 (or to desired length): k all sts

Heel

This stocking uses a short row heel, as I felt it would give the best shape to the stocking.

Setup: k across first 8 sts and PM. Heel will be worked on the next 18 sts.

R1 (RS): k18, PM. Turn
R2 (WS): Make DS, p to marker. Turn.
R3 (RS): Make DS, k to next DS. Turn.
R4 (WS): Make DS, p to next DS. Turn.
Repeat R3 & R4 until 5 unworked (i.e. regular, non-DS sts) sts remain between the DS. Then proceed to the next section.

R1 (RS): Make DS, k across unworked sts and 2 DS. Turn.
R2 (WS): Make DS, p across unworked sts and 2 DS. Turn.
Repeat R1 & R2 until all DS have been worked (10 more rows). Then sl1 wyib and k to BOR doing the following to close up the hole in the corner of your heel: k the remaining DS. After the DS pick up 1 st with your right needle and slip it onto the left needle. Knit this picked up stitch together with the next stitch (k2tog). Markers for the heel can be removed as you get to them.

Foot

R1: k8, remove marker. Pick up 1 stitch with your right needle and slip it onto the left needle. Knit this picked up stitch together with the next stitch (k2tog). K to end of round R2-16 (or to desired length): k all sts

Toe

R1: *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1
R2: *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to last 2 sts, k2
R3-4: repeat R1 & R2 (8 sts left)

Cut your yarn leaving at least a 10” tail and use Kitchener Stitch to close up your toe, (4 sts on “front” of stocking and 4 sts on “back” of stocking)

Hanger (knit flat)

Pick up 3 sts from the cuff on the heel side of your stocking.

R1: k1, p1, k1
Repeat until your hanger measures 3.5”, or your desired length.
Bind off in pattern, cut yarn leaving a tail of at least 12” and pull it through your last stitch. Fold your hanger over and use the tail to seam it to the cuff under where you picked up the stitches.

Alternatively you could also braid some yarn, knit an I-cord, or crochet a chain and attach it for your hanger.

Weave in the rest of your ends and hang your stocking by the chimney, with care!

Notes

If you would like to add a name to your stocking, I’ve left space above the Christmas tree for this. There are a couple options for doing this.

My preferred way is to take some fluffy yarn and coordinating thread and sew the yarn onto the stocking. Lay out the name as you would like it first, then sew it on. That is what I did here:

You could use a contrasting colour of yarn and embroider the name on using the technique in this tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrzKVdRLttc

Alternatively you could also do a duplicate stitch if you’ve chosen the stockinette background for your tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cfmjyaaAdw

If you’re really into embroidering, you could embroider bobbles (French Knots) onto your tree to decorate it too!

Want the pattern in an easier to read format? Get the printable PDF from my Shop or from Ravelry.