Inspiration
Let’s Go! It’s Time to Knit a Christmas Stocking
Today’s Public Service Announcement: it’s pretty much Go Time if you’re dreaming of knitting somebody a Christmas stocking.
We are here to help. In particular, we point your attention to one of MDK’s most-knitted designs, the New Ancestral Christmas Stocking.
Hundreds and hundreds of these babies have found homes on mantels across the land. It’s a design that I based on the Christmas stocking of my childhood, and it warms my heart to see all the versions of it on Ravelry. When we first published the New Ancestral Christmas Stocking in our second book, we wondered how it would go.
A decade later, we see big stockings, small stockings, stockings with a superlong CHRISTOPHER wedged in there, neutral stockings, blue stockings, football team logo stockings, stripes, all-argyles, stockings that frankly look like somebody else’s pattern but who cares?
One stocking appears to have the dimensions of a sleeping bag.
What a blast to discover so many stockings that began with this pattern and ended up somewhere unique.
New for 2022: Fun Colorways
The MDK team has been working hard to bring you the very latest in Christmas stocking style.
Today, we’re launching new kits for this cheerful project, starring MDK Atlas yarn in three brand-new colorways.
We’ve got Ruby, of course.
Rose.
And Spot. (Yes, these are MDK team pets who will be getting these stockings.)
The Kit
We love this kit, hope you do too. It includes four skeins of MDK Atlas, enough to make two stockings if you’re OK with using the colors in a different order for your second stocking. The PDF pattern download includes the colorwork chart, the alphabet chart, and complete instructions.
A Stocking Knitalong Begins August 19
This is the sort of project that has an extremely specific deadline, so in the interest of encouraging completion, we’re planning a quick knitalong so you can get this thing done with a gigantic margin, allowing a lot of time for you to glory in the success of it all.
We’ll keep this Stocking-along to a quick two weeks, because a) it’s a quick knit and b) it feels great to finish this stocking so early in the season.
Love,
Ann
P.S. We Zoomed! The event recording is here.
Links all fixed! The gremlin who broke them is getting rocks in her sock on December 24.
[gremlin raises hand]
[no Toblerones for her]
Looks like the link is fixed – I just signed up! I have had this in my queue for a while – thanks for the nudge to get going on it for this year! I have visions of matching stockings for the whole family – but probably not this year
Love that vision . . . if you start now, you never know how many you can crank out by December. It’s actually a fast knit once you get going (I made one in a day like Mary Ann the Steam Shovel, under extreme circumstances . . .)
The link is working now- can’t wait!
I have had pattern and yarn for this for a few years now, and a family pet who has had to tolerate a sad store bought stocking… Thanks for the nudge!
They never complain, do they? So patient.
Oh great! And you can knit just one sock and call it a finished project!!!!
Sorry for the Stocking Knitalong signup link problem–it’s working now. And if it’s still not working for you, just email us at hello@moderndailyknitting.com and we’ll add you to the list.
Which book is this pattern in? I’d rather not buy it again if I’ve already got it.
Hi! It’s in MDK Outside the Lines, our second book. If you’ve got our books, you’ve got it! The new version we’re releasing today is slightly different, using 4 colors of yarn rather than the 3 in the original pattern. Otherwise it’s the same. ; )
I’m going to steal the Rose color combo for other purposes — love it!
Darn you!! I am really trying to stay focused but you keep tempting me and my ability to persevere on my temperature blanket (even though I do love it)t fades as quickly as I lose my dpns. I bought pattern years ago, too, but, um, got distracted. So glad I did. I like these colors so much more. I think I will do a different color set for each of the grandchildren: one pink (of course!! she’s 6) and for the boys: one for my “blue is my favorite color” 11 yo, one “green is my favorite color” 8 yo and the 3 yo is gonna get the traditional Christmas colors because as far as I know he doesn’t have a favorite color yet — or it might be pink like his sister because he adores her.
Hi Jan! It’s important to have about six projects on the go at once, right? The more the merrier . . .
I just looked over the pattern to see what needles are used. It says Size 3. Is that correct for Atlas yarn?
Yes, you read that right. This is Atlas knit to a tighter-than-usual gauge. Knitters can definitely knit at recommended gauge for a bigger, stretch-ier sock, but four skeins will not then yield two stockings.
Thanks! I’ll get the needles on order.
I can’t believe you didn’t even mention the best part: it’s a sock pattern where you’re SUPPOSED to knit only one. Second sock syndrome begone!
Are the colors on RUBY – peat, natural, barn red, and shale? Thank you!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
I am loving Atlas so far, as I’m Christmas-stocking-swatching. I’m curious about the draft… it almost feels like it occupies the space somewhere between worsted- and woolen-spun. It’s full-on delightful, whatever it is!
I have finished my stocking…..do I post a picture or something?