Saturday, December 10, 2011

Res Originalis: Daniel's Sorta Felted Christmas Stocking

Before Daniel was born, I had all sorts of ideas about the things I wanted to make for him. Included in the Christmas category was a stocking -- intricate colorwork, fingering weight wool, a sight to behold. Well, I never got around to it, and now that the little guy is here and trying to crawl, we're mere weeks away from Christmas, and I have deadline knitting to work on, I unfortunately had to scrap those plans and go for something a bit quicker. So I got out the size 10 needles, some bulky wool and got to work.

Browsing through the December issue of Martha Stewart Living, I came across a pattern for some stockings cut from thrifted sweaters then felted. As a knitter, the idea of simply cutting up a sweater and sewing it together just didn't fly, but I loved the look of the stockings. So that's what I tried to recreate here.



It has a short row heel and all, but it definitely is more the style of a two-dimensional Christmas stocking rather than something one would wear on ones foot (note the sideways toe).



It's got Aran diamonds and bobbles and cables twisting both ways, and it looks exactly the same on the other side. It's felted -- sort of. I did it by hand and wanted the soft and subtly-felted look of something that had accidentally gone through the washer, so it's really not as felted as it could be. It's also HUGE. The stocking I grew up with, made by a second cousin when I was 1, is likewise ginormous and I always felt like Santa was more generous with me than with my little brother and his comparatively dinky stocking. (It's probably more likely that Santa wrapped my stocking stuffers in extra bulky material to take up more space, but little me doesn't need to know that.) I still love my big stocking and wanted to give Daniel something I could fill to the brim with little toys and candy and socks and (hopefully) oranges instead of onions and he can feel like Santa left more for him than his Uncle Alec.

Because that's what Christmas is about -- getting more presents than other people.

14 comments:

Allison said...

That's gorgeous! Please say you're going to publish the pattern...

juicyknits said...

How cute! And a nice story.

Cambria said...

Really sweet :) When I had my second son, I was still working on his big brother's stocking from the year before, lol. His presence forced me to kick it into gear and get them both finished, but his is shorter than big brother's (because I ran out of the contrast color, but they think it's because he's littler so his stocking is too). lol.

Aline said...

Oh! and now the fun begins! it's beautiful and now I realize I am a huge slacker...(I never knit a stocking in 18 years) oops! :)

Stripeyspots said...

I love it. I hope you do publish the pattern. I'm knitting a Christmas stocking myself but would like to try a few variations.

French Press Knits said...

Oh, it's lovely! I just finished Elise's and it is now adorning the mantle. At least Daniel got a stocking for his first Christmas!

Mary Lee said...

Love it! Hope you publish the pattern- I need to make four!
Mary Lee

Mr. Puffy said...

I LOVE this stocking!!! You have to write this up - children are depending on you - LOL Have fun spoiling your little one :)))

Julie said...

what an amazing stocking!! I love the cables and bobbles.

anotheryarn said...

Beautiful

sophy said...

i love it! :D

Ivete said...

Love it! The proportions and distribution of texture are so perfect, great job!

Teresa said...

Lovely. It's a classy Christmas stocking. I had ideas of making one for myself. Because that is also what Christmas is about. Making/buying things for yourself!

Eliza said...

So late here but I love it! The stocking I made Christopher years ago has been given to Eamon, because it is also gigantic. Which means I need to make one for Christopher...maybe this is it!