Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Christmas Stocking Knitting Patterns

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If you’re planning to knit any Christmas stockings for the upcoming season, you’d better get started quickly! These Christmas stocking knitting patterns are all pretty fast to knit but still really pretty and fun to hang or display by the fireplace.

If you’ve never knit a stocking or a sock before, or you’ve got a bunch you need to get through fast, check out Simply Maggie Knits’ great beginner stocking pattern. It’s all Stockinette and it looks like it’s worked in super bulky yarn so you can stitch it up in no time.

The Tamarack Christmas Stocking from Martha Johnson is worked in one color but it has a lot of texture going on with little bands of textured stitches and Christmas trees worked into the design at the top of the leg. It uses sport weight yarn and you can get it on Ravelry.

If you’d like to see even more texture in your stocking knitting pattern, the Sleigh Tracks Stocking from Vincent Williams has you covered. This worsted weight stocking features a big cable and textured stitching around the sock to really make the cable pop. You can buy this one on Ravelry.

Or try the Monster Cables stocking from The Cali Co Designs on Etsy. This one is mostly Stockinette with a large cable and she’s not kidding when she says it’s a monster — this stocking is huge!

Christmas stockings are often all about color, so if that’s what you’re looking for, check out the super fun A Colorful World collection by Sweetly made Just for U. You’ll find all sorts of colorwork options in this pattern set, from stripes and dots to hearts and trees. You can choose one pattern or several to buy from her on Etsy.

Sarah Murray’s Christmas Stockings with Initials have a classic, two color design and include a place for initials. There’s a mini stocking and a larger option, both worked in DK weight yarn. Find the pattern on Ravelry.

The Holly Stocking knitting pattern from Annie’s Woolens on Etsy is another pretty design, featuring bands of holly, stars and stripes. It’s worked in worsted weight yarn.

And if you’re looking for something a little less traditional, check out the Bubble Christmas Stocking from Kristen McDonnell. This one is so cute worked in one color, two or a multicolored yarn, and it’s definitely different from anything else hanging by the tree. Get the pattern, which uses super bulky yarn, on Ravelry.

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Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.