BFL Christmas Stocking
by Kathy Hinckley

 

Here's a cheery, easy-to-knit holiday accessory knitted in fluffy Blue Faced Leicester, spun bulky and soft. It's based on the familiar flap-and-gusset sock pattern, so for the sockknitters among you, this will be a breeze, and for sock neophytes, here's a fun introduction to the footly mysteries.

Amount of fiber: The finished stocking pictured weighs 100 grams, so a 4-ounce hank of top will be enough for this project -- as long as you don't spin too densely. I did not spin a perfectly "balanced" yarn. I spun the singles fairly loosely, and over-plied slightly, tight enough to make the plies hard to separate, but loose enough so the yarn retains loft; I can flatten it between my fingers, though of course it puff out again as soon as I let go. After washing, my yarn still has a tiny bit of live twist, but boy is it bouncy.

Amount per color: With a kitchen or postal scale that measures in grams, you can divide 4 ounces of top into the portions needed for each color with little waste. If you have to estimate, you might want to have a little more than 4 ounces on hand. The amounts below should give you enough for each color used here, with a little to spare:

Light Green	20g
Pink	22g
White	22g
Gold	10g
Dark Green	40g

Use your favorite dyes and dyeing technique to dye the above, or similar, colors. The Dark Green I used was part of a larger hank that I'd chained and immersion-dyed. Because of the chaining, the color was uneven, so my finished yarn is mottled; I really like it. The Gold was initially darker than I wanted, so I blended it with some yellow BFL I had, in a shade I didn't care for. It lightened up the Gold just right.

Grist and twist: Spin singles to about 15° of twist at about 18wpi, ply to about 30°. Finished yarn should average about 8wpi.

Gauge: 13.5 sts = 4"

Needles: I knitted with size US8 needles, but I'm a very loose knitter. Most knitters will use US9 or US10 to knit a solid but springy fabric. If you use double-pointed needles, I suggest grabby bamboo or wood, and you'll need either one set of 10" needles, or two sets of 7" needles so you can arrange the stitches on 6 needles instead of 4. Other options are the two-circular method, or the single "Magic Loop" method; in the latter case, you'll need at least 32" length, and longer will be more comfortable.

Other tools needed: two holders (one large) or spare needles; large wool tapestry needle; measuring tape or ruler.

Cuff:

With Light Green, CO 50sts. Arrange sts so that 30sts are on the heel side of your needle(s) and 20sts are on the instep side.

K 4 rounds.

Round 5: BO 10, K10, K30 (40sts). Break yarn.

Attach Pink. K 1 round.

Pull the yarn firmly from the previous round to the st beyond the bind-off, allowing the bound-off section to loop, for hanging the stocking; P 1 round (garter ridge). Break yarn.

Change to White.

Follow the 9-round chart, attaching Gold beginning at Round 2 of chart. After Round 8, break Gold; after Round 9, break White.

Change to Pink, work a garter ridge. Break yarn.

Change to Dark Green. Knit even for 5"; total cuff length about 8 1/2". Break yarn.

Heel:

K 30. Slip the last 20 sts worked to a holder or spare needle. These sts will later form the instep. There are now 20 live sts (10 at the beginning of the original round and 10 at the end); these are the heel sts, which are worked back and forth in rows, starting from right where you are now. Begin heel flap:

Rows 1-2: Change to White, K20, turn, K10, K1-P1 in next st, K9, turn (21sts). Don't break White; just allow it to hang until later.

Row 3: Attach Light Green and Pink. K2 Light Green, (K1 Pink, K1 Light Green) 9 times, K1 Light Green.

For remainder of heel flap, always slip the first st of each row. Slip knitwise on knit rows, purlwise on purl rows. Maintain Light Green and Pink color pattern until directed to change color at Row 23.

Row 4: Slip 1, K20.

Row 5: Slip 1, P20.

Rows 6-20: Repeat Rows 4-5 7 times more, and Row 4 once more.

Heel turn:

Row 21: Slip 1, K5, K2tog, K5, SSK, turn, twisting yarns.

Row 22: Slip 1, P5, P2tog, turn, twisting yarns.

Row 23: Slip 1, K5, SSK, turn, twisting yarns.

Repeat Rows 22-23 5 times more, until all but 1 st at each side of the center 7 sts has been decreased away. Break both yarns, and place remaining 9 sts of heel on a holder or spare needle.

With the White yarn still attached at the base of the heel flap, pick up and knit 1 st in the White garter ridge and 9 sts along the right side of the flap, working into both strands of each chain link along the edge; from the holder, K2tog, K5, SSK; pick up and knit 9 sts along the left side of the flap and 1 st in the White garter ridge (27sts). Turn.

K12, K2tog at center of heel to eliminate the increase made in Row 2 of heel flap, K13 (26 sts). Break yarn. From here on, these stitches are called the sole stitches; the sole and the instep together are the foot.

Foot:

Resume working in rounds:

Round 1: Move the 20 instep sts from the holder to a working needle. Attach Dark Green at the beginning of the sole at the right side of the heel flap, K26; knit the first instep st to the end of the sole sts; K18; slip the last instep st to the beginning of the sole (46 sts).

Round 2: SSK, K22, K2tog, K20 (44 sts).

Round 3: K.

Repeat Rounds 2-3 twice more (40 sts). Return the first and last sts on the sole needle(s) to the instep needle(s). Continue even until Dark Green foot measures 2 1/4". Break yarn.

Attach Gold, work 1 garter ridge. Break yarn.

Attach White, K 4 rounds.

Attach Pink. *K2 White, [Make Bobble: With Pink, (K1b, yo, K1b, yo, K1b) in one st, turn; P5, turn; K5, turn; P5, turn; K5tog], K2 White*. Break Pink yarn.

K 1 round White. Break yarn.

Attach Gold, work 1 garter ridge. Break yarn.

Toe:

Attach Pink and Light Green.

Round 1: *K1 Pink, K1 Light Green*. Maintain color pattern throughout toe; work all K2tog with Light Green.

Round 2: *K8, K2tog*.

Round 3: K.

Round 4: *K7, K2tog*.

Round 5: K.

Round 6: *K6, K2tog*.

Round 7: *K5, K2tog*.

Round 8: *K4, K2tog*.

Round 9: *K3, K2tog*.

Round 10: *K2, K2tog*.

Round 11: *K1, K2tog*. Break yarn, thread through all 8 remaining sts, pull tight to close tip of toe.

Weave in ends, steam lightly.

Hang your stocking in Santa's favorite corner and make a wish!