Get Cheery with Handmade Knit Christmas Stockings

Want to know the only thing cozier than hanging up stockings for Christmas? When you’ve hand-knit those stockings yourself.

And believe it or not, you don’t have to be an experienced knitter to make North Pole-worthy knit Christmas stockings. With some basic supplies and a few hours of time, you’ll be well on your way to creating the cheeriest stockings around, one warm stitch at a time.

Must-Have Supplies for Knit Christmas Stockings

Even if you’re starting from scratch, you won’t need to break the bank in order to gather the supplies needed to make hand knit Christmas stockings.

Yarn

First on the list is the star of any knitting project: yarn. Readily available in a variety of weights (i.e. thicknesses) and materials, you’ll have no problem finding a yarn option perfectly suited to your preferences and budget alike.

In terms of weight, you can choose from several:

Lace: The thinnest, most delicate option of all.
Superfine: Often referred to as fingering weight or sock yarn.
Fine: Also known as baby or sport weight yarn.
Light: Includes double knit (DK) yarn.
Medium: Worsted and aran yarns both fall under the medium weight category.
Bulky: Commonly known as chunky or rug yarn.
Super bulky: Can also be called super chunky.
Jumbo: The thickest yarn available.

No matter its weight, yarn can also be spun from any number of materials, including:

natural fibers such as wool, silk, cotton, mohair, cashmere and alpaca; and
synthetic fibers such as acrylic, nylon and polyester.

Depending on how you want your knit stockings to look and feel, you can choose yarn that’s all-natural, all-synthetic or a mix of both.

Knitting Needles

Unless you plan on using your fingers as needles (and yes, finger knitting is a thing!), you’ll also need some knitting needles to bring your stockings together.

Needles come in an array of sizes, and your knitting pattern will likely recommend one (more on patterns later).

To simplify things, you can also narrow down your choice of knitting needle sizes based on the type of yarn you’re using:

US sizes 000–1: Lace weight
US sizes 1–3: Superfine
US sizes 3–5: Fine
US sizes 5–7: Light
US sizes 7–9: Medium
US sizes 9–11: Bulky
US sizes 11–17: Super bulky
US sizes 17+: Jumbo

Knitting needles are also manufactured using several different materials, including wood, bamboo, steel, aluminum and plastic.

Miscellaneous Tools

While not as essential as yarn and needles, a couple of miscellaneous tools can make your stocking-knitting experience a whole lot easier. Namely, those are scissors and a tapestry needle (also known as a yarn needle).

The scissors will make cutting yarn a breeze, while the tapestry needle will make it possible to seam your stockings together and hide loose yarn ends from sight.

Other supplies like row counters, stitch markers and needle caps may also come in handy, but certainly aren’t necessary.

Knitted Christmas Stocking Patterns

Although it’s entirely possible to design your own stockings from scratch, you might want to save yourself some time by using a knitting pattern written by another knitter.

These patterns take much of the guesswork out of the knitting process, and can help you achieve the exact look you’re going for.

Cable Knit Christmas Stockings

More experienced knitters (or ambitious beginners) can give their Christmas stockings some extra pizzazz with the help of cables.

Created by bringing certain stitches forward and others back, cable knit items have a warm and traditional look that’s perfect for Christmastime.

A woman’s hands holding a cowl knit from a soft blue-colored yarn. The cowl has been decorated with several types of knit cables, each one running vertically. — In the Skillshare class “Next-Level Knitting: Cables,” teacher Angela Hahn shows what different types of cables look like on a finished knitting project.

Monogram Christmas Stockings

Want to put a personalized spin on your knit Christmas stockings? Just use a pattern like the Homesteady’s that includes instructions for adding the monogram of your choice .

Make one for every member of your family, or give out your monogrammed stockings as gifts—they’re sure to be a hit.

Chunky Knit Christmas Stockings

Rustic, squishy and soft, chunky yarn is popular for a reason. And when used to knit a Christmas stocking, the results are about as cozy as it gets.

To get the chunkiest, most squeezable Christmas stockings possible, choose a knitting pattern that specifically uses bulky, super bulky or even jumbo weight yarn. (Hint: Chunky yarn takes shape fast and is easy to work with, so it’s usually a beginner-friendly choice).

Not sure where to start when looking for patterns? You can’t go wrong with KnittingHouseSquare’s Easy Knit Christmas Stocking class includes every step of the process, and even includes a printable written pattern.

And if you’re new to knitting, try kicking things off with a class on the knitting basics. By doing so, you’ll be building the skills you need to make your stockings more quickly and confidently.

Personalized Knit Christmas Stockings

Go beyond the monogram and make your knit Christmas stockings truly one-of-a-kind with added personalized touches.

Choose a Unique Color Scheme

While red, white and green are always seasonally appropriate color choices, don’t be afraid to think outside the gift-wrapped box.

For instance, you could match your stockings to you or your recipient’s existing home decor, choose a comforting neutral palette or try to incorporate every color of the rainbow for an extra-vibrant effect.

Add Special Accents

Once you’ve finished knitting your stockings, that doesn’t mean you have to be done. If you still want to give them some extra personalization and flair, try adding embellishments and accents like:

embroidered patches;
lace trim;
beads and fringe;
ribbon or leather hanging hooks; or
almost anything else you can think of.

Fill with Thoughtful Gifts

Let’s be honest, the best part about Christmas stockings is the goodies they contain. So if you’re giving your knit stockings as a gift, you can make your present even more warm and fuzzy by filling them with thoughtful gifts.

Stumped? Consider a bar of your recipient’s favorite chocolate, a warm pair of socks or a luxurious lip balm—anything that’s small and happy-making is a perfect choice.

Make This Christmas Your Coziest Yet with Handmade Knit Stockings

Even the Grinch himself would surely admit there’s just something special about hand knit Christmas stockings—the care and time it takes to create them makes them inherently unique, and their use as gift-giving vessels (or gifts themselves!) only serves to sweeten the deal.

So if you’re looking for a DIY project to get you in the Christmas spirit, spruce up your holiday decor, check a gift off your list or all of the above, look no further than knit Christmas stockings.

Written By

Carrie Buchholz

Carrie Buchholz is a freelance writer who lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and dog.