Stocking #5

Fresh from steam-blocking, I present Christmas stocking #5. Apparently, it's from Knit O Graph pattern #105.

The client didn't have the pattern for this family stocking, but provided me with two existing stockings to work from.

So I counted stitches and drew my own chart. Sometimes that's almost easier than working from the vintage pattern.

This stocking is unusual, at least in my experience, in a couple of ways:

[1] The intarsia (color patterning) goes all the way down the foot. Most of the vintage stockings I've reproduced for people have a plain foot, making it possible (and sensible) to work the foot in the round, as you would for a normal sock. Still, the instructions usually direct you to work the entire stocking flat and sew a seam up the bottom of the foot/back of the leg -- which turns out to be the fold line as the stocking is hung. This time, I actually had to do that, though I did work the toe in the round with double-pointed needles.

[2] It has a "peasant" heel. All of the vintage Christmas stockings I've made for clients to date have had a standard heel flap/turned heel construction -- like the typical socks folks would be wearing at the time. I've yet to see a short row heel on a vintage Christmas stocking, and this is the first peasant heel I've encountered on a vintage Christmas stocking. It's also the first time I've worked such a heel in two halves and seamed together, which sort of defeats the purpose of the peasant heel in general, but I didn't have any other choice.

Next up, a batch of three stockings for a repeat client -- from the Knit O Graph pattern referenced above! Derp derp.

What a coinkidink! I may just work the Santa from my own chart again.