Last Christmas I searched high and low for a crochet Christmas stocking pattern that I liked, but nothing I found was quite what I was looking for. I ended up just settling on buying some from Amazon for myself, my husband, and our 2-month-old baby girl.
Over the summer, though, I finally came across a pattern I thought was really adorable and incorporated something I had never really thought about combining with crochet - Cross-stitch!
(http://www.yarnspirations.com/patterns/cross-stitch-christmas-stockings.html)
How cute!
After taking a look at the pattern, however, I was disappointed with inexact instructions (requiring measuring as you go instead of a specific number of rows), and a stocking that would be too small to really be functional.
So, I modified it!
I completely changed the cuff technique, made the whole thing bigger, and wrote out very specific step-by-step instructions, so that even relatively beginning crocheters can do it!
Jumbo Crochet Cross-Stitch Stocking
Materials:
H/8-5.00MM hook
Red Heart Soft yarn - at least 2 complementary colors (Main Color & Accent Color for cuff, heel, and toe)
Yarn/Upholstery needle
Abbreviations:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc - half-double crochet
fphdc - front post half-double crochet
bphdc - back post half-double crochet
sc2tog - decrease/single crochet 2 together
RS - right side
WS - wrong side
Foundation [Cuff, in accent color]: ch 75, join to first ch into a loop.
Row 1: ch 2, hdc 74, join with first hdc. (74)
Rows 2-4: ch 2, *fphdc 1, bphdc 1, repeat from * around. Join with first hdc, join in main color and cut off accent color. (74)
Row 5 [Leg, in main color]: ch 1. Working in back loops only, sc 4, *skip 1, sc 4, repeat from * around. Join with first sc and turn. (60)
Work in both loops from here on out.
Row 6-46: ch 1, sc 60, join with first sc and turn. (60)
Row 47: ch 1, sc 60, join with first sc. Tie off main color yarn and cut off. (60)
Heel Row 1 [Heel, in accent color]: Working on WS, join accent color yarn 15 stitches right of the Row 47 join. ch 1, sc 1 in the same space, sc 14, skip Row 47 join, sc 15. Leave the rest unworked and turn. (30)
Heel Row 2-10: ch 1, sc 30. Turn. (30)
Heel Row 11: ch 1, sc 23, sc2tog, sc 1. Turn. (25)
Heel Row 12: ch 1, sc 17, sc2tog, sc 1. Turn . (19)
Heel Row 13: ch 1, sc 18, sc2tog [joining the last open stitch from the previous row to the first unworked stitch on the next row down], sc 1. Turn. (20)
Heel Row 14: ch 1, sc 19, sc2tog [joining the last open stitch from the previous row to the first unworked stitch on the next row down], sc 1. Turn. (21)
Heel Row 15: ch 1, sc 20, sc2tog [joining the last open stitch from the previous row to the first unworked stitch on the next row down], sc 1. Turn. (22)
Heel Row 16: ch 1, sc 21, sc2tog [joining the last open stitch from the previous row to the first unworked stitch on the next row down], sc 1. Turn. (23)
Heel Row 17: ch 1, sc 23. Turn. (23)
Heel Row 18: ch 1, sc 22, sc2tog [joining the last open stitch from the previous row to the first unworked stitch on the next row down]. Tie off accent color yarn and cut off. (23)
Row 48 [Foot, in main color]: Working in WS, join main color into the left corner of the heel, in the same stitch as the end of Heel Row 1. ch 1, sc 30 around the unworked portion of Row 47, sc 12 up the side of the Heel, sc 23 across Heel Row 18, sc 12 down the other side of the Heel. Join with first sc and turn. (77)
Row 49: ch 1, sc 47 around the Heel, sc2tog, sc 28, join with first sc and turn. (76)
Row 50: ch 1, sc 28, sc2tog, sc 45, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (74)
Row 51: ch 1, sc 45, sc2tog, sc26, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (72)
Row 52: ch 1, sc 26, sc2tog, sc 43, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (70)
Row 53: ch 1, sc 43, sc2tog, sc 24, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (68)
Row 54: ch 1, sc 24, sc2tog, sc 41, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (66)
Row 55: ch 1, sc 41, sc2tog, sc 22, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (64)
Row 56: ch 1, sc 22, sc2tog, sc 39, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (62)
Row 57: ch 1, sc 39, sc2tog, sc 20, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (60)
Row 58: ch 1, sc 20, sc2tog, sc 37, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (58)
Row 59: ch 1, sc 37, sc2tog, sc 18, skip last st, join to first sc and turn. (56)
Rows 60-74: ch 1, sc 56, join to first sc and turn. (56)
Row 75: ch 1, sc 56, join to first sc. Tie off main color yarn and cut off. (56)
Row 76 [Toe, in accent color]: ch 1, *sc 12, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (52)
Row 77: ch 1, *sc 11, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (48)
Row 78: ch 1, *sc 10, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (44)
Row 79: ch 1, *sc 9, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (40)
Row 80: ch 1, *sc 8, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (36)
Row 81: ch 1, *sc 7, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (32)
Row 82: ch 1, *sc 6, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (28)
Row 83: ch 1, *sc 5, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (24)
Row 84: ch 1, *sc 4, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (20)
Row 85: ch 1, *sc 3, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (16)
Row 86: ch 1, *sc 2, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc and turn. (12)
Row 87: ch 1, *sc 1, sc2tog* four times, join to first sc, tie off, leave a long tail, and cut off yarn. (8)
Turn work inside-out and sew the toe closed using the long tail. Tie off and trim tail.
Hanging Loop: While still inside-out, join desired color to the base of the cuff at the seam. ch 20 and join at the base of the chain. sc in each ch, join with base of chain, tie off, and cut off.
Trim down all loose strands of yarn. Weave in if desired. Turn work back right-side-in.
Cross-Stitch: Working with toe pointed to the right, you have a 30 (width) x 44 (height) cross-stitch grid to work on, from cuff to heel. Work desired design in yarn directly into the stocking with a yarn or tapestry needle.
