Last week, I finished a project I’d started back in April or May…Heartwarming Stockings…a kit I purchased from Knit Picks.
I’d made a set of these stockings for the Mr. and me last fall. When Rooster got engaged, I offered to make his girl her own stocking, which she eagerly said yes to. Then, I decided to make Rooster a stocking as well so they would have a matching set.
I had almost enough yarn left over from my first set to make this set; however, I had to order a couple of skeins of yarn for Rooster’s girl’s stocking, so I cast on his while I waited for her yarn to arrive.
The great thing about this pattern is that you can customize it. The pattern has a template, and you pick from various patterns offered for each section. Rooster’s girl picked out everything, and I went from there.
When I finished Rooster’s stocking, I got to work on his girl’s.
I absolutely love the flowers on this stocking.
When I finished, both stockings got a lengthy bath to ensure that every fiber was soaked through.
Then, I blocked them.
I don’t know if you get a sense of how large these are just from looking at the photos. I had written down the measurements, but I’ve lost the paper! Ha!
Rooster’s girl asked if I was going to line them.
I said no, because I didn’t know how, but then I started thinking.
And I started Googling.
And after watching a couple of YouTube videos, I decided that I’d give it a shot.
After I took some measurements, I went to JoAnn Fabrics.
The colors I selected looked great; however, I should have taken a stocking with me, because I made a novice mistake and didn’t double my measurements (hello, this would be an inside lining…like a tube…hence double the amount of fabric required).
Money wasted.
And time.
Ugh.
By this time, Rooster’s girl had come to the house. I can’t remember what we were doing, but she wound up running with me back to the store, where I got the correct amount of fabric.
I traced around each stocking with a permanent marker, giving myself about a half-inch extra space all around.
Now, I had the bright idea to use my sewing machine to stitch the two halves together. I’d used my sewing machine, obtained as a gift from a yard sale eons ago, maybe once or twice over the years.
It’s a handy thing…folds down underneath the table.
This thing was d-i-r-t-y.
Look at all of that dust!!
Once I got it plugged in, I made sure it worked by turning on the light.
I got out the manual to make sure it was threaded correctly from the top and ran into a problem when I couldn’t get the bottom bobbin to thread properly. Maybe my thread was too old…it did keep breaking. Regardless, I spent at least an hour trying to get it to work before throwing up my hands in surrender.
I’d do things the hard way, thus continuing to live out my mom’s words from years ago…”If there’s a hard way to do something, you’ll find it.”
So, I got out my needle and quilting thread and used a whip stitch to stitch both halves together.
Then, I stuffed each lining into its respective stocking and stitched around the top of each stocking, just under the i-cord.
I was actually really pleased with my small, somewhat even stitches.
When all was said and done, I had two lined stockings.
I am so honored that Rooster’s girl allowed me the privilege of making something so special to commemorate what will be their first Christmas together as a married couple.
Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: christmas, Knit Picks, Knitting, stockings | 3 Comments »
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