Find over 25 of the best free Christmas stocking knitting patterns here on our list – you’re sure to be inspired!
Let’s go handmade for the holidays! Why buy those flimsy, overpriced stockings at the big box stores, when you can make an heirloom quality stocking that will be enjoyed year after year? These free knitted Christmas stocking patterns are sure to save you money, and your loved ones are sure to ooh and aah over their beauty, texture, and softness!
How Do You Knit an Heirloom Christmas Stocking?
If you are wondering how to knit a stocking, then I will let you in on a little secret. Knitting a Christmas stocking is super similar to knitting socks! After all, stockings are really just large socks, aren’t they?
In fact, one of the stocking patterns on this list was adapted from a sock pattern. All the designer did was use a thicker weight yarn and a larger pair of needles! This is a neat trick to remember if you have a beloved sock pattern that you’d like to try to convert.
Free Knitting Patterns for Every Skill Level
Even if you have never knit a sock before, I bet that you could knit many of the patterns on this list! After all, patterns don’t have to be complicated to yield cute stockings! There are two patterns in particular that are knit in rows rather than in the round. So keep an eye out for those if you are new to knitting!
Of course, if you’re chomping at the bit for a challenge, then you’ll be delighted to hear that we have some patterns for more experienced knitters too! There are free knitting patterns for Christmas stockings with intricate cable work, delightful color work, and more.
So it’s really not all that hard to knit a Christmas stocking, and knit stockings are quicker than you might think too. Many of the designs on this curated list call for thicker weight yarns like worsted, bulky, and super bulky yarn. These yarns cut down on knitting time significantly and they yield lovely fluffy stockings that are nice and big. (So they can hold lots of Christmas goodies!)
So what are you waiting for? Scroll down and see all these amazing patterns for yourself!
Knitting Techniques for Stockings
Embarking on the journey of knitting a festive stocking? It’s essential to get acquainted with the various knitting techniques to ensure your stockings are not just beautiful, but also sturdy and durable. Let’s delve into some fundamental techniques:
- Knitting in the Round: Most Christmas stockings are knitted in the round to avoid seams and provide a smooth finish. Utilize circular or double-pointed needles for this technique.
- Colorwork: If you want to knit colorful stockings, add vibrancy with colorwork techniques like Fair Isle or Intarsia, allowing you to incorporate multiple hues in intricate designs.
- Cable Stitches: Create textured, twisted designs with cable stitches, adding a classic touch to your Christmas stockings.
Each technique might seem intricate, but with practice and patience, you’ll master them in no time, crafting stockings that will be cherished for years to come. Of course, you’ll also use basic methods like casting on, the knit stitch and the purl stitch.
Knitting Supplies for Stockings
Embarking on knitting project for the holiday season requires the right tools. Ensure you have the following supplies on hand before starting your Christmas stocking project:
- Knitting Needles: Opt for circular needles or double-pointed needles suitable for knitting in the round.
- Yarn: Choose a high-quality yarn, preferably in festive colors, ensuring it’s suitable for the pattern you’ve chosen.
- Stitch Markers: A stitch marker can be crucial for marking the beginning of a round or pattern repeat.
- Tapestry Needle: Useful for weaving in ends seamlessly. This is also called a yarn needle.
- Scissors: A good pair of scissors is essential for cutting yarn neatly.
- Stitch Holder: Sometimes a stitch holder is handy for keeping live stitches from dropping.
Having the right supplies not only makes the knitting process smoother but also ensures the final product is polished and professional.
Featured Video for Handmade Christmas Stockings
This is a great beginner-friendly knitting pattern with a wonderful step-by-step tutorial, so if you are new to making a hand-knit Christmas stocking, I’d suggest starting here. (Honestly even intermediate knitters can benefit from this helpful video.)
Free Christmas Stocking Knitting Patterns
Think you don’t have time to make any of these free knitted Christmas stocking patterns before the big day? Think again! Take a shortcut with the Knit Before Christmas Stocking pattern and a jumbo weight yarn and you will be done before you know it! This design is worked from the top down in stockinette using the short row heel method.
Designer: Purl Soho
Yarn: Purl Soho Gentle Giant (Jumbo Weight #7)
Intricate cable work and textured seed stitch give a rustic charm to these single color stockings. If you are looking for a knit stocking pattern for men, then you should definitely check this one out. The color and design choices employed here make this pattern a good fit for both men and women.
Designer: Yarnspirations Design Team
Yarn: Patons North America Classic Wool Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Make your handmade stockings feel extra special by embroidering names in them. This straightforward pattern knit in stockinette stitch makes it easy to customize your stockings. They are also generously sized so you can spoil your loved ones with lots of stocking stuffers. You’ll be working from the cuff down to the toe and then going back to work the afterthought heel.
Designer: Salty Crafts
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Have you heard the easy trick for achieving a marled look in your knitting projects? Just work with two different colored strands of yarn held double! This is such a great way to give your handmade stockings a unique look without much extra fuss. The design is knit from the cuff down and it employs the short row heel method.
Designer: Mackenzie Sasser
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
Do you know someone who would love to receive this tree-themed stocking? I think that it would be a splendid pick for an outdoorsman. I love the striking contrast between the stark white trees and the rich green stocking. It’s a classic yet contemporary look that is sure to age well. The design is worked from the top down using the stranded colorwork technique.
Designer: DeHart House Designs
Yarn: (Worsted Weight #4)
If you are looking for a free Christmas stocking knitting pattern that you can really sink your teeth into, then try this one on for size! This pattern is available as a multi part mystery knit along. The stocking design incorporates sections of different stitch patterns. Each section of tantalizing texture is made with just knit and purl stitches along with slip slip knits and knit 2 togethers.
Designer: Briana K Designs
Yarn: Red Heart With Love Solids and Red Heart Hygge Fur (Worsted Weight #4)
You don’t need to know any special stitches in order to recreate this striking chevron pattern. The signature peaks and valleys are created using the stranded colorwork technique. With a simple ribbed cuff and a stockinette stitch foot worked in the round, this stocking is much easier to make than it appears to be!
Designer: Just Crafty Enough
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Solids (Worsted Weight #4)
This miniature knit Christmas stocking measures just 9 cm long (about 3 and a half inches). The dotty stitch pattern uses knit, purl and slipped stitches. You only work with one color per round, so it’s actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. Small stockings are perfect for party favors, ornaments, and gift card holders.
Designer: Frankie’s Knitted Stuff
Yarn: (Fingering Weight #1 and DK Weight #3)
Choose between elegant cable, textured lattice and two color chevron designs. Each design follows the same basic template, so once you make one kind it should be really easy to make another. The design calls for a short row heel and a star toe. The beige and cream tones are a great choice if you love a bit of boho in your home decor.
Designer: Carissa Browning
Yarn: Patons North America SWS Soy Wool Solids (Aran Weight #4)
Go beyond the traditional Christmas colors! Mary Lou’s Holiday Stocking incorporates all different shades of red, green, and brown. I don’t know about you, but this looks like a great scrap yarn project to me! The design uses the heel flap method with a textured twist. The toe is made using the wide toe technique.
Designer: Purl Soho
Yarn: Koigu Kersti Merino Crepe (DK Yarn Weight #3)
Opt for a blue knit Christmas stocking pattern over the traditional red and green and you won’t be disappointed! Just look at how marvelously modern the Schnee Stocking is. The pattern uses the stranded colorwork technique. You start at the cuff and work your way down to the toe, with a short row heel along the way.
Designer: DeHart House Designs
Yarn: (Worsted Weight Yarn #4)
What a clever idea to use a little mitten as a pocket! This vintage style stocking is absolutely charming. The pattern is quite basic and straightforward, and you will love how quickly it works up in an aran weight yarn. You’ll be working top down for this one and using the short row heel technique.
Designer: Lorna Miser for Yarnspirations
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Solids (Aran Weight #4)
Show off your Southwest style with these stunning stockings. A colorful sock pattern becomes an adorable stocking with the use of a thicker weight yarn and a larger pair of needles. The design calls for stranded colorwork and it is worked from the top down with a short row heel. Scroll down to find the pattern near the middle of the page.
Designer: Heather Walpole for The Knit Show with Vickie Howell
Yarn: Ewe Ewe Yarns Wooly Worsted (Worsted Weight #4)
These distinguished stockings feature a generous length and intricate cable designs. There are 3 different cable sizes used in this pattern - 3 stitch, 4 stitch, and 8 stitch. The pattern is worked in the round from the cuff down to the toe and it calls for the short row heel method. My favorite part is the pom poms!
Designer: Claire Slade for Quail Studios by John Lewis
Yarn: John Lewis Merino Chunky (Bulky Weight #5)
These simple stockings are knit from the top down with a heel flap. You will only be working with the main color when you make the stocking. Then you go back and add the image on the front using the duplicate stitch technique and an accent color. You get to choose between snowflake, christmas tree, and reindeer designs.
Designer: Martha Stewart Design Team
Yarn: None Specified
Keep it classic and simple with this festive Candy Cane Stocking. Or if you don’t mind bucking tradition, there’s also a blue and white version that’s a little more contemporary. You’ll be knitting this stocking from the top down. The base pattern template also has cabled and nordic-inspired versions if you’re feeling fancy.
Designer: MillaMia Sweden
Yarn: MillaMia Naturally Soft Merino (DK Weight #3)
The Simply Lovely Stocking looks positively serene in all white. Despite being monochromatic, this design is anything but boring. It keeps things interesting with a wide moss stitch cuff and a diamond design for the main part of the stocking. The bulky yarn helps save time and it’s fluffiness also lends the project that soft halo of fuzz.
Designer: Emily Kintigh for Knit Picks
Yarn: Knit Picks Wonderfluff (Bulky Weight #5)
Here it is folks - the holy grail of free knitted Christmas stockings patterns. What I mean to say is that this stocking pattern is knit flat in back and forth rows - a rare find! This is great news for beginner knitters and really just for anyone who despises DPNs. The cuff is garter stitch, the main bit is stockinette and the antlers are made with icord.
Designer: fluff & fuzz
Yarn: Hayfield Bonus DK (DK Weight #3)
You’ll spend less time knitting and more time enjoying your generously sized stocking with the Jumbo Christmas Stocking from Handy Little Me. The not so secret ingredient to this knitting short cut is the use of super bulky weight yarn. I especially love the touch of boho charm that is added with the fringe and the pom poms.
Designer: Handy Little Me
Yarn: YarnArt Alpine Maxi (Super Bulky Weight #6)
Not only does felting improve the look of your finished product (in my opinion anyway) but it also helps to strengthen the stocking to prevent stretching and it gets rid of any little holes in between stitches so that the gifts don’t poke through. If you’ve never felted anything before you might think that it’s a difficult process, but it’s really not!
Designer: Stine Radicke for Hobbii
Yarn: Happy Sheep Woolpower (Aran Weight #4)
Get that coveted cottagecore vibe with these gorgeous gingham stockings. The design is worked in the round using the fair isle color change technique. These stockings would work beautifully with a rustic country decor scheme. If you’d like them to be a tad more modern, try them with a trendy teal color.
Designer: Frankie’s Knitted Stuff
Yarn: (DK Weight #3)
This polka dot stocking is as pretty as a picture! The design is named after the Premier Pixie Dust Yarn used for the polka dots. It’s a soft plush yarn with a little bit of sparkle that’s perfect for infusing a little bit of that Christmas magic into your make. The pattern is worked from the top down with a heel flap.
Designer: Denise Balvanz for Premier Yarns
Yarn: Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted Solids, Marls & Heathers and Premier Yarns Pixie Dust (Aran Weight #4)
One of the best parts of making your own stockings from free knitted Christmas stockings patterns is that you can make things that are truly unique. I bet you’ve never seen a fish stocking at the big box store before! This would be such a cute stocking for someone in your life who loves to fish. Or make one as a gag gift!
Designer: Linda Taylor
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted Solids & Heathers (Worsted Weight #4)
Please tell me I’m not the only one who has stockings for their pets! If you don’t already, you really should, because it’s just plain fun. These mini stockings are especially adorable and super quick to whip up too. I bet you have what you need to make these in your stash already, because they take up very little yarn.
Designer: Lion Brand
Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Wool Solids (Worsted Weight #4)
Who says that Christmas stockings have to be in traditional colors? Choosing the recipient’s favorite colors is an easy way to personalize stockings and make them feel extra special. You can’t tell just by looking at it, but this stocking is actually knit flat in back and forth rows. This is such a great find for beginner knitters!
Designer: fluff & fuzz
Yarn: Stylecraft Eskimo Double Knitting and Hayfield Bonus DK (DK Weight #3)
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Ideas for Gifting Holiday Stockings
Hand-knitted Christmas stockings make for thoughtful and heartfelt gifts and wonderful Christmas decorations. Here are some unique gifting ideas for a hand-knitted Christmas stocking:
- Personalized Stockings: Add initials or names to the stockings to make them personal and special.
- Fill with Homemade Goodies: Include homemade cookies, jams, or other treats in the stocking for a sweet surprise.
- Pair with Other Handmade Items: Combine the stocking with other handmade gifts like knitted scarves or mittens for a cozy gift set.
- Include a Handwritten Note: A handwritten note expressing your love and holiday wishes adds a warm, personal touch to your stocking gift.
With these thoughtful gifting ideas, your hand-knitted Christmas stockings will not only be a delightful present but also a cherished keepsake for years to come.
Final Thoughts on Christmas Stocking Knitting Patterns
Are you going handmade this holiday? I sure am! These make such great Christmas gifts for a friend or family member!
I love these fun patterns for different designs for things like red stockings, ones with father christmas (santa claus), candy canes, a mini stocking, or even a fun chunky Christmas stocking knitting pattern.
There’s really something here for every skill level, from basic knitting stitches to intricate cables to colorwork, so I hope you find your next project.
Don’t forget, sharing is caring! Send this free knitting pattern round-up to all your knitting friends so they can join in on the fun too! Bookmark this page or save the link to your Pinterest board for amazing knitting patterns.
I’ll see you next week for another free knitting pattern round-up. Make sure to follow the blog so you never miss a post. <3
Happy Christmas Knitting!
Amanda
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