This little stocking looks like old-fashioned lace. The cranberry body has an open mesh with a column of fans down the center: three on the leg and a larger one in the foot. Small pink flowers sit beside the fans, and an ivory scalloped cuff finishes the top.
The colors are cranberry red, ivory, and light pink. It looks vintage and delicate, but the piece is sturdy enough to hang on a tree year after year. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
The finished stocking is about 3.875 in (9.8 cm) tall without the hanging loop. It is 3 in (7.6 cm) wide at the foot and 2 in (5.1 cm) wide at the leg.
How it’s made: the stocking is one flat piece, worked in rows from the bottom of the foot up to the top of the leg. The cuff is worked directly onto the last leg row in ivory. A red picot edging goes down the heel side, across the bottom and up the toe side. Last, you add a hanging loop and sew on nine tiny flowers.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 3.875 in (9.8 cm) tall × 3 in (7.6 cm) wide at the foot
- Skill level: Intermediate (thread work, short rows)
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Size 10 crochet cotton thread
- Hook: 1.5 mm (US steel 8)
- Number of pieces: 1 stocking, plus 9 small flower appliqués
- Layout: One single stocking; no joining
- Size before edging: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall × 2.75 in (7.0 cm) wide at the foot
- Edging depth: 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on the sides and bottom
- Hanging loop: about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall
Materials
Use mercerized size 10 cotton thread. It holds crisp stitch definition and blocks well. Avoid fuzzy or very soft threads, because the fan spokes will blur.
- Color A, cranberry red: 5 g, about 17 m
- Color B, ivory: 2 g, about 7 m
- Color C, light pink: 1 g, about 3.5 m
These quantities include a margin for a gauge swatch and for weaving in ends.
Tools:
– 1.5 mm (US steel 8) steel hook
– Fine tapestry needle or sharp embroidery needle
– Small scissors
– Blocking board or foam mat and rustproof pins
– Spray starch or a light starch solution (optional)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- dc: double crochet
- sk: skip
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- RS / WS: right side / wrong side
Special stitches
– Picot: ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook.
– Fan: work the stated number of dc (9 or 13) into one stitch.
– Beg ch-3: at the start of a fan row, ch 3 counts as the first dc.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 12 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). One four-row leg repeat (fan row, sc row, mesh row, sc row) = 0.5 in (1.3 cm) tall.
Make the stocking itself as your test piece and measure at each checkpoint:
- After Foot Row 1: 27 sc = 2.25 in (5.7 cm).
- After Foot Row 4: 33 sc = 2.75 in (7.0 cm).
- After Foot Row 15: the foot section is 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
- Leg width: 21 sts = 1.75 in (4.4 cm).
- After Leg Row 12: the body is 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
- After the cuff: the piece is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall and the cuff is about 2.1 in (5.3 cm) wide.
If your piece is too big, go down to a 1.25 mm hook. If it is too small, go up to a 1.75 mm hook. Don’t add or remove stitches, because every row count below depends on these exact numbers.
Foot
Start with Color A.
Heel and toe sides: odd-numbered rows begin at the heel edge, and even-numbered rows begin at the toe edge. After Row 1, mark the heel edge with a scrap of thread.
Row 1: Ch 28, sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across. Turn. (27 sc)
Row 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in the first st, sc in each st to the last st, 2 sc in the last st. Turn. (29 sc)
Row 3: Repeat Row 2. (31 sc)
Row 4: Repeat Row 2. (33 sc)
Row 5 (mesh): Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 3, sk 1, sc in the next st; repeat from * 15 more times. Turn. (17 sc, 16 ch-3 loops)*
Row 6: Ch 1, sc in the first sc, sc in the next loop, sc in the next sc; repeat from * across. Turn. (33 sc)*
Row 7 (large fan row):
– Beg ch-3 (counts as the first dc), ch 2, sk 2, dc in st 4.
– Ch 2, sk 2, dc in st 7.
– Ch 3, sk 9, then 13 dc in st 17 (the fan).
– Ch 3, sk 9, dc in st 27.
– Ch 2, sk 2, dc in st 30.
– Ch 2, sk 2, dc in st 33. Turn.
Row 8: Ch 1, sc in the first dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the dc, 3 sc in the ch-3 sp, sc in each of the 13 fan dc, 3 sc in the ch-3 sp, sc in the dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the top of the beg ch-3. Turn. (33 sc: 1+2+1+2+1+3+13+3+1+2+1+2+1)
The 13 fan stitches add 12 stitches. The two 9-stitch gaps each come back as 3 sc, which removes 6 stitches per gap, so the row returns to 33. This trade lets the fan open into a half-circle while the piece keeps its width.
Row 9: Repeat Row 5. (17 sc, 16 loops)
Row 10: Repeat Row 6. (33 sc)
Instep shaping (short rows):
Row 11: Ch 1, sc in each of the first 29 sts. Turn, leaving 4 sts unworked at the toe end. (29 sc)
Row 12 (mesh): Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 3, sk 1, sc in the next st; repeat from * 13 more times. Turn. (15 sc, 14 loops)*
Row 13: Ch 1, sc in the first sc, sc in the next loop, sc in the next sc; repeat from * 11 more times. Turn, leaving 2 loops unworked. (25 sc)*
Row 14 (mesh): Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 3, sk 1, sc in the next st; repeat from * 11 more times. Turn. (13 sc, 12 loops)*
Row 15: Ch 1, sc in the first sc, sc in the next loop, sc in the next sc; repeat from * 9 more times. Turn, leaving 2 loops unworked. (21 sc)*
The three short-row steps make the sloping instep line. The foot now measures 1.5 in (3.8 cm) tall.
Leg
Continue with Color A on the 21 sts.
Row 1 (fan row):
– Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), sk 2, dc in st 4.
– Ch 3, sk 6, then 9 dc in st 11 (the fan).
– Ch 3, sk 6, dc in st 18.
– Ch 2, sk 2, dc in st 21. Turn.
Row 2: Ch 1, sc in the first dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the dc, 2 sc in the ch-3 sp, sc in each of the 9 fan dc, 2 sc in the ch-3 sp, sc in the dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the 3rd ch of the beg ch-5. Turn. (21 sc: 1+2+1+2+9+2+1+2+1)
Row 3 (mesh): Ch 1, sc in the first st, ch 3, sk 1, sc in the next st; repeat from * 9 more times. Turn. (11 sc, 10 loops)*
Row 4: Ch 1, sc in the first sc, sc in the next loop, sc in the next sc; repeat from * across. Turn. (21 sc)*
Rows 5–12: Repeat Rows 1–4 twice more. Each fan sits directly above the one below it. In the last stitch of Row 12, change to Color B and fasten off Color A.
Checkpoint: you have 3 leg fans, and the body is 3 in (7.6 cm) tall.
Cuff
Work with Color B.
Row 1: Ch 1, sc in the first 2 sts, [2 sc in the next st, sc in the next 4 sts] 3 times, 2 sc in the next st, sc in the last 3 sts. Turn. (25 sc: 2 + 3×6 + 2 + 3)
Row 2 (cuff fans): Ch 1, sc in st 1, sk 3, 9 dc in st 5, sk 3, sc in st 9, sk 3, 9 dc in st 13, sk 3, sc in st 17, sk 3, 9 dc in st 21, sk 3, sc in st 25. Turn. (4 sc, 3 fans, 31 sts total)
Row 3 (arches): Ch 1, sc in the first sc, ch 4, sk 4 dc, sc in the 5th (center) dc, ch 4, sk 4 dc, sc in the next sc; repeat from * 2 more times. Turn. (7 sc, 6 ch-4 loops)*
Row 4 (picot scallops): Ch 1, sc in the first sc, (2 sc, picot, 2 sc) in the next loop, sc in the next sc; repeat from * 5 more times. Fasten off. (31 sc, 6 picots)*
Checkpoint: the cuff is 0.75 in (1.9 cm) tall and about 2.1 in (5.3 cm) wide. The piece is now 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tall.
Edging
Edging gauge: work 1 sc into each sc-row end, and 2 sc into each mesh-row or dc-row end.
Edging Row 1: With the RS facing, join Color A at the heel-side end of Leg Row 12, just below the cuff. Ch 1 and work as follows.
Heel side, 37 sc:
– 18 sc down the leg: each repeat gives 2 + 1 + 2 + 1, three times.
– 19 sc down Foot Rows 15–2: 1+2+1+2+1+1+2+1+2+1+2+1+1+1.
Bottom, 31 sc: 3 sc in the first foundation ch, sc in each of the next 25 ch, 3 sc in the last ch. The extra stitches round the heel and toe corners.
Toe and instep side, 49 sc:
– 12 sc up Foot Rows 2–10.
– 4 sc in the unworked sts of Row 10.
– 3 sc up the ends of Rows 11 and 12.
– 4 sc (2 in each loop) in the unworked loops of Row 12.
– 3 sc up the ends of Rows 13 and 14.
– 4 sc in the unworked loops of Row 14.
– 1 sc in the end of Row 15.
– 18 sc up the leg.
Turn. (117 sc total)
Edging Row 2: Ch 1, sc in each of the next 3 sc, picot; repeat from * across, leaving out the final picot. Fasten off. (117 sc, 38 picots)*
Why the math works: 37 + 31 + 49 = 117, which divides evenly by 3. That gives you 39 three-sc groups with 38 picots between them, so the spacing stays even all the way around. The edging adds 0.125 in (0.3 cm) on each side and along the bottom. The foot grows from 2.75 in (7.0 cm) to 3 in (7.6 cm), and the height grows from 3.75 in (9.5 cm) to 3.875 in (9.8 cm).
Hanging Loop
Join Color A in the 16th (center) sc of Cuff Row 4. Ch 30, then sl st in the same st to form a loop. Work 40 sc into the loop and sl st to the base. Fasten off. The loop stands about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall.
Flowers (Make 9)
With Color C, make a magic ring. Ch 2, dc in the ring, ch 2, sl st in the ring; repeat from * 4 more times. (5 petals)* Pull the ring closed and fasten off, leaving a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail.
Each flower is about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) across. Thread an 8 in (20.3 cm) length of Color A and embroider a French knot in the center of each flower.
Placement:
– 6 on the leg: one on each side of each leg fan, at the level of the fan row.
– 2 on the foot: one on each side of the large fan.
– 1 on the toe.
Sew each flower in place with its tail.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along stitches of the matching color.
- Soak the stocking in lukewarm water for 5 minutes, then press out the water in a towel.
- Pin it flat to the measurements: 3.875 in (9.8 cm) tall, 3 in (7.6 cm) at the foot, 2 in (5.1 cm) at the leg.
- Pin out each picot and each cuff scallop.
- Open each fan into an even half-circle and straighten the spokes.
- Mist with starch if you want a stiffer ornament.
- Let it dry completely before you remove the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Foot Rows 4–10 have 33 sts; leg rows have 21 sts.
- Four fans are stacked down the center: three 9-dc fans and one 13-dc fan.
- The cuff has 3 fans and 6 picot scallops.
- Edging Row 2 has 117 sc and 38 picots.
- The hanging loop is centered.
- All 9 flowers are secure and their knots are tight.
- The piece measures 3.875 in × 3 in (9.8 cm × 7.6 cm).
Troubleshooting
- Fans cup or ruffle: your dc are too tall. Pull up less height in each loop and block firmly.
- The sides pull in at the fan rows: check that each ch-3 gap bridges the full number of skipped stitches.
- The instep looks blocky: check the short-row counts (29, 25, 21) and work 2 sc into each unworked loop when you do the edging.
- The picots are uneven: recount Edging Row 1. It must be exactly 117 sc.
- The cuff flares too much: use a 1.25 mm hook for the cuff only.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry. Reshape and starch again if needed, and store flat between tissue paper.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain to check against. The foot starts at 27 sc, 2.25 in (5.7 cm), and widens to 33 sc, 2.75 in (7.0 cm). It narrows through three short rows to the 21-st leg, 1.75 in (4.4 cm). The body reaches 3 in (7.6 cm) tall, and the cuff brings it to 3.75 in (9.5 cm). The 117-st picot edging finishes the piece at 3.875 in × 3 in (9.8 cm × 7.6 cm). If each checkpoint matches, the stocking will lie flat and the fans will line up.
Happy crocheting!