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Custom Christmas Stockings

Christmas stockings have been enjoyed for many generations and in many cultures. A well-made stocking will last for years and collect wonderful memories. Add a new tradition to your family’s Christmas, or surprise a friend or loved one with a custom stocking designed just for them. I will knit your custom Christmas stockings according to your preferences, using careful finishing techniques and long-wearing materials (more info below photos). I can:

1. knit from a commercial pattern that you provide;

2. modify an existing pattern to include pictures and words of your choice;

3. duplicate existing stockings;

4. or design custom stockings from scratch based on your specifications.

Please scroll down below the photos for information on pricing, sizing, and other details.

Examples of Custom Christmas Stockings

Details about Custom Christmas Stockings

I price custom stockings based primarily on design complexity, which affects the time spent knitting and finishing. I usually use either acrylic or wool for the main yarn.

Acrylic is safe from fiber-eating insects, and can be machine washed and dried if there are no other fibers or embellishments in the stocking. The acrylic that I use has very intense, jewel-tone colors. Wool is more traditional and has a higher-quality feel to it. However, it must be hand washed only, and may need protection from certain insects. The colors are typically softer and more natural or "old-fashioned" in look.

Prices for Custom Christmas Stockings

My stocking prices begin at $30 for a 12" personalized Christmas stocking with 2 colors and a name. The picture stockings, which seem to be the most popular, currently start at $125.  I do charge a little more for extra embellishments that add significantly to the time involved in creating the stocking. Once I determine the details of your order, I can give you an firm quote for your custom Christmas stockings. As with other custom orders, I ask for a 50% deposit in advance, with the balance due upon completion.

Sizes of Custom Christmas Stockings

There is no such thing as a "standard" size for Christmas stockings! They can range from 1" (tree ornaments) to 48" or more (door decorations). The type that is typically hung on a mantel to hold small gifts usually ranges between 9" and 25" long. The size of a knitted stocking depends on three different factors: (1) the pattern, which is written for a particular number of stitches and rows; (2) the yarn used (for any given pattern, a thicker yarn will create a larger stocking than a thinner one); (3) the tension used by the knitter (for any given yarn and pattern, tighter knitting will give a smaller stocking than looser knitting).

These three factors can be modified to a certain extent. A knitter can usually add or subtract a few stitches and rows to a given pattern, but at a certain point the design will be compromised. Slight adjustments can be made to the tension, but a stocking knitted too loosely will not hold up well and one knitted too tightly will be stiff and have limited stretch. The easiest way to affect the size of the stocking is by yarn choice, since yarn is available in a wide variety of thicknesses.

If you're interested in a custom stocking, but want a particular size (perhaps to match existing family stockings), please let me know your concerns early in our planning process. I will need time to make the required adjustments, which may include re-charting the pattern, choosing a different yarn, possibly ordering and then waiting to receive the yarn, or knitting sample squares so that I can better estimate the finished size of the stocking.

The bottom line is that I can't guarantee an exact size, but I will make every effort to match the size that you request. I should be able to come close. However, the nature of knitting is such that it's difficult to take precise measurements, and the gauge of a sample square provides only an estimate of the finished size. Please also bear in mind that stockings stretch over years of use, and a new stocking knit from the same pattern as an old stocking may start out shorter!

Names on Custom Christmas Stockings

In most older, hand knit Christmas stockings, the names are actually knitted in as part of the original fabric. I rarely use this method since it often leaves loops or "floats" on the back side of the fabric. These floats are easily caught on fingers when gifts are put into the stocking. When they're caught and pulled, the result is much like a snag on a sweater. The fabric and design are distorted, and if the pulled loop is cut or broken the fabric will begin to unravel. I prefer to add the name by hand after knitting is completed. I use a technique called "duplicate stitch", where the added stitches follow the yarn path in the underlying knitted fabric. This results in the name looking knitted-in, although it is slightly raised since it's added on top of the underlying fabric. I use this same technique for some of the smaller color areas in the main pattern (for example, Santa's eyes and mouth).

There are some names that can't be added this way. They're simply too long to fit onto the available knitted stitches when duplicate stitch is used. In some cases I've used a nickname, or initials instead. Another option is to use the full name, but to embroider it in backstitch. The two photos below show the difference: NATHAN is in duplicate stitch, and TRENTON is in backstitch.

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