Stocking (R3)

1. Round 1: Knit across. (6)
2. Round 2: Without turning your knitting take the yarn across the back. Knit across is the same direction as for row 1, pulling the first stitch tight. (6)

Repeat the second row 8 more times. This should result in a thin tube of knitting, called i-cord.

Rearrange the knitting onto three needles, with two stitches on each. Use your poking device to prod a tiny amount of stuffing into the open mouth of the tube.

Next we will form the tube into a spiral by picking up one stitch every 4th row.

1. Round 11: Pick up one stitch from the back of the knitted tube. Knit this stitch, then knit to the end of the round. (7)

1. Round 12: k – (7)
2. Round 13: p – (7)
3. Round 14: p – (7)

Use your poking device to prod a little stuffing into the open mouth of the tube.

Repeat the previous 4 rows, stuffing as you go, until there are 24 stitches in total and the tube has formed into a tight spiral. You may need to stop every few increases to redistribute the stitches among the needles.

The next section forms the foot of the stocking up to the heal. It is unstuffed. The stuffing in the toe will be closed off as a final step once we have finished knitting the rest of the stocking.

Begin with the stitches evenly distributed among the needles and do not redistribute them until the foot is finished.

1. Round 83: Pick up one stitch from the back of the knitted tube. Knit this stitch. k6, kfb, k9, kfb, k6, kfb
2. Rounds 84-86: as rounds 12-14 (28)
3. Round 87: Pick up one stitch from the back of the knitted tube. Knit this stitch. k8, kfb, k4, kfb, k4, kfb, k8, kfb
4. Rounds 88-90: as rounds 12-14 (33)
5. Round 91: Pick up one stitch from the back of the knitted tube. Knit this stitch. k10, kfb, k4, kfb, kfb, k4, kfb, k10, kfb
6. Rounds 92-94: as rounds 12-14 (39)
7. Round 95: k12, kfb, k5, kfb, kfb, k5, kfb, k13
8. Rounds 96-98: as rounds 12-14 (43)
9. Round 99: k13, kfb, k6, kfb, kfb, k6, kfb, k14
10. Rounds 100-102: as rounds 12-14 (47)
11. Round 103: k22, kfb, kfb, k23
12. Rounds 104-106: as rounds 12-14 (49)
13. Round 107: k14, kfb, k8, kfb, kfb, k8, kfb, k15
14. Rounds 108-110: as rounds 12-14 (53)
15. Round 111: k25, kfb, kfb, k26
16. Rounds 112-114: as rounds 12-14 (55)
17. Round 115: k26, kfb, kfb, k27
18. Rounds 116-118: as rounds 12-14 (57)
19. Rounds 119 & 120: k –
20. Rounds 121 & 122: p –
21. Round 123: k27, kfb, kfb, k28
22. Rounds 124-126: as rounds 12-14 (59)

Repeat rounds 119 to 122 three times.

The heel of the stocking is two identical rounds with a lot of back and forth in them.

1. Rounds 139 & 140: k42, w&t/ p25, w&t/ k24, w&t/ p23, w&t/ k22, w&t/ p21, w&t/ k20, w&t/ p19, w&t/ k18, w&t/ p17, w&t/ k16, w&t/ p15, w&t/ k36

Arrange the stitches so that the first 29 sts of the round are on one needle, and the last 30 sts are on another.

1. Rounds 141 & 142: p –
2. Rounds 143 & 144: k –

Repeat rounds 141 to 144 twenty-five more times to form the leg.

Reverse direction.

3. Round 245: kfb, k – (60)
4. Rounds 246-266: k –

Knit the first of the spikes at the top of the stocking.

1. Spike Round 1: k10 live stitches from the needle. Turn the knitting and fold the top edge back over to the start of the stocking stitch section. Pick up and knit 10sts from first row of this section. Join into the round. (20)
2. Spike Rounds 2 & 3: k –
3. Spike Round 4: [k1, k2tog, k7] x 2 (18)
4. Spike Rounds 5 & 6: k –
5. Spike Round 7: [k7, k2tog] x 2 (16)
6. Spike Rounds 8 & 9: k –
7. Spike Round 10: [k1, k2tog, k5] x 2 (14)
8. Spike Rounds 11 & 12: k –
9. Spike Round 13: [k5, k2tog] x 2 (12)
10. Spike Rounds 14 & 15: k –
11. Spike Round 16: [k1, k2tog, k3] x 2 (10)
12. Spike Rounds 17 & 18: k –
13. Spike Round 19: [k3, k2tog] x 2 (8)
14. Spike Rounds 20 & 21: k –
15. Spike Round 22: [k1, k2tog, k1] x 2 (6)

Thread yarn through remaining sts and pull tight.

Repeat this section until you have 6 spikes around the top of the stocking.

The only thing left to do is to seal the toe of the sock so the stuffing stays in place. Turn the stocking inside out until you reach the stuffed section. There are ridges of purled stitches encircling the sock. Choose the ridge nearest the stuffing, pick up and knit all the stitches in a round (about 24 sts depending on the ridge you chose). Keep knitting while decreasing 4 stitches at random intervals in every following round. When you have eight stitches remaining check that the toe is stuffed firmly (you may need to add a little extra), thread yarn through remaining stitches and pull tight.

Lose any remaining loose ends to finish your stocking.

Variations:

The stocking was designed to be made from one ball of yarn, in a single colour. To knit a version with heel and cuff in a contrasting colour adapt the pattern as follows:

1. Rounds 1 - 138: as original pattern
2. Round 139: k –

Rows for the heal are going to be worked on the stitches on the second needle only (starting with stitch 18 of the round) join in the contrasting colour yarn and work as follows:

1. Heel Row 1: k25, turn/ p24, w&t/ k23, w&t/ p22, w&t/ k21, w&t/ p20, w&t/ k19, w&t/ p18, w&t/ k17, w&t/ p16, w&t/ k15, w&t/ p20
2. Heel Row 2: as Heel Row 1

Return to the beginning of the round and the main yarn colour.

1. Rounds 140: k17, pick up 2 sts along edge of second colour, k1, pass picked up stitches over knitted stitch, k24, pick up 2 sts along edge of second colour, k1, pass picked up stitches over, k16
2. Rounds 141 - 244: as original pattern

Change to the contrasting coloured yarn and work the remainder of the pattern as described above.