Jester’s Bells

The jester stripes and bells that were traditional wear for the “motley fool” in centuries past still have the power to charm us today. This extra-roomy stocking features textural interest in its garter-stitch cuff and garter-stitch bands on the heel and toe. You’ll enjoy the slightly different technique for knitting the stocking heel.

Finished Measurements

8¹⁄₂" wide x 20¹⁄₂" long

Yarn

Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair, 30% mohair/70% wool, worsted weight, 2 oz (57 g)/140 yd (128 m) skeins

MC: Periwinkle Blue (7367), 1 skein
CC A: Coral Bell (7136), 1 skein
CC B: Maritime (7622), 1 skein

Needles

One set of US 9 (5.5 mm) double-pointed needles or size you need to obtain correct gauge
One US 9 (5.5 mm) circular needle, 16" long, or size you need to obtain correct gauge

Gauge

17 stitches = 4" on US 9 (5.5 mm) needles in stockinette stitch

Other Supplies

Stitch markers, crochet hook, yarn needle, twelve ¹⁄₂" jingle bells

Abbreviations

CC: contrasting color

K: knit

K2tog: knit 2 stitches together

MC: main color

P: purl

P2tog: purl 2 stitches together

ssk: slip, slip, knit the 2 slipped stitches together

Knitting the Cuff

Note: In this section, work back and forth on a circular needle, turning after each row. See Double Decrease, page 73, for advice on the decreases in rows 2, 4, and 6.

Setup: Using CC A and circular needle, cast on 144 stitches.

Row 1 (wrong side): Knit to the end of the row.

Row 2: K4, *Double Decrease, K9; repeat from * 10 more times; Double Decrease, K5.

You now have 120 stitches.

Row 3: K5, *P1, K9; repeat from * 10 more times; P1, K4.

Row 4: K3, *Double Decrease, K7; repeat from * 10 more times; Double Decrease, K4.

You now have 96 stitches.

Row 5: K4, *P1, K7; repeat from * 10 more times; P1, K3.

Row 6: K2, *Double Decrease, K5; repeat from * 10 more times; Double Decrease, K3.

You now have 72 stitches.

Row 7: K3, *P1, K5; repeat from * 10 more times; P1, K2.

Row 8: Knit to the end of the row.

Rows 9 and 10: Repeat rows 7 and 8.

Next Rows: Continue in garter stitch (knit every row) until the cuff measures 4", measuring at a jester point (where the decreases were made).

Turning Row (right side): Purl to the end of the row. This row is where you will turn the cuff when the stocking is completed. Continue knitting in garter stitch until the cuff measures 6", measuring at a jester point.

Knitting the Leg

Setup: With the wrong side of the cuff facing you, join the stocking into a round. (Identify the right side by the line of stockinette stitches at each point.)

Note: To make a smooth transition from one color to the next, as you change yarn colors in the stripes in this section, break the yarn at the end of every stripe and leave the tails on the inside. When the stocking is completed, sew in the loose ends on the diagonal, as described and illustrated on page 20. The tails from the beginning of the stripes are sewn up and to the left, while the tails from the end of the stripes are sewn down and to the right. This trick gets rid of the jog where a new color starts.

Round 1: Still using CC A, knit to the end of the round. Cut CC A.

Rounds 2–6: Using MC, knit.

Rounds 7–11: Using CC B, knit.

Rounds 12–51: Repeat the stripe pattern as in rounds 2–11.

You now have five MC stripes and five CC B stripes.

Rounds 52 and 53: Change to MC, and knit, stopping at the end of the round (center back of stocking).

Double Decrease

Decrease 2 stitches in 1 stitch, as follows: slip 2 stitches together as if to knit, knit the next stitch (a), pass the 2 slipped stitches over the just-knit stitch (b).

Making the Heel Flap

Setup Row 1: With MC, K18 onto a double-pointed needle.

Setup Row 2: Turn the work, purl the 18 stitches you just knitted, and then purl an additional 18 stitches.

Work these 36 stitches on two double-pointed needles, turning after each row, as follows:

Row 1 (right side): K36.
Row 2 (wrong side): K5, P26, K5.
Rows 3–16: Repeat rows 1 and 2.

You now have 8 garter-stitch ridges at the edge of the heel flap. This is a modified box heel, which sits nice and flat for a stocking.

Turning the Heel

Row 1 (right side): K13, K2tog, K6, ssk, K13.

You now have 34 stitches.

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 (wrong side): K5, purl to the last 5 stitches, K5.

Row 3: K12, K2tog, K6, ssk, K12.

You now have 32 stitches.

Row 5: K11, K2tog, K6, ssk, K11.

You now have 30 stitches.

Row 7: K10, K2tog, K6, ssk, K10.

You now have 28 stitches.

Row 9: K9, K2tog, K6, ssk, K9.

You now have 26 stitches.

Row 11: K16, ssk. Turn.

Row 12: Slip 1, P6, P2tog. Turn.

Row 13: Slip 1, K6, ssk. Turn.

Row 14: Slip 1, P6, P2tog. Turn.

Rows 15–28: Repeat rows 13 and 14. All side stitches are used, and 8 stitches remain.

Knitting the Foot

Setup: Continuing to use MC, K4 onto the circular needle. Place a stitch marker to mark the center of the heel. All rounds now begin here.

Note: For information about how to pick up stitches along the heel, see Picking Up Stitches on page 92.

Round 1:

With the circular needle, K4. (Leave the 36 stitches for the instep in place on the circular needle.)
Pick up and knit 13 stitches by knitting into 13 ridges down the left-hand side of the heel flap.
Pick up and K1 in the corner to close the gap.
K36 across the instep stitches already on the circular needle.
Pick up and K1 in the corner.
Pick up and knit 13 stitches by knitting into the ridges on the right-hand side of the heel flap.
K4 to the center of the heel.

You now have 72 stitches.

Rounds 2 and 3: Using MC, knit to the end of each round.

Rounds 4–8: Using CC B, knit to the end of each round.

Rounds 9–13: Using MC, knit to the end of each round.

Next Rounds: Repeat rounds 4–13 (stripe pattern) until the foot measures 6" from the end of the heel flap (where you resumed knitting in the round). Finish the stripe you are working on. Cut both yarns.

Shaping the Toe

Round 1: Using CC A, knit 18 stitches onto each of four double-pointed needles.

Round 2:

Needle 1: Knit to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, P2.
Needle 2: P2, ssk, knit to the end of the needle.
Needle 3: Knit to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, P2.
Needle 4: P2, ssk, knit to the end of the round.

You now have 68 stitches.

Round 3: Knit to the end of the round.

Rounds 4–19: Repeat rounds 2 and 3.

You now have 36 stitches.

Round 20: Repeat round 2.

Round 21:

Needle 1: Knit to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2.
Needle 2: K2, ssk, knit to the end of the needle.
Needle 3: Knit to the last 4 stitches, K2tog, K2.
Needle 4: K2, ssk, knit to the end of the round.

Rounds 22–25: Repeat rounds 20 and 21.

You now have 12 stitches.

Finishing

Cut yarn, leaving a 12" tail. Thread the tail through a yarn needle, draw through remaining stitches, and pull tight. Weave in all loose ends on the wrong side of the work.

Stitch the seam in the garter-stitch cuff with the right sides of the cuff facing each other. Weave in the cast-on tail so it won’t show when the cuff is turned down. Turn the cuff down along the Turning Row (a purl row; see page 72).

Using matching yarn and a yarn needle, sew a jingle bell onto the cuff at each of the 12 points.

The hanging loop: Using CC B, cast on 3 stitches and make a 4" I-cord (see We’ve Got Hang-Ups at right for instructions). Bind off. Fold the loop in half and stitch it to the inside of the cuff.

We’ve Got Hang-Ups

We want no weak hangers when we’re packing our stockings full of goodies, so our designers have offered a variety of styles, including those shown below (clockwise, from left): stockinette-stitch loop; I-Cord (instructions follow); Braided I-Cord (page 58); braid; crocheted loop; Twisted Bundles (page 91).

To make I-cord:

Step 1. Using double-pointed needles, cast on 2, 3, or 4 stitches (as the pattern directs); knit all stitches.

Step 2. Do not turn the needle. Instead, slide the stitches to the right-hand end of the needle, so the first cast-on stitch is the first stitch at the tip of the left-hand needle and the last stitch knitted is farthest away from the tip. Insert the right-hand needle knitwise into that stitch, bring the yarn across the back of the piece, and use it to knit as usual.

Step 2

Step 3. Knit the remaining stitches on the needle.

Step 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to desired length.