Reindeer & Bells

Add a touch of the Gaelic to your holiday decorations with this Aran-influenced design. Both cables are taken from Barbara Walker’s A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns. Walker’s Staghorn Cable reminds me of a reindeer’s antlers, and the Coin Cable, of bells or Christmas tree balls. The creamy white yarn is a traditional choice for Aran knitting, but this stocking would also look great in bright, holiday colors. The choice is yours.

Finished Measurements

5" wide x 17" long

Yarn

Wool Pak Yarns NZ 10 ply, 100% wool, worsted weight, 8 oz (250 g)/430 yd (393 m), Natural, 1 skein

Needles

Two US 7 (4.5 mm) circular needles, 16" long, or size you need to obtain correct gauge

Gauge

18 stitches = 4" on US 7 (4.5 mm) needles in stockinette stitch

Other Supplies

Stitch markers, cable or double-pointed needle, stitch holder, yarn needle

Abbreviations

K: knit

K2tog: knit 2 stitches together

P: purl

P2tog: purl 2 stitches together

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

Knitting the Hemmed Cuff

Setup: Cast on 64 stitches. Taking care not to twist the stitches, join to work circularly (see Getting Around).

Rounds 1–8: Purl to the end of the round (reverse stockinette stitch).

The hem: Use the second circular needle to pick up one loop of each cast-on stitch. Fold the knitting so that the purl side (with “bumps”) faces out and the two circular needles are side by side, with about half the stitches on the needles and the working yarn at the needle tips. (You may find it easier to execute this step in stages, picking up only 15 or 20 stitches from the cast on at a time.) Knit together 1 stitch from each needle — 1 from the cast on and 1 from the last round purled.

With the hem complete, you now have 64 stitches on one circular needle again. Use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the rounds.

Knitting the Leg

Work the Reindeer and Bells chart on page 43, beginning as indicated on round 1, line 1 at the lower right and following the chart from right to left. The pattern repeats twice around. Repeat the 6 rounds 9 more times, then work rounds 1 and 2 once more.

Making the Heel Flap

For Mock Cable instructions, see page 43. You may wish to follow the Heel Flap chart (page 43) for rows 1–14 below.

Setup: Slip 1, (K2, P1) twice, (K1, slip 1) nine times, P1, (K2, P1) twice. Put the remaining 32 stitches (instep stitches) on a holder. Turn.

Row 1 (wrong side): Slip 1, purl to the end of the row.

Row 2 (right side): Slip 1, (K2, P1) twice, (K1, slip 1) nine times, P1, (K2, P1) twice.

Row 3: Slip 1, purl to the end of the row.

Row 4: Slip 1, (Mock Cable, P1) twice, (K1, slip 1) nine times, P1, (Mock Cable, P1) twice.

Rows 5–14: Repeat rows 3 and 4.

Turning the Heel

Row 1: Slip 1, K19, ssk, K1, turn. (9 stitches remain unworked.)

Row 2: Slip 1, P9, P2tog, P1, turn. (9 stitches remain unworked.)

Row 3: Slip 1, K10, K2tog, K1, turn. (7 stitches remain unworked.)

Row 4: Slip 1, P11, P2tog, P1, turn. (7 stitches remain unworked.)

Next Rows: Continue to work the pattern as established, knitting or purling together the 2 stitches on each side of the gap formed in the previous row until you have worked all the stitches in the row. (The next-to-last row ends ssk; the last row ends P2tog.)

You now have 20 stitches.

Knitting the Gusset and Foot

Setup: To begin working in the round again, K20 (the heel flap stitches); pick up 13 stitches along the left-hand side of the heel flap, place a marker, work across the instep stitches waiting on the holder continuing the Reindeer and Bells pattern as established; pick up 13 stitches along the right-hand side of the heel flap; place a marker.

You now have 78 stitches: 32 instep stitches and 46 heel/sole stitches.

Round 1: K1, K2tog, knit to 3 stitches before the marker, ssk, K1, work pattern across instep stitches to the marker.

Round 2: Work the established pattern with no decreases.

Next Rounds: Repeat rounds 1 and 2 six more times until you have 32 heel/sole stitches.

You now have 64 stitches in all.

Next Rounds: Continue in established pattern until stocking is 2" less than the desired length.

Shaping the Toe

Round 1: (Mock Cable, P1) around, ending Mock Cable, P2tog.

You now have 63 stitches.

Round 2: Knit to the end of the round.

Round 3: Repeat round 1.

Round 4: *K19, K2tog; repeat to the end of the round.

You now have 60 stitches.

Round 5: Knit to the end of the round.

Round 6: *K4, K2tog; repeat to the end of the round.

You now have 50 stitches.

Rounds 7, 9, 11, and 13: Knit to the end of the round.

Round 8: *K3, K2tog; repeat to the end of the round.

You now have 40 stitches.

Round 10: *K2, K2tog; repeat to the end of the round.

You now have 30 stitches.

Round 12: *K1, K2tog; repeat to the end of the round.

You now have 20 stitches.

Round 14: K2tog to the end of the round.

You now have 10 stitches.

Cut yarn, leaving a 10" tail. Thread the tail onto a yarn needle and draw it through the remaining stitches. Fasten off inside.

Making the Hanger

Pick up 4 stitches at the top of the hem at the back of the stocking. Work I-cord for 5" (for instructions on making I-cord, see We’ve Got Hang-Ups). Bind off and attach the bound-off end of the I-cord to the inside of the hem.

Key

Heel Flap

Reindeer and Bells