We most often hear about the stocking tradition as it relates to Christmas and Santa Claus. Nevertheless, just as Santa Claus is a contemporary incarnation of a pagan archetype (he has been compared to Lapland shamans, who rode sleighs through the snow pulled by reindeer in their furry red-and-white cloaks), there are other more ancient, pagan roots that link stockings to the Winter Solstice.
As the Norse god Odin made his rounds during the Wild Hunt (during which spirits flew through the skies for the twelve days of Yuletide), children would leave their boots out, filled with food for his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir. As a gesture of gratitude, he’d replace the food with sweet treats that they’d then joyfully discover in the morning. Quite similarly, children in Holland left food in their shoes for the flying horse belonging to their own magical, gift-giving Yuletide figure, Sinterklaas, which he then replaced with trinkets and sweets. Frau Holle (a distinctly witchy figure who accompanied Odin on the Wild Hunt, also known by a number of other names, such as Holda, Perchta, Berchta, and Free) would also offer small gifts such as fruits and nuts to obedient children during these darkest days of winter.
Witchy Yule Stocking
While this stocking is a riff on the mainstream stocking idea, it’s quite a bit funkier. In the tradition of the classic witch stocking (a nod to Frau Holle), it’s black, white, long, and pointed, but its fuzzy red details give it a cozy Yuletide flair. It’ll add a unique and distinctly funky flavor to your wintery décor.
Time to complete: 1.5 to 2.5 hours (or more if you hand stitch)
Cost: $5.00 to $15.00 (more if you need to purchase basic sewing supplies)
Supplies
Paper grocery bag or old wrapping paper (for pattern)
Pen or pencil
Tape measure
Paper scissors
Sewing scissors
Pins
1 yard black felt
⅓ yard white felt
½ yard red trim (I used one with little red pompoms)
6 inches red ribbon
Black thread
White thread
Red thread
Needle (and/or sewing machine)
Green or red spherical pompom for the toe (about the width of a quarter)
Please note: The following pattern-making instructions may seem just a tad confusing, so take them one step at a time. Or, if all else fails, just mimic the shape of the stocking in the picture, or create a shape that you like, leaving room for the ¼-inch seam allowance on all sides. (That’s what I did, after all, and it was quite easy.)
Instructions for the Pattern
On the paper, draw a giant “L,” 24 inches tall and 15 inches wide. Two inches directly below the bottom right point of the “L,” draw another point. Connect this lower point with the bottom left point of the “L,” to form a lazy “L.” (You can now ignore the first, straight horizontal line.)
Parallel to the first vertical line, draw another vertical line about 6¼ inches to the right.
Outside of the left vertical line, on the top, make a point about ¾ inches to the left. Outside of the right vertical line, on the top, make a point about one inch to the right. Also on the right vertical line, measure 18 inches down from the first point and mark a point.
Now, contour your stocking pattern. Starting at the top of the left side of the stocking, at the outside point, angle a line inward at a diagonal until it meets the original line at about 4 inches down.
Round off the angle at the heel. Arch the line from the heel to the toe slightly to create a slight, natural arch. Round the toe up and around to the point, and then slope the point in, bringing the line in a slightly rounded way up to the next point. From there, go straight up along the original line until you get about halfway up the stocking, and then angle out gradually to the outside point.
Cut your pattern around the outside edges of what you’ve drawn.
Sew Your Stocking
Fold your black felt in half, right sides together. Pin the pattern to the felt and cut (you will have two pieces).
Unpin. On the right side of the “L” shaped (not the backwards “L” shaped) piece, cut and arrange six white stripes from the white felt. I recommend going for character here rather than perfection, so cut without feeling pressure to make the stripes too straight. Pin the stripes onto the stocking and sew them on with white thread.
Pin right sides of the two stocking pieces together, and sew around the outside edge (except, of course, for the top). Turn right-side out, using the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to make sure the pointy toe is pointy.
Sew a pompom to the toe.
Pin and sew the trim around the inside of the top.
To create the hangy thing, fold the ribbon in half, pin to the inside of the back edge of the top of the stocking and sew.
For a variation, substitute the black and white felt for any other colors you desire. For example, in addition to the black and white stocking that I made for myself, I made a red and blue one for my boyfriend. This satisfies his ever-so-slightly more traditional leanings. Not to mention, they look really cute hanging next to each other, and we never get them mixed up.
Yuletide Stocking Magic
No matter what magical deity or gift-giving figure you like to envision and petition this time of year, it’s always nice to honor him or her with an offering. So perhaps near your stockings you can place a little image of someone like Sinterklaas, Holda, Santa, or Odin, along with a red votive candle that can be burned safely in a tall jar. The night before Yule (or the night before whenever you like to have your morning celebration), leave out a little plate with some oatmeal cookies, which can be (energetically) enjoyed by the deity/figure, as well as any ravenous horses or reindeer. Light the candle and speak out loud your intention to offer the cookies as a gift. In the morning (if they’re still there!), dispose of them in a compost heap or by throwing them in the Yule fire.
And if you’d like to go a more ancient (and eco-friendly) route with your stocking stuffers, choose edibles such as fresh and/or dried fruit, nuts, baked goods, and chocolate.
For Further Reading
Dugan, Ellen. Seasons of Witchery: Celebrating the Sabbats with the Garden Witch. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2012.
Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 1997.