Kelley's continuing to knit holiday stockings this week, and has some tips on lining stockings with flannel and managing colorwork color dominance. Kelley is currently knitting Christmas Stockings by Faye Kennington using Plymouth Encore worsted.

Lining Holiday Stockings

Knitted stockings can easily be stretched by holiday goodies, or even worse – your colorwork floats can get tugged. By lining stockings with a fabric like flannel, you can preserve the shape of your stockings and protect them from snags on the inside. To line your stockings, outline them generously on a large piece of paper – like wrapping paper or tissue. With at least a quarter inch edge beyond the outline, cut out two panels of the fabric and sew together on all ends except the cuff. Kelley added an inch of fabric to the cuff so she can fold it down generously and whip stitch to the top of the stocking to hold it in place. 

Managing Color Dominance in Knitted Colorwork

When knitting colorwork projects, a few things can cause the wrong color to be dominant. One common cause is floats that are too tight, but the more common cause is the way you hold your two colors and color dominance. The left most strand when knitting the normal way – off the left needle and onto the right – is always the dominant color. It doesn't matter if you knit Continental, English, or a hybrid method – the color on the left will be more dominant. With these stocking charts, the dominant color can change with each section – so make sure you identify it each new section. 

Are you going to knit stockings this year?