Christmas in July

Last July when I was in Florida visiting my sister I made a Christmas stocking. I've posted before that the traditional stockings I have made have been out of flannel with assorted things sewn on the such as a sleigh, mitten tree, holly. They are trimmed in sequins and then hand sewn on the stocking before it is sewn together. My sister had sent me the cute stocking pattern that was actually in a Martha Stewart Living magazine in December 2004. It called for worsted weight yarn and size 6 needles. Picture #1. Ok, this was not fun. It worked "thickly". Then the pattern had some issues that did not seem to knit up correctly and I ended up making the heel and lower foot by adapting Yarn Harlot's sock recipe. I had wanted to make several of these but it was no fun. I also had purchased shall we say a gazillion skeins of red and green yarn. It all went in the closet. Then last week I got a new email from http://www.knittingonthenet.com/ . They have tons of great patterns. Listed was a stocking pattern by Barbara Breiter. Out came the yarn. The pattern called for size 10 1/2 double point needles. Amazingly I did not have those but of course had 10's so I used them. The only thing I did differently from the pattern was I made the leg a little shorter. This time the stocking was much more fun and I actually like the look of it better than the original. Picture #2. They look very much the same but the size 10 needles made the knitting so much easier. I might make a few more but not yet. I am still working on "New Soft Blankie" for Jo.