My Favorite Christmas Stocking Pattern

My Grandma Bettie knitted all the stockings for our family for the past 50 years.  She had 7 kids, 19 grand kids and now all those grand kids are having great-grand kids.  She made stockings for all the spouses and some other extended family members as well.  I'm not about to do the math, but that's a lot of knitting!

Bettie passed away last winter... one of her concerns last year was "Who would make the stockings?"  I have an aunt who makes beautiful knitted stockings and I make them as well.  I promised Grandma Bettie I would make one for my cousin's wedding; the groom, Eric, would need a stocking for this Christmas.

I used an Ann Norling Christmas stocking pattern.  This has been a great investment for me... I've made at least 12 stockings with the pattern.  I especially love the scalloped detail on the top

Eric is a firefighter so Bettie wanted the stocking to have a Santa dressed up as a fireman.  I did my best to bring her vision to life.

We'll all be missing Grandma Bettie this holiday season, but it helps to know she is with the Lord now.  It feels good to have some of the tradition passed down through the generations... I just hope I can keep up with all the stockings I'll need to make in the future!  Do you have any jobs or traditions that have been passed down through your family?  Let me know in the comments!

Blessings,
Jamie

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Snuggly Newborn Bear Hat

Need a quick baby shower gift?  The bear hat does the trick every time!

It takes less than 2 hours to make (and I am a slow knitter).  I found the pattern here on etsy.  It is $5.50, but I bet it has saved me hundreds in gifts!  It's so easy too; the instructions are simple and you don't even need to know how to knit in the round.

This is the yarn I use

I have done this hat in various colors (bright pink, purple, white, tan, brown) and every single one has been cute!

See... regular straight needles.

 Here I am sewing the ears on.

This is a pic my friend sent to me of a brown one I made as a gift.  The model is her newborn son (he is only 1 week old here)

That's another great thing about this hat... it is so easy and cheap to send in the mail since it folds up small.

I thought these colors would be perfect for a little baby named Ruby who is on her way :)

My daughter wore her bear hat all through her first winter and people would stop me to ask where I got it! Be sure to check out PhylPhil's etsy shop if you're looking for the pattern.  I don't even know her, but I feel I am forever indebted to her for this genius pattern.

Blessings!

Jamie

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Knitted Gift for Mom (or Dad if They Weren't So Very Purple)

Here's what my mom got for Mother's Day this year

Golf Club Head Covers!  Not new golf clubs.  I love my mom and all, but I really can't afford that.

Now I just need to find a way to masculinize these for my dad or FIL for Father's Day.  I'm sure it would include a lot less fluff and less vibrant colors... we'll see if I can pull it off.  I got the pattern from my awesome Aunt Maureen and you can find it at the bottom of this post.  It is super easy!  Here is a close up of all that fluffy goodness

And here are the yarns I used

For the top, I mixed 2 yarns: a worsted weight yarn in purple and Yarn Bee Haute Fur in Grape to make sure that the golf clubs wouldn't get damaged as my mom is zipping around in her golf cart... I fear for my life and wish the cart came equipped with an air bag when I ride along with her.  Really. 

For the ribbing on the bottom Simply Soft Paints yarn in Harlequin.  Here's one more look

They are on my husband's clubs in these pics, but they fit perfectly on my mom's clubs too (which are ginormous).  Let me know if you try this for your dad!  I'd love to see what people come up with.  And here are the patterns I used:

GOLF HEAD COVERS

DRIVER – FINISHED LENGTH - 15 TO 16 INCHES

                CAST ON 26 STITCHES/SIZE 9 NEEDLES

                K2, P2 ACROSS (RIGHT SIDE) TURN

                P2, K2 ACROSS

                CONTINUE PATTERN FOR 8 OR 9 INCHES.

                THIS COMPLETES THE RIBBED LOWER PART OF COVER.

                HEAD AREA:

                CHANGE NEEDLES TO SIZE 10

                ALTERNATE A KNIT ROW AND THEN A PURL ROW

                KNIT THIS PATTERN FOR 7 INCHES

                FINISHING:

                ALLOW ENOUGH YARN TO DRAW THROUGH THE TOP AND SEAM THE

                LENGTH OF THE COVER.  CUT THE ALLOWED YARN

                WITH A DARNING NEEDLE PULL YARN BACK THROUGH STITCHES ON THE NEEDLE,

                PULL YARN UP TIGHT TO FORM TOP OF COVER.

                AND THEN WORKING FROM THE INSIDE, SEAM THE COVER.  MOST OFTEN I ALLOW THE SEAM    AT THE BOTTOM TO BE UNFINISHED FOR ABOUT ½ INCH.

                FINISH OFF ALL LOOSE YARN ENDS BY WEAVING BACK INTO KNITTED AREA.

THREE WOOD - FINISHED LENGTH - 13 INCHES

                CAST ON 24 STITCHES/SIZE 9 NEEDLES

                SAME PATTERN AS ABOVE FOR RIBBED AREA/CONTINUE FOR 7 INCHES

                HEAD AREA/FOLLOW ABOVE PATTERN FOR 6 INCHES.   

FIVE WOOD - FINISHED LENGTH - 12 INCHES

                CAST ON 22 STITCHES/SIZE 9 NEEDLES

                SAME PATTERN AS ABOVE FOR RIBBED AREA/CONTINUE FOR 7 INCHES

                HEAD AREA/FOLLOW ABOVE PATTERN FOR 5 INCHES

SEVEN WOOD - FINISHED LENGTH - 11 INCHES

                BOTTOM/ 6 INCHES

                TOP/ 5 INCHES

HYBRID - FINISHED LENGTH - 10 INCHES

                CAST ON 22 STITCHES

                BOTTOM/ 6 INCHES

                TOP/ 4 INCHES - DO NOT CHANGE NEEDLES, USE SIZE 9

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Happy knitting!

Blessings,

Jamie

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