Sugar Plum Knit Stocking

It’s the season of stockings hung by the chimney with care, and none so sweet as the Sugar Plum Knit Stocking! A celebration of everything wonderful about this time of year, this pattern pairs a gradient Nine-Note Bundle with a skein of Note for a set of stockings that deck the halls with handmade joy.

You knit these stockings from the cuff down, starting with a sweet folded picot hem that’s fun and easy to knit and adds a little extra stability to the top of the stocking. A small wedge of short rows shapes the heel (super easy, even if you’re new to short rows!), and the toe is shaped like a classic sock, neatly closed with Kitchener Stitch.

Then all that’s left is to add your hanging loop and your little sugar plum of a pom pom. A cheerful heirloom-to-be, each stitch carries a wish for a happy holiday!

For a yarn that matches the magic of the season, cast on with our Nine-Note Bundle and Note. They’re the same extraordinary yarn, spun from 80% extra-fine merino and 20% baby alpaca for an irresistible feel and beautiful drape. A glowing luster catches the light, and a round, multi-ply spin adds bounce and structure, bringing every stitch to life.

One Nine-Note Bundle and one skein of Note give you plenty of yarn to make three stockings, using Note for the heels and toes and the bundle for everything else. We’ll show you how to make the most of your yarn in the pattern, or you can make merry by mixing and matching more Nine-Note Bundles or extra colors of Note!

Every year, visions of your Sugar Plum Knit Stockings will dance in your head until it’s time to brighten your hearth once again. Gather your soft, luminous yarn, and let the season’s sweetest dream take shape in your hands!

Yarn lovers, if you adore the yarn used in this project, you’ll love exploring all of our other yarn collections! Discover over 45 thoughtfully designed yarns in nearly every natural fiber and in every spectacular color you can imagine. Only available here at Purl Soho’s online yarn store, where every skein is created with care and your creativity in mind!

Pattern designed and written by Purl Soho designer, Gianna Mueller. See even more of Gianna’s work on her Instagram!

Story written by Andrea Lotz for Purl Soho.

Want to print this pattern? On desktop, find the “print” icon in the right margin, and on mobile, scroll to the end of the pattern for it. Use the on-screen instructions to remove anything you don’t want to print!

Materials

• Main Color: 1 of Purl Soho’s Nine-Note Bundles. One bundle includes 9 skeins of 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca light worsted/dk-weight yarn. Each bundle is 900 yards/ 450 grams. We used the Dragon Fruit bundle for one set and the Apple bundle for the other set.
  • Cuff: Approximately 55 yards required per stocking
  • Body: Approximately 90 yards required per stocking
  • Pom Pom + Hanging Loop: approximately 40 yards required per stocking.
• Contrast Color (Heel + Toe): 1 skein of Purl Soho’s Note, 80% extra fine merino wool and 20% baby alpaca yarn. Each skein of this light worsted/dk-weight yarn is 200 yards/ 100 grams; approximately 30 yards required per stocking. We used Kiln Red and Heirloom White with both colors bundles; Fresh Pickle with the Dragon Fruit bundle; and Pink Sunrise with the Apple bundle.
• A set of US 5 (3.75 mm) double pointed needles OR US 5, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
• A set of US 6 (4 mm) double pointed needles OR US 6, 32-inch circular needles for Magic Loop
• A crochet hook and scrap yarn for Provisional Cast On
• Stitch markers, including one unique and one removable
• Optional: Purl Soho’s Pom Pom Maker Set, Small + Large size

This is enough yarn for at 3 solid stockings (or up to 5, if you get creative with stripes!). To make 3 as shown, use a different shade of Nine-Note for each Cuff, Body, and Pom Pom + Hanging Loop, and 1 skein of Note for all the Heels + Toes (we explain how in the pattern). Or, do like we did, and use a few different colors of Note for variety and holiday cheer!

GAUGE

20 stitches and 25 rounds = 4 inches in stockinette stitch, on larger circular needles

SIZE

• Finished Circumference: 12 inches
• Finished Length from Top of Heel to Top of Leg: 8¾ inches
• Finished Length from Bottom of Heel to Tip of Toe: 8 inches

NOTES

STOCKING COLOR ORDER

If you’re making 3 stockings, here’s how to make sure you use all of your Nine-Note Bundle. Note that for the Nine-Note Bundle, the darkest color skein is Main Color 1 (MC1); one shade lighter is MC2; the next lighter skein is MC3, and so on to the lightest color skein, MC9.

Stocking A (B, C)

1. Cuff: MC1 (MC8, MC2)
2. Body: MC7 (MC3, MC9)
3. Toe + Heel: CC
4. Pom Pom + Hanging Loop: MC4 (MC5, MC6)

SHORT-ROW SHAPING: WRP-T (WRAP AND TURN)

On the right side: Keeping yarn in back, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to front. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to back. Turn work so wrong side is facing you.

On the wrong side: Keeping yarn in front, slip next stitch purlwise from left needle to right needle. Bring yarn to back. Return slipped stitch to left needle. Bring yarn to front. Turn work so right side is facing you.

For more information about this technique, including how to knit wrapped stitches with their wraps, please visit our Short Rows Tutorial.

PATTERN

CUFF

NOTE: For help with the Provisional Cast On, visit our Provisional Cast On: One-Step Method Tutorial.

With crochet hook and scrap yarn, use a Provisional Cast On to cast 60 stitches onto smaller needles.

Place unique marker (pm) and join for working in the round, being careful not to twist the stitches.

With MC1 (MC8, MC2), depending on which Stocking Color Order you are following (see Notes), knit 20 rounds even.

Picot Round: *Yarn over (yo), knit two together (k2tog), repeat from * to end of round. 

Change to larger needles.

Knit 4 rounds even.

Next Round: K1, place removable stitch marker on previous stitch (this indicates Hanging Loop placement for later), knit to end of round.

Knit 14 rounds even.

Carefully remove scrap yarn from Provisional Cast On, slipping stitches onto smaller needles as you go.

Fold piece in half at Picot Round so wrong sides are facing each other and needles are parallel, with larger working needles in front and smaller needles in back.

Continuing with larger needles…

Next Round: *Knit first stitch on front needle together with first stitch on back needle, repeat from * to end of round. [60 stitches]

Cut MC1 (MC8, MC2).

BODY

With MC7 (MC3, MC9), knit every round for 5½ inches.  

Partial Round: K49.

Drop MC, but do not cut yarn or turn work.

HEEL

NOTE: In this section, you will work back and forth on just the Heel stitches, crossing the end of round at center of Heel every row. Slip unique end-of-round marker as you come to it.

Join Contrast Color (CC).

Short Row 1 (right side): K22, wrp-t (see Notes).

Short Row 2 (wrong side): P22, wrp-t.

Short Row 3: Knit to 1 stitch before previous wrap, wrp-t.

Short Row 4: Purl to 1 stitch before previous wrap, wrp-t.

Repeat Short Rows 3 and 4 eight more times until 4 stitches remain between wraps, ending with a wrong-side row.

Next Short Row (right side): K14, knitting wrapped stitches with their wraps, wrp-t.

Next Short Row (wrong side): P24, purling wrapped stitches with their wraps, wrp-t.

Cut CC.

CONTINUE BODY

Continuing with MC7 (MC3, MC9) still attached…

Partial Row (right side): Knit to end of round.

NOTE: You will now resume working over all stitches in the round. On next round, knit remaining wrapped stitches with their wraps when you come to them.

Knit every round until piece measures 4½ inches from last CC round.

Cut MC7 (MC3, MC9).

TOE

Join CC.

Set Up Round: K15, pm, k30, pm, knit to end of round.

Decrease Round: [Knit to 2 stitches before next marker, k2tog, slip marker, slip slip knit (ssk)] 2 times, knit to end of round. [4 stitches decreased]

Next Round: Knit to end of round.

Repeat last 2 rounds 8 more times. [24 stitches remain]

Repeat Decrease Round 3 more times. [12 stitches remain]

Partial Round: Knit to first marker.

Arrange remaining stitches evenly on two needles, removing markers.

Cut CC, leaving a 10-inch tail.

Hold needles parallel, with wrong sides facing each other. With tail threaded onto a tapestry needle, work Kitchener Stitch to close Toe.

HANGING LOOP

With MC4 (MC5, MC6) and smaller circular needles, pick up and knit 3 stitches starting at removable stitch marker.

With these 3 stitches, work an I-cord for 4½ inches.

Bind-Off Row: K1, k2tog, pass first stitch over second stitch and off right needle.

Cut MC4 (MC5, MC6), leaving an 8-inch tail. Pull it through remaining stitch.

Thread tail onto a tapestry needle. Make a loop with I-cord and weave tail into fabric at base of I-cord, then weave it through looped I-cord, and back into fabric.

FINISHING

Weave in remaining ends and gently wet block.

POM POM

With MC4 (MC5, MC6), make a 2-inch pom pom. If you’re using Purl Soho’s Pom Pom Maker Set, follow along with our Pom Pom Tutorial.

ATTACH POM POM

Thread each pom pom tail separately through the base of the Cuff, directly below the Hanging Loop, to the inside of the stocking. Tie the tails into a knot, then thread the tails up through the pom pom and trim them flush with the pom pom. All done!

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Looking for more inspiration? Explore all of our knitting patterns (including tons of free knitting patterns) and knitting tutorials, buy one of our many knitting kits and yarn bundles, and shop for beautiful yarn. We have over 35 gorgeous natural fiber yarns in 100’s of magnificent colors, designed to bring integrity, beauty, and joy to your next knitting project and only available at Purl Soho!