They are done!! And Lila loves them.
Pattern: Mini Christmas Stocking Ornaments
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label Fingering Mini Skein set
Needles: 2.75 mm (US 2)
Ravelry Project Page can be found here.Â
This is my big year-long project, and the smartest thing I did was develop a clear plan with obvious results. My goal was to knit 2-3 mini stockings every month, so I would be done in time for December 1st. I didn’t quite get them all done in time for December first, but I hung up the first twelve and Lila got pretty excited about the daily treat inside! I finished the remaining 6 quickly (I got off schedule, it’s true), and completed the set.
Knitting these has been such a joy! Each sock is small enough that you can cast on and finish it up in the same evening, but there will be lots of ends to weave in. The smart move is to finish the knits as you go, so that you don’t end up with an overwhelming number of ends to weave in or buttons to sew on. You can read some of my earlier thoughts on the pattern and process here and here.
The loops are made by casting on 35 stitches using the long tail cast on method, and then casting off. I sewed one end to the inside of the stocking, and then added a button on the other side. The button loop was made by holding some yarn out while weaving in the ends of the knitted loop for the stockings to be hung. if that makes sense.
This is the first time I laid out an actual game plan for a big project, and it worked SO much better for me than just generally ‘knitting’. Â I’d like to share my tips for conquering a big project on time (or on time-ish) so that if you are planning a bit knit in 2017, you will be ready for it!
How to Conquer a Big Knitting Project
Before you Begin:
– Get all the yarn together. Using a mini skein set for the colours took the guess work out of ‘matching’, but if you are going to search out yarn to match up complimentary colours, get all your yarn organized in advance.
– Figure out how many squares/socks/whatever you are going to need. For my mini stocking advent calendar, I needed 24. If you are knitting a blanket, you need to figure out approximately how many squares or shapes you need in order to make the right sized blanket. If you need 40 squares for your blanket and you want to finish in a year, then you need to knit 3.5 squares each month in order to accomplish that.
– Choose colours that you love, in yarn you are excited to work with. Because if you don’t really love the yarn, it’s going to be hard to keep up momentum.
– Put everything you need for the project into one project bag, to keep everything together. If it’s a physically big project, like a blanket comprised of knitted squares, get a big bag to corral all the squares and yarn and a smaller one that will fit inside for the current square/sock/whatever you are working on. Make sure you have everything you need in that smaller bag- stitch markers, small scissors, tapestry needle, etc.
– Figure out the timeline, and be realistic about the inevitability of getting off course. If you want to knit something for December, start in January. Don’t wait until September, the fall is always hectic and you are going to be rushed. Â This way if there are setbacks, or if you need to rip back substantially in order to fix a problem, you have time. And if you finish ahead of schedule, that’s the icing on the cake!
Getting Through It
– Chip away all year long. My goal was to knit 2-3 mini stockings each month, so that I’d have them ready by December. It was way easier to knit the socks when taking a break from another project rather than trying to churn out 24 mini stockings in November.
– Make the process easy. If you know that the project requires your full attention, then look forward to times when you can knit on the train, or on road trips, or any other times when you can sit down and focus on the pattern. If it’s a fairly mindless knit, take it with you everywhere so that you can work on it whenever you find some pockets of time. Â Having that smaller project bag we discussed in the first section will make this part much easier.
– Celebrate your progress as you go. Take photos! Splash it all over Instagram! Seeing how great it is looking in the middle stages and hearing great feedback from fellow crafters can be hugely motivating.
– Weave in ends as you go, so that you aren’t going to be faced with hundreds of ends to weave in at the end of your project. This not only will help keep the momentum up, but makes it easier to photograph when you are doing the previous step, of Celebrating as You Go.
– Don’t make this your only knitting project. Unless you want to. A project that has smaller parts and monthly goals provides opportunity for you to take a break here and there with the special big project, not just have it be your sole focus.
The Home Stretch
– If you are are getting near the end, don’t get cocky and think you can slow down. Keep. Going! You would be surprised how many projects stall in the last little bit, when the squares all need to be joined or the ends woven in or one more piece to go…. it can easily lead to a gigantic unfinished project.
– If you know that you have really busy times in your life – say, October is always crazy for work and December is… December, then plan around it. Push a little harder on your project in advance of those challenging times, so that your efforts don’t get derailed by the inevitable craziness that life will throw your way.
Lesser known fact- I started to knit a baby blanket for James when I was pregnant with him, after I found out it was a boy. It was a garter stitch blanket knit in rectangles with alternating, randomized stripes. As you probably have already figured out, I never finished it. Not only did I not give myself enough time to knit it (I was convinced I could do it in 3 months), I was using yarns I thought would look great together when viewing it online, but when they arrived the colours just weren’t what I had hoped. I made a few switches for different colours in similar yarn, but at best it felt like an ‘okay’ project. Needless to say, it’s languished.
Having completed this mini stocking advent calendar makes me feel so satisfied. The joy on Lila’s face every morning – and the request for her ‘little sock’ that often comes when she’s standing beside my bed before the alarm goes off and my feet have yet to hit the floor – makes me realize how I didn’t just knit 24 little socks, I knit a tradition, one that is setting the stage for all the Christmas memories she will gather in her lifetime.
One morning, I was standing near the bookcase pictured above,watching Lila reverently open her little sock to find out what treasure awaited her and Guy said to me, “You know, you are going to have to knit another set for James. Opening the sock is the best part, they can’t take turns on that. Not without a lot of fighting.”
So – January 2017, I’ll be embarking on another set of minis stockings! Are there any big knitting projects you would like to tackle in 2017?
Congratulations on such an amazing FO! What a wonderful tradition you’ve started!
Thanks, Val!! I really loved the experience of watching Lila open a sock every morning, it was worth it!
Way to stick with your goal. They are darling! And what a wonderful handmade tradition for your kids that will hopefully stick around for many generations to come. Maybe you should knit an extra stocking for each set just in case one gets lost. I just know how I am with little things like that. I would be devastated to not have a complete set somewhere down the line.
Hi Kelly,
I was thinking of printing out the pattern and tucking it away somewhere safe, so that if there were ever some internet shift and the pattern was impossible to find, I could at least replicate the socks if any got lost or eaten by some future dog, etc. Lila loves them! She helped me take them down today. I wasn’t planning on taking them down so early, but Lila kept asking for another sock and was having a tough time believing that no more treats were going to magically appear in them, so it was time to put them away.
The stockings are adorable. What about a set of mini mittens just to keep it fresh?
I love this idea!
Mini mittens are a great idea!! I will look at some other patterns to see what I feel like taking on for 2017.
This is such an inspiring project. This holiday season the importance of handmade memories for my kids really hit home for me. I don’t know what happened exactly, but something just clicked. Even if they don’t currently appreciate all the time and love that went into every stitch of every knitted ornament I’ve ever made, I know that one day they’ll be hanging those ornaments on their own trees with their own children and they’ll know. It’s magic! Beautiful work.
Christmas has a way of sucking us in, wanting to create magical memories for our children. I love advent calendars, so it never felt like a chore to make them, especially using your wonderful yarn rainbow! And they were so easy to make – I could cast on and have a finished, seamed sock all the same evening after the kids went to bed. Not a lot of projects like that.
Those are the cutest little tiny socks ever. What a lovely treasure for Lila.
Great tips for staying on track with a bigger project! As it does every autumn/winter, my crochet hook has been flying. However, I always stall out come the warmer weather, leaving things to languish. With your list of suggestions, hopefully I’ll keep on going and actually finish the bigger project I’m planning for 2017 during 2017!
So many people don’t quite manage to do as much crafting during the hot weather, it’s definitely not the most attractive season to sit around with wool in your lap!
Wonderful project and post, Julie. Your children will treasure this tradition. Tiny things can be so satisfying, and addictive, to knit. Tiny sweaters, mittens and hats are adorning our Christmas tree this year.
Hi Leslie,
I did find them pretty addictive! It was very satisfying to cast on and have a completely finished sock by the end of the evening, that’s for sure. And spreading them out through the months meant they never seemed tiresome.
These are lovely and so pretty. I was thinking about your need to make a second set and was thinking that you could make James a mitten set so that they are the same, only different. Mittens too finickity? How about mini torques, they would have to hang upside down!
Hi Heather,
I haven’t decided yet if I’ll knit another set of stockings just like these (could do different colours, or the same…) or if i’ll try something different, like mittens- I need to figure it out soon though- I’ll have to get started in January!
I love these so much!
I’ve had a vision of knitting a winter garland of tiny stockings, mittens, hats, and perhaps even a mini sweater or two, to either hang on the Christmas tree, or somewhere in the house.
Of course, I’ll have to knit two, so my kids can each have one when they move out on their own :-).
Maybe I should follow your lead and get this planned, so I can start in January 😀
This is exactly why I’m going to knit another set- not just so they can each have their own now, but also in the future! And if I can still knit when I eventually have grandchildren, I’ll make them some sets, too. 😉
This is such a lovely tradition to start. When our girls were little, we had a fabric advent calendar I sewed. It has 24 stocking shapes on it. They were able to share it because I managed to fit two small gifts into each pocket, and each one was wrapped. The girls knew that, for example, the green paper was A’s gift and the red paper was K’s gift. It was a challenge to find objects small enough (sometimes a coin was perfect!) and it took a long time to wrap 48 little gifts, but the excitement every morning was sooo worth it. That being said, I think it would still be extra-special for each of your children to have their own set, but if you really don’t want to knit 24 more little items, sharing the stockings is an option. You’ve done a beautiful job! Congrats!!
Your advent calendar sounds incredible! I’m sure the girls absolutely adored it, and you are super mom to find and individual wrap 48 little advent presents!
These look wonderful. This year I knitted the just crafty enough advent mittens started in June and had to do 4 a month before I could knit anything else but they look so good all hung up together
Ooh, the mittens! I’m been looking at those advent mittens, they are so beautiful. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to do another set of socks again, or something different, like the mittens!
I love these, you did an amazing job! Your children will really cherish it throughout the years and it’s so darn pretty to boot! I find it difficult to knit multiples of anything without stalling out; your tips for persevering through a project are helpful!
We have two different advent calendars that our two oldest children alternate the days on, but I’m thinking that next year with the third child thrown in the mix I’m going to have to come up with something new. Perhaps a cheerful sock advent calendar is the answer!
Hi Laura,
It was nice to knit the socks in different colours, it definitely kept it feeling fresh! Plus the pattern has 8 different charts to choose from, so it’s possible that no two socks are the same. I’m amazed I didn’t misplace any during the year, really – I often ‘lose’ knitting projects somewhere in my home, and my house is tiny!
Thanks for the inspiration on getting the big projects done. You have no idea how many are still an UFO. Love,love the stockings and especially the delight of seeing Lila enjoying them.
Happy Holidays!
Hi Pat,
Oh man, I have SO MANY ufos, too! But I really feel like this project is where i learned to crack the code- I actually feel invigorated and want to try applying these tips to garment knitting as well. This year I knit so many accessories, and I’d like to get back to knitting sweaters. 2017 I will tackle more big projects!
These are adorable! Congratulations, they all look spectacular 😀 Thanks so much for these great tips, I’ve been “working” on a medallion shawl for a few years now, I’ll have to use some of these tips to hopefully finally get some major progress on it next year.
Hi Kat,
I find that now that I’ve really reflected on what worked for this big project, I need to apply it to my garment knitting as well. It feels so good to not just have finished this project but feel like I’v cracked the code on how to do it again that makes me want to tackle all the big knitting projects now! I knit so many small things in 2016, I want to make 2017 the year of the garment for me. I totally want to knit more big projects, now that I know exactly how to get them done!
These mini stockings are really very cute, and I can imagine your daughter being very excited to open one each morning. This post is filled with great tips, one to keep as a bookmark in my knitting reference library for sure. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations for getting through it. I don’t know if I would have had the patience to knit the same pattern 24 times, however small it is. Doing it twice is a feat worthy of admiration. Be sure to share it with us, so that we can cheer you on when you get discouraged.
HI Agnes,
She even asked me for another sock this morning! She has had a tough time processing that the socks are all done until next Christmas, but she did help me take them down and seal them up in ziploc bags, so they can stay nice and safe until next year. I just need to decide if I’m going to do the same mini skein set as last time to keep things really even, or go with something else- and come January, I’ll begin making another set!I will definitely share my progress.
I’m actually considering knitting an advent calendar for next year. Your post came at the rigth time, it’s such a good point to think about the colour palette ahead of time!
Happy Holidays!
Oh, I hope you do decide to knit an advent calendar! Having little monthly goals made it really achievable, and it was SO rewarding to have it in December.
Love your tips! Time management is definitely the key in everything! I have so many knit-related plans for 2017 that I should definitely get to organizing 🙂 The socks are just adorable! And what great memories you are creating for your kids!
Hi Alina,
You do have lots coming up in 2017! I think I’m going to start applying these rules to garments as well, since I made lousy garment progress in 2016 and they all seemed to languish. But 2017, i want to knit more sweaters, and I think if I follow all these same tips that kept me on track with the stockings, I should be able to finish some more garments!
At least you have a longer timeline for James’ tiny sock project! You might have to add a white stripe at the top of his so there’s not a mix-up…sibs can be that way.
Somehow all my projects seem big the closer I get to the holiday deadline 🙂
Wishing you and yours happy hearts and many blessings this holiday and Year ahead.
Hi Snow,
Thanks so much! I’m wondering if I should make the same socks, so that there are no squabbles about who gets what, or make a different set (some have suggested mittens) to make them distinctive. I’m not sure which way to go with it yet! I hope you had a lovey holiday, and wishing you a wonderful New Year.
Congratulations Julie…that’s an accomplishment! They look adorable and what a fun way for your kids to countdown to Christmas. Have a great Christmas and holiday.
Hi Christine,
Thank you! I’m really happy with them, and Lila was absolutely crazy about them, it made it all so worthwhile. I hope you’ve had a great Christmas!
Congratulations! This is amazing – the colors are great, the patterns are adorable and I bet any little (or big) person would love to open these every morning 😀
Thanks, Holly! I wasn’t prepared for how much she loved those little socks. It is what makes me actually a bit excited about tackling the same project for 2017!
Those are gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Heather!!
LOVE this! You did a fantastic job. I need to plan for my Harry Potter Christmas 2017. I want to make some ornaments for the tree but for just a section in front.
You can totally take these tips and formulate your plan for your Harry Potter Christmas 2017! That is such a fun idea, and your kids are going to love it.
I love the finished socks and your tips….might even embark on something like it myself in 2017.
Hi Anna,
I’m glad that you are finding the tips helpful! What sort of project are you thinking of tackling in 2017?
Thanks for this insight. I always want the big projects finished at the end of the year but your thoughts remind me that we eat an elephant bite by bite. I love how you zoom out and take small steps. The socks are super and the tips perfect for me.
Hi Suzanne,
Breaking things down into small steps is truly the only way I accomplish anything. I’m finding ever since I had kids, even knitting a sweater takes a million years if I don’t try to break it down into mini goals. Which explains why I’ve only finished one garment this year, and it was a tank top.
Isn’t this a lovely pattern? I made one to hold a little gift card for someone in my office. He was more fascinated with the stocking than the card! I’m definitely making more for the little kids in my life. Warmest wishes to you, Guy, Lila, and James (yes, he definitely needs his own set) for the holidays and 2017!
A gift card holder, what a great idea! And no doubt he still has that little stocking long after the gift card is used up! I hope you’ve had a lovely holiday!
Having a plan is what goes wrong for me most of the time. I only managed a couple of Christmas decorations this year, whereas I wanted to have a tree full of knitted stuff. And I don’t think I managed a single hexipuff this year which is also a shame! Time for a plan..
Oh no! I totally know what that is like, this is really the first time I’ve been able to learn from all my past mistakes and develop a game plan that worked. I hope that 2017 is the year where you have a full tree of knitting things! You could plan to knit 2 ornaments per month, and then you’d have 24 new knitted ornaments by Christmas!
I just finished the fourth of the four mini-stockings for my son’s GF and her daughters (we will see them over New Year’s). Mine do not have stranded colorwork — that was a bit beyond me — but they are darned cute.
Thanks for the tips on finishing a big project. I seem to get 3/4 of the way done (or less) and get distracted. Using your tips I should be able to finish the two afghans that I started in 2015 for my sons. One is 3/4 done (sensing a theme here?) and the other about 1/10. Both are double-stranded worsted on US10-1/2 needles, so they go relatively quickly. Wish me luck!
Such great tips in this post! Planning and keeping the motivation going is so important for large projects. Love that you were knitting a tradition for Lila and that she was enchanted with it. It’s something that will remain in her memories of family and the holidays long after she grows up.