Pattern: Mini Christmas Stocking Ornaments

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Mini Skeins (blue label fingering weight)

Needles: 2.7mm (US 2) I knit these on a pair of dpns, and they are the smallest needles I’ve used in a while!

I first knit this pattern in 2016 as an advent calendar for Lila. She has absolutely adored it, and every single morning in December she is so excited to ‘get her sock’ and seeing her face light up makes me so happy that I knit them. You can read all about the journey to making them here and here, with a whole post about how to tackle a big knitting project right here.

But here’s the thing about knitting for one of your kids- you have to do it for the other one too. Little James is going to be 3 years old this December 1st, and he’s definitely big enough to want to do and have everything that his big sister has. I know that I’d have to knit him a set too- and if sibling relationships tell me anything, they better be identical. If I knit the socks in a different colour, there might be fussing about who gets the purple socks, or something like that.

So this year, I’ve been knitting James his very own set. I’m using the same yarn- I adore Tanis Fiber Arts and the rainbow mini skein set is pretty much perfection. Her mini skein sets sell out fast, but if you can ever get your hands on them, go for it- No one ever regrets having rainbow mini skeins in their stash.

I’ve gone into the details of how I tackle a big knitting knitting projects when I knit these the first time, but they are easy to chip away at over the course of the year. I find it takes me about 2 hours to make one sock, from cast on to cast off, so it’s definitely doable to fit in and around other knitting projects. The free pattern comes with charts for 8 different designs (and you can always improvise your own!), and I like knitting them- I knit 3 of each design. I know there are only 8 socks in these photos, but I’ve completed 5 more socks since then! Yes, I’m behind schedule, but I’m not worried- I remember in 2016 when I knit them for Lila, I was still knitting the last week’s worth of stockings when the first bunch were hung and Lila was opening one each morning.

Deadlines, so motivating!

Knitting 24 of these mini stockings is a happy labour of love. I know that James is going to be so excited, and just thinking of him and Lila bouncing around each morning thrilled to get their little sock has me already looking forward to December.