Christmas Stocking KAL - Part 3 in Novita 7 Veljestä - Downloadable PDF

Christmas Stocking KAL – Part 3: Heel, Foot, Toe & Finishing in Novita 7 Veljestä

This is the third and final instalment of the Christmas Stocking Knit-Along (KAL) designed by Sisko Sälpäkivi for Novita, worked in Novita 7 Veljestä yarn. As a free, downloadable PDF pattern, Part 3 guides knitters through the most technically rewarding stages of constructing a classic knitted Christmas stocking: the heel flap, heel turn, gusset pick-up, foot, toe decreases, and a charming i-cord hanging loop. Together with the earlier parts of the KAL, the finished result is a beautifully structured, heirloom-quality holiday decoration ready to hang by the fireplace.

What Is Being Made

The project is a knitted Christmas stocking intended as a festive decoration. The stocking is worked in the round on double-pointed needles and features a colour-work design established in earlier parts of the KAL. Part 3 completes the lower portion of the stocking — the heel, foot, toe, and a small attached hanging loop — resulting in a fully finished, three-dimensional stocking with a traditional silhouette.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Novita 7 Veljestä, an aran-weight yarn from the Finnish brand Novita. Two named colourways are used in this section: Christmas and Navy. The construction relies on double-pointed needles, with four needles holding the active stitches and a fifth used for working — a standard setup for knitting socks and stockings in the round. The hanging loop is also worked on double-pointed needles to create a neat i-cord finish.

Techniques Used

• Heel flap construction: Stitches from one needle are consolidated onto a single needle to create a 40-stitch heel flap. The flap is then worked back and forth in stockinette stitch for 20 rows, creating a dense, reinforced fabric well suited to the stress point of a stocking heel.
• Short-row heel turn: A classic heel-turning method is used, working progressively shorter rows with decreases at each end. The technique uses skp (slip 1 knitwise, knit 1, pass slipped stitch over) on right-side rows and p2tog on wrong-side rows, shaping a neat cup around the heel with 14 stitches retained in the centre throughout.
• Gusset pick-up: After the heel is turned, stitches are picked up along both sides of the heel flap — 12 stitches plus 1 additional stitch at the gap on each side — to eliminate holes and restore the full stitch count of 80 stitches. Picked-up stitches are knitted through the back loop to close any potential gaps and keep the gusset tidy.
• Foot worked in the round: With all 80 stitches restored across four needles, the foot is worked in stockinette stitch in the round in Navy for approximately 10 cm before toe shaping begins.
• Toe decreases: A symmetrical, paired decrease method shapes the toe. At the end of needles I and III, k2tog, k1 is worked; at the beginning of needles II and IV, k1, skp is worked. Decreases are first worked every other round until 48 stitches remain, then every round until only 12 stitches remain — 3 per needle. The yarn is then broken, drawn through the remaining stitches, and woven in securely.
• I-cord hanging loop: Using the Christmas colourway, 6 stitches are cast on and worked as a traditional i-cord on double-pointed needles. Rather than turning the work, the stitches are slid to the opposite end of the needle and knitted again, pulling the working yarn across the back to form a tightly tubular cord. The loop is worked until it measures approximately 15 cm, then bound off and attached to the top edge of the stocking.
• Steam finishing: The completed stocking is lightly steam-blocked to even out the fabric and give the finished piece a