Christmas Stocking KAL - Part 1 in Novita 7 Veljestä - Downloadable PDF

Christmas Stocking KAL – Part 1: A Knit-Along Festive Decoration in Novita 7 Veljestä

This downloadable PDF pattern is Part 1 of a Knit-Along (KAL) for a traditional Christmas stocking, designed by Sisko Sälpäkivi and published by Novita. Rated as intermediate in difficulty, this pattern guides knitters through the construction of a generously sized holiday decoration, complete with colourwork motifs that give it a classic Scandinavian festive feel. The finished stocking measures 40 cm / 15¾ in in leg circumference, 28 cm / 11 in in leg height, and 46 cm / 18 in in total sock height — making it a substantial and eye-catching piece to hang by the fireplace.

What Is Being Made

The project is a knitted Christmas stocking intended as a seasonal home decoration. It is worked in the round from the cuff downward, beginning with a ribbed top edge and transitioning into a colourwork leg section. As a KAL (Knit-Along) pattern, this PDF covers Reveal 1, which focuses on the upper leg portion of the stocking — establishing the cuff, the ribbing, and the colourwork chart that forms the decorative body of the piece. The design is offered in one size only.

Yarn and Materials

The pattern is written specifically for Novita 7 Veljestä, an aran-weight yarn. Three colourways are used to achieve the colourwork design:

• Novita 7 Veljestä (170) Navy — the main colour, requiring under 100 g
• Novita 7 Veljestä (549) Christmas — a festive accent colour, requiring under 50 g
• Novita 7 Veljestä (010) Off White — a contrast colour, requiring under 50 g

The combination of deep navy, rich Christmas red, and crisp off white creates a striking, traditional colour palette well suited to holiday décor. Novita 7 Veljestä is a popular Finnish aran-weight yarn known for its durability and stitch definition, making it particularly well suited to colourwork projects where clarity of pattern is important.

Knitters will need double-pointed needles in size 4–4.5 mm (UK 7–8 / US 6–7), or the equivalent needle size required to achieve gauge. The pattern also notes that a short circular needle may be used for the leg section as an alternative to double-pointed needles, offering flexibility depending on the knitter's preferred technique for small-circumference knitting in the round.

Gauge

The stated gauge is 18 stitches and 25 rows in stockinette stitch = 10 cm / 4 in. Achieving the correct gauge is important for this project, as it directly affects the finished circumference and height of the stocking. Knitters are encouraged to swatch and adjust needle size as needed before casting on.

Techniques Used

This pattern draws on a range of knitting techniques appropriate for an intermediate-level knitter. These include:

• Casting on in the round — 80 stitches divided across four double-pointed needles, 20 stitches per needle
• Knitting in the round — the primary construction method for the leg and cuff
• Flat knitting — referenced within the stitch pattern section for certain construction elements
• Colourwork knitting in the round — working with multiple yarn colours simultaneously following a charted pattern, a technique often associated with Fair Isle or stranded colourwork traditions
• Reading and following a knitting chart — the colourwork section is presented as a visual chart with pattern repeats of 8 stitches and 18 stitches at different stages
• Increases and decreases — a single stitch increase is worked on the last round of the 8-stitch repeat section (bringing the count from 80 to 81 stitches), and a corresponding decrease is worked later (returning to 80 stitches), allowing