He's Making a List Stocking - PDF

He's Making a List Stocking – Cross Stitch PDF Pattern by Kooler Design Studio

The He's Making a List Stocking (KDS# 1058) is a festive counted cross stitch Christmas stocking pattern designed by Linda Gillum for Kooler Design Studio. Originally published in 2010 as part of the Kooler Classic Charts collection, this intermediate-level embroidery design is available as a downloadable PDF, making it instantly accessible for stitchers eager to create a beautiful handmade holiday decoration.

What Is Being Made

This pattern produces a detailed, decorative Christmas stocking suitable for display and gifting. The stocking design features the classic holiday theme implied by its title — a nod to Santa's famous list — and is sized generously enough to serve as a striking seasonal decoration. A dedicated personalization line is included in the chart to guide placement of a name, making it easy to customize the finished stocking for any recipient. The stocking shape outline is printed on the chart for reference but is not stitched.

Design Size and Stitch Count

The design has a stitch count of 120 stitches wide by 179 stitches high. Depending on the fabric count chosen, the finished stitched area will measure:

• 14 Count: approximately 8½ inches wide by 12¾ inches high
• 16 Count: approximately 7½ inches wide by 11⅛ inches high
• 18 Count: approximately 6⅝ inches wide by 9⅞ inches high

An additional 4 to 6 inches should be added to each measurement when cutting the fabric to allow for framing, finishing, and seam allowances.

Fabric and Materials

The design is stitched on 14 Count White Aida cloth as specified in the pattern. Aida is the most popular fabric choice for counted cross stitch due to its evenly woven, easy-to-count grid structure, making it well suited for intermediate stitchers working on a detailed project like this stocking. Higher fabric counts such as 16 or 18 count Aida can also be used to produce a smaller, finer finished piece.

The pattern calls for DMC embroidery floss in a rich palette of colors. The full floss listing includes the following DMC thread numbers:

• DMC 309, 310, 317, 402, 415, 666, 702, 704, 721, 722, 743, 744, 754, 797, 800, 814, 838, 839, 841, 842, 921, 922, 951, 964, 986, 996, 3326, 3607, 3609, and Blanc

This broad range of colors — spanning deep reds, greens, blues, warm skin tones, and neutral shades — gives the finished stocking its detailed, vibrant, and classically festive appearance.

Stitches Used

This pattern employs four distinct embroidery stitches, each serving a specific purpose in building up the design's texture and detail:

• Cross Stitch: The primary stitch used throughout the design, worked with 3 strands of DMC floss. Cross stitch forms the main body of the image, filling in color and shape across the Aida grid.
• Back Stitch: Worked with 1 strand of floss, back stitch is used for outlining, adding definition, and creating fine linear details that sharpen the overall image. Selected DMC colors — including 309, 743, 797, 814, 838, and 921 — are designated specifically for back stitch use.
• French Knots: Also worked with 1 strand of floss, French knots add small, raised, dimensional dots of texture and detail. They are used sparingly but effectively to enhance specific design elements.
• Straight Stitch: Worked with 1 strand of floss, straight stitches are used for fine accent lines and detail work that cannot be achieved with cross stitch alone.

Techniques and Difficulty Level

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