Mini Christmas Stocking - Ornament, Money Holder

Begin with magic circle, chain 1.  

Round 1 - Work 10 Double Crochet (DC) into magic circle; cinch closed.  Join with slip stitch, chain 1 (you will have TEN stitches--the 1st chain (ch) is part of your first DC).

Your project will form a cup.  Work around as follows:

Round 2 - 1 SC in same stitch as join, 1SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1.  

Take a moment now to weave in the tail.  Or,  pull it through and weave it later.

Round 3 - 1 SC in each stitch, join, ch 1.

Now, working in ROWS, form the heal:

ROW 4 - 1 SC in same stitch as join, 1 SC in each of next 4 stitches (totals 5 stitches).  Leave remaining stitches unworked, ch 1, turn.

ROW 5 -1 SC in same stitch as join, 1 SC in each of next 4 stitches, ch 1, turn.

ROW 6 - 1 SC in same stitch as join, 1 SC in each of next 4 stitches, but do not turn.

Fold the heal (last 3 rows) on itself, and join with at slip stitch as shown above.   Note:  Last 3 rows folded together (heal) leave a small hole at the fold (see photo above, bottom right).   It is insignificant overall; leave it be.

Next, working in ROUNDS complete as follows:

ROUND 7 - Chain 1, work 2 SC evenly spaced into the side of the last 3 rows.   

Next, working into the prior round, make 1 SC into each of the next 5 stitches.  

Work 2 SC evenly spaced into the other side of the last 3 rows.  This yields 9 stitches.  Make 1 SC at the join, to total 10 stitches.   

Next, work in 
CONTINUOUS ROUNDS (spiral crochet -- no joining) 
4 rounds to center back. 

Slip stitch, fasten off leaving
long tail to use as a loop to 
hang the stocking.

Contrasting cuff:  Join yarn at center back, chain 2. Work 1 Half Double Crochet in each stitch around, join, fasten off; weave tail.

Pull the main color yarn through the cuff to hang. 

Weave in the toe tail (if you've not done this sooner).

Finished stocking, a little bit of "stuffing" - and it makes a sweet gift, that can be hung on the tree, instead of a money card.

I hope you enjoy it.

stitch holders

Economically, you could use a piece of yarn.  A safety pin.  A paper clip.   I have; i do.

Quite extravagantly, you can purchase (or make) beaded gems.  Use discarded costume earrings.

Somewhere in the middle, you can purchase commercial stitch holders made of plastic.

Meanwhile, how about bobby pins?   I recently went to a big box pharmacy store and for $2 bought 100 bobby pins, in the color of steel.  Plain metal.  Not shaded blonde, brunette, raven, redhead.  Silver/metal.

I mentioned to the cashier that I was hoping to have found them coated in hot pink, or deep purple, or shocking blue...and she replied....paint them with nail polish.  VOILA.  What a great idea.

The beauty part of using bobby pins is that they easily slip on and off a stitch.  Push on, pull off.  No clasp to open, no paper clip to push together/pull apart, no yarn to fiddle with.  Using them is akin to working a precision like spear....boom.  Removing them; moving them - just as easy.

To transform them, I left a few of them on the original cardboard, and separated them.  I painted them and left them for a few days to dry.  I repeated this 3  times with the different polishes as shown.

So, do consider the humble bobby pin for your stitch holding needs.  Here are some of mine, transformed.  After adequate drying, its a good idea to slip them onto and off of folded paper a few times to break them in and allow any excess polish on the edges to transfer to the paper, if at all.  You'd never want to ruin a project with color transfer, so do be careful. I do believe, however, there is likely little chance of harm. Over time, the polish cures as hard as can be.

My favorites are the deep red ones.  The silver pins are unpolished, as purchased.  I put these to work straightaway. :)