Purlgrid Studio · free pattern
Christmas stocking knitting pattern with a name.
Type a name, stack the Fair Isle bands you like and pick three colours. Studio charts the name for you, centres it on the front, checks every round and gives you a personalized pattern as a free PDF, with a 3D preview of your stocking before you cast on.
How it works
Your stocking, charted for you.
Most stocking patterns give you an alphabet and a page of empty squares. Studio does the charting: it lays out the name, fits it to your size and writes the whole pattern around it.
- 01Type the nameLetters are charted in a 7-round alphabet and centred on the front. Long names switch to a smaller 5-round alphabet; if a name still does not fit, Studio tells you before you knit a stitch.
- 02Stack the bandsPick from 9 Fair Isle bands, a foot pattern (lattice, snow dots, plain), a picot, folded or ribbed cuff and the heel and toe colour.
- 03Check it in 3DThe 3D stocking is built from the pattern itself, so what you turn around is what you will knit. The engine checks that every round uses at most two colours and that no float is longer than 9 stitches.
- 04Download the PDFA4 or US Letter, with charts, written rounds, yarn per colour and a QR code that reopens your design. Knit-along mode marks your place round by round on your phone.
Sizes & yarn
Three sizes, one gauge.
Worsted weight wool or wool blend, 20 sts × 22 rounds = 10 cm in colourwork on a 5 mm (US 8) needle (4.5 mm (US 7) for the cuff).
| Size | Leg around | Cuff to heel | Heel to toe | Stitches | Name (tall letters) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 30 cm | 22 cm | 14 cm | 64 | up to 4 letters |
| Classic | 38 cm | 32 cm | 19 cm | 80 | up to 6 letters |
| Large | 45 cm | 40 cm | 23 cm | 96 | up to 7 letters |
Yarn: Studio estimates metres per colour from your own design. The Classic stocking in the default design with the name EMMA takes about 105 m Snow, 125 m Cranberry, 20 m Pine.
Names
Knit it in, or stitch it on.
- Knitted in. The name is worked in two colours as you go. The rest of that round gets a small dot every 6 stitches, so the floats on the back stay short.
- Duplicate stitch. Knit the name rounds plain, then embroider the letters over the stitches. Studio still charts and centres the name for you.
- How long can a name be? Mini: up to 4 letters in the tall alphabet (28 stitches across the front); Classic: up to 6 letters in the tall alphabet (36 stitches across the front); Large: up to 7 letters in the tall alphabet (44 stitches across the front). Longer names switch to the small alphabet, where most letters are 3 stitches wide: about 7 / 9 / 11 letters fit, fewer if the name has several M or W.
- Letters: A–Z, 0–9, hyphen, full stop and apostrophe, in capitals. Accents are dropped (Zoë becomes ZOE).
- Initials or a year work too: one line of text, for example “NOAH 26”, as long as it fits the size you chose.
- Not yet: lower-case letters and a second line of text.
- Charting a name for something else? The knitting alphabet chart generator uses the same letters: type a name, set your stitch count and print the chart.
The bands
9 Fair Isle bands to stack.
Every band is our own chart, two colours per round. Studio flips them for you, because the stocking is knit from the cuff down.
Construction
How the stocking is knit.
Intermediate: you need to knit in the round with two colours. The pattern explains each step with stitch counts for your size.
- Cast on at the cuff and knit in the round, from the top down, on a short circular needle with double-pointed needles or magic loop for the toe.
- Picot edge, folded hem or k2, p2 rib at the cuff, with an I-cord hanging loop.
- Name and bands down the leg, then a line of waste yarn where the heel will go, so the colourwork runs on unbroken.
- Foot pattern, then a wedge toe closed with Kitchener stitch.
- Last, the afterthought heel: take out the waste yarn, pick up the stitches and work the heel like the toe.
Questions
Before you cast on.
Is the pattern really free?
Yes. Designing, the 3D preview, knit-along mode and the PDF are free while Purlgrid grows. There is no account and we do not ask for your email.
Can I knit it flat on straight needles?
Not yet. Studio stockings are knit in the round, which keeps the Fair Isle bands and the name continuous. A flat version is on our list.
How much yarn do I need?
Studio shows metres per colour for your own design and size, counted from the stitches and floats with a margin. As a guide, the Classic stocking in the default design takes about 105 m Snow, 125 m Cranberry, 20 m Pine.
Is it suitable for a beginner?
It suits a knitter who has tried two-colour knitting. Every round uses at most two colours and long floats are flagged. If you would rather not knit the name in two colours, choose duplicate stitch and embroider it afterwards.
Can I save my design and come back to it?
Yes. Designs are saved in your browser under My projects, and the share link or the QR code in your PDF reopens the design on any device.