Hanukkah stockings by ModernFair. Click image for Etsy listing!
I’ll be honest here. There are two things I really miss from Christmas: adult gifting and stockings. Chanukah is more like a time when we gift the children, not other adults.Having stockings was fun because I kept buying stocking stuffers throughout the year to fill them, resulting in an interesting collection of items. They just don’t look the same piled up next to the chanukiyah.
This morning I had the opportunity to have breakfast with my rabbi, and I asked him whether Chanukah stockings were acceptable. He told me that his family always had dreidel shaped Chanukah bags for the first night, and he doesn’t see a problem with actually using stockings for that purpose… And now I’m thinking how I should make them. I checked Etsy for them, and they were either awful or so expensive I wouldn’t be able to pay for 20 of those. Of course, chances are, I couldn’t think of the spelling for the holiday that would have brought up just what I needed. Since I have only 11 months and 1 day till Chanukah, crocheting that many big stockings is also out of the question. Maybe I should lern to knit and invest in yarn in bulk? All the patterns I looked at call for at least 2 skeins of yarn/stocking. Or maybe I should learn to sew.
Opening a stocking was a favourite, though rather rare activity for me on Christmas day. The family that raised me was really big on the naughty or nice thing, and I usually didn’t make the nice list. “Santa” only filled the stockings of nice kids. Oh there were other gifts from siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles… but there were empty stockings for the naughty ones. After I spent an afternoon drawing all over the driveway with coal one year, there wasn’t even coal to be found in my stocking. Growing up Christmas was no fun more than it was fun. Chanukah, on the other hand, has been a great experience, and I’m looking forward to next year. Luckily the wait is shorter this year: Chanukah begins the night before Thanksgiving (US).
So, if anyone can point me towards some nice stocking patterns, not too complicated ones, I’d greatly apreciate it. The McCall pattern I found is a bit too complicated for my non-existent sewing skills, and a bit too small for stocking stuffing habit.
Oh, btw, it seems Amazon is having some great year-end sales. It seems to be mostly electronics, clothes and the such that are showing up in detail, but you can also get some great books with big discounts as well. There’s a link below and on my sidebar. I think I’m gonna buy the Heat Wave books by Richard Castle. Yes, I’m a Nathan Fillion fan!
Just get felt or fleece that appeals to you, fold it over, and draw the shape you want with chalk. Cut both pieces together, then sew them together with a pretty, contrasting ribbon (leave the top open!) No need to hem – felt and fleece don’t fray.
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Thanks for the idea!Since I can sew straight lines, I think the dreidel shape sounds about right for me.
I can’t wait to see what you come up with! You can decorate with glitter glue etc. Or stitch on designs before attaching the 2 sides.
Galit recently posted..Are you home-study ready?
I think I’ll practice a bit and see what I can come up with.
11 months and 1 day…:D
This is a crochet pattern easy enough to do and only requires one skein of yarn per stocking (if you do one color) with probably 2-3 skeins to do the white part on the 20 you need to make.
http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/LW2634.pdf
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Oh, lovely! I’ll try to make one and see if I’ll have enough time to make one for everyone. Thank you!
I can’t sew myself, so no ideas from here, sorry. My husband does all the sewing
Besides, here Santa comes in person, on Christmas Eve. No need for stockings 
But I can’t stop thinking about what you wrote about your stockings….. How can anyone be so cruel towards a child? Such people shouldn’t have children! I just want to hug the little boy that was you
I have a daughter, who sews, but I don’t think I can convince her to make 20+ stockings.
My stepfather was systematically undoing my one brother’s and my self confidence and self worth. Birthdays and Christmas were perfect times for that.
Oh, Milena, I want to hug the boy that was Hevel, too. I’ve shed many a tear over that particular cruelty. It is shocking to hear that parents would do that…ever, not to mention more than once. It’s amazing to see how Hevel has turned toward a beautiful generosity with his own children.
Oh back then I thought the way C and I were treated was normal. That other naughty kids were treated the same way.
Oh, Hevel, I just was so sad to read that story! It is time to take back the stocking/gift bag/dreidel!! Felt is a good idea, though you’ll find more color choices with fleece. Maybe felt with fleece accents would work? Burlap is also a good crafter option. Lots of possibilities! Since you already crochet, that’s like money in the bank, in terms of time and learning curve.
If you use the cloth/felt/other method, try sewing/fusing the letters or name on the front before you sew the front and back together. That’ll be a time saver. Also, most of your kids are old enough to learn to use the blanket stitch- they can help with some of the sewing. You’ll see.
Sounds like a fun project! And, a way to keep the joy of the holiday going!
I am leaning towards burlap and something to accent it. I like burlap. Or something similar.