Can you believe this Christmas stocking is crocheted!? This stocking is made using the waistcoat stitch (aka knit stitch), which is why it looks knitted.
The waistcoat stitch is one of my favourite stitches to crochet because it’s so satisfying to work once you get a hang of it. I love the ease and speed of crochet, but certain projects just look better with a knitted look- Christmas stockings are one of them. This crocheted Christmas stocking uses the waistcoat stitch to give it a knit-look. It’s a quick and easy project that you can whip up in a day, once you get a hang of the waistcoat stitch.
There is a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to the waistcoat stitch, but don’t worry! If you can crochet a single crochet, then you’ll be able to do this. And for the visual learners, I’ve made a video tutorial that goes over the waistcoat stitch in detail and you’ll find it on my YouTube channel.

If you would like to follow along with a video, I have a full tutorial of this pattern on my channel here:
Note: To protect my work, I have disabled right click and printing on my site because I have experienced theft in the past. Please do not copy my patterns in any way. By copying or distributing my patterns without permission, you are making it difficult for designers like me to continue doing what I love. Doing so also discourages me and will prompt me to stop sharing my patterns freely. If you wish to utilize the free patterns, you may do so on my site. Thank you so much for your understanding and for being respectful!
If you have an issue with how I choose to share my free patterns on my site, read this.
If you wish to print out the pattern, you can purchase the ad-free, printable PDF of the Waistcoat Christmas Stocking pattern from my shop ($5 CAD). The PDF also includes a few extra photos.
By purchasing the printable version, you are supporting me directly. Your support allows me to continue to create new patterns and maintain the site! 🙂

To translate this post, you can copy the URL and paste it into Google Translate to translate the entire page. Without further ado, let’s get into the pattern!
New to crochet? Find video tutorials on my YouTube Channel!
**Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means that, at no additional costs to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. You can read a little more about that here!
Free Waistcoat Stitch Knit-Look Crocheted Christmas Stocking Pattern
Yarn I Used
I used Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick & Quick for this crochet Christmas stocking, but you can use any Super Bulky (6 weight) yarn. Keep in mind that different brands/lines of Super Bulky yarn can actually vary in thickness, even though they are marketed as Super Bulky yarn.
I used about 130g of main colour 125g of accent colour. Please keep in mind that the exact amount of yarn you use will depend on your personal tension. I provide the amount I use to give you a better idea of how much you might need.

Gauge
3 Round Circle = 4” with a 12mm hook in waistcoat stitch.
If you notice your stocking looking a little too floppy, you may need to go down a hook size. If you notice that you are having difficulty working the stitches, go up a hook size.
Checking for gauge isn’t too important for this project, but I included it just in case you want to check your gauge to make sure your stocking ends up being similar in size to mine. Being a little off should not affect the finished item too much.

If you have any questions, you can also reach out to me for help. I will respond quickest through DMs on Instagram, but you can also just fill out a contact form here.
Please do not reprint, redistribute, sell or claim the pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to the free pattern on the blog. Please do not copy and post the pattern onto your site.
TERMINOLOGY
st(s): stitch(es)
ch: chain
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single crochet (work through the top loops of each stitch)
wc: waistcoat stitch (work a sc through the post of each stitch)
wc inc: waistcoat stitch increase (work two waistcoat stitch into the post of the same st)
dec: single crochet two stitches together
inc: work two sc into the same st
BLO: crochet only in the back loops (loop away from you) of each stitch
(…) x #: repeat anything in the parenthesis however many times the number indicates
[#]: total number of stitches for that row
#sc/wc/sl st: one sc/wc/sl st in the following # stitches
(x, y) in the next st: work everything in the parenthesis into the same st
THINGS YOU NEED
- Lion Brand Yarns Wool Ease Thick & Quick (Solids & Prints) or other Super Bulky Yarn
- 12mm Crochet Hook
- Scissors
- Jumbo Darning Needle
Optional
- Locking Stitch Markers
- Pompom Maker
- Sharp Scissors
- Wire Cat Slicker Brush
- Felt Sheet
- Embroidery Floss in festive colours (or colours that compliment your main colour)
- Embroidery Needle
- Embroidery Hoop
- Tacky Glue
- Light-coloured Washable Marker
- Worsted Weight Yarn
- 3.5mm Crochet Hook

Notes & Guides
This pattern only works when you do the waistcoat stitch – You cannot substitute with standard single crochet. The height/tension for the wc is very different from sc.
This pattern is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise stated – Mark the first stitch of the round with a stitch marker to help keep track of where the beginning of the round is.
Seamless Join in the Round – Cut your yarn tail, fasten off, and thread your yarn tail onto a darning needle. Locate the 2nd st of the round, insert your needle under the top loops of the stitch and pull through. Insert your needle into the centre of the final st of the round and out the back. Weave the tail into the back of the work. Doing so creates a false stitch on top of the first stitch of the round.
Waistcoat Stitch – To work the waistcoat stitch, work the first round as you normally would, making sure to work the standard single crochet. (Standard sc: Insert hook, yarn over to draw a loop up, you should have two loops on your hook. Yarn over and draw it through the two loops on your hook.) Keep your stitches as loose as possible, this helps to make working the waistcoat stitch a little easier.
For the second round, insert your hook into the post of the stitch (the front of the stitch), between the two legs of the “v” (see photo below). Yarn over to draw a loop up, then yarn over again and draw it through the two loops on your hook.


Tip: When drawing a loop up, pull the hook up slightly to allow for more slack in your stitch. Doing so will make the stitch a little looser and easier for you to work into the next round.
If you are struggling with the waistcoat stitch, I highly recommend you go watch the video here.
Here’s what I’m calling each part of the stocking to give you a better idea of which part you are working when you get to it in the pattern:

Foot
starting with accent colour
1 6sc in magic circle [6]
Tip: Keep your tension for the first round VERY loose. Do not close the magic circle fully, doing so will make the stitches too tight to work into in round 2. You can close the magic circle fully when you complete round 2.
2 6 wc inc [12]
3 (wc, wc inc) x 6 [18]
4 wc in all sts [18]
5 (5wc, wc inc) x 3 [21]
6 20wc, sl st into the post of the final st (highlighted in orange in left photo below) [21]
Fasten off and seamless join in the round.

With a slipknot of the main colour on your hook, pick up a wc in the first stitch (see green highlighted stitch in the right photo below).

7 wc in all sts [21]
Note: When you get to the final st where you slip stitched in round 6, just work into the post of the st below it (see photo below).

8-12 wc in all sts [21] *5 rounds*
13 20 wc, sl st into the post of the final st [21]
Fasten off and seamless join in the round.
Heel
pick up with accent colour
With a slipknot on your hook, pick up row 1 of the Heel, starting in the first st of the Foot. For the heel, make sure to work through the top loops (standard sc) instead of inserting into the post.

1 12sc, turn [12]
2 ch 1, dec, 8sc, dec, turn [10]
3 ch 1, dec, 6sc, dec, turn [8]
4 ch 1, dec, 4sc, dec, turn [6]
5 ch 1, dec, 2sc, dec, turn [4]
6 ch 1, 2dec, continue along the side of rows 1-5 and pick up 5sc along the sides as evenly as you can (see left photo below). Then, work one sc in the next st on the Foot (st highlighted in green), turn [8]


7 dec (place a stitch marker on this stitch), 6sc, pick up 5sc along the other side of the heel as evenly as you can. Then, work one waistcoat stitch in the next st on the foot, turn [13]


8 dec, 5sc
Fasten off.
Work a seamless join in the round in reverse, inserting the needle with the yarn tail from the back to front instead of front to back (see photo below).

Your heel should have a total of 12 sts.
Leg
pick up with main colour
With a slip knot on your hook, pick up the first round of the leg starting in the first st of the Heel. The first st of the Heel is the stitch marked with a stitch marker from row 7.
Work into the top loops of the st (standard sc) when working into the Heel, but work the waistcoat st when you get to the front of the Foot. Continue working the waistcoat st from round 2 and on.
1 12sc along the heel, 7wc along the front of the Foot [19]


2 12wc, wc inc, 5wc, wc inc [21]
3-18 wc in all sts [21] *16 rounds*
switch to accent colour
19 wc in all sts [21]
Do not fasten off, proceed to the Cuff.
Cuff
continue with the accent colour
1 sl st into the post of the first st, Ch 8, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, sl st in each ch. Sl st in the post the chain is coming out of, then sl st into the post of the next st on the leg, turn [9]


2 Skip the first two sts and start in the 3rd st instead (see photo below), BLO, sl st in each st, turn [7]

3 Ch 1, sl st into the BLO of each st, sl st into the post the previous row is worked out of on the leg (see photo below), sl st into the post of the next st, turn [9]

4-40 Continue alternating between working rounds 2 and 3 until you get all the way around the opening of the leg. When working even number rows, you are working row 2. When working odd number rows, work row 3. A good way to remember which row to work is if you are working away from the Leg, you are working row 2. And if you are working towards the Leg, you are working row 3.
41 Ch 1, sl st into the BLO of each st, sl st into the post of the final st of the leg, turn [8]
42 Line up the starting ch to the sts from row 41. Work 7 sl st through both sides of the cuff, inserting your hook through the chain, then into the BLO of the sts from row 41, making sure to skip the first st from your hook [7]

Fasten off and weave the tails in. Flip the cuff over the top of the Leg to see the completed stocking.
Fishtail Chain Hanging Strap
Start with a slip knot on your hook of the accent colour, make sure to leave a long tail when making the slip knot. Ch 1, insert your hook into the back bump of the ch (highlighted in green below), YO, and draw a loop up through the two loops on your hook.


Insert your hook into the ch closest to your hook (see photo below), YO, and draw a loop through the two loops on your hook. Repeat this step until your strap is to your desired length.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.
To attach the strap to the stocking, fold the stocking in half to find the back of the cuff. Thread one of the tails from the strap into a darning needle, then insert into the top of the back of the cuff and pull through so that the tail is between the inside of the cuff and the leg. Then, thread the other tail onto a darning needle and insert into a different spot next to where you inserted the first strap, then pull through. Flip the cuff up to expose the two yarn tails and tie a few knots to fully secure. Trim off excess yarn tails.
If you are struggling with the fishtail chain, it’s included in the full video tutorial.
Decorating Your Stocking
Embroidered Name Tag
- Draw a gift tag onto a piece of cardboard and cut it out.
- Fit a sheet of white felt into an embroidery hoop, trace the tag cutout onto the felt with a light-coloured washable marker. Make sure to test the marker to make sure that it washes off the felt. Do so by marking a corner of the felt then rinsing it under water to wash it off.
- Embroider the name onto the tag. You can write the name onto the felt with a washable marker first, then trace it out with embroidery. The embroidery stitch I used for the name is the stem stitch.
- To give it more character, you can embroider stars or sew on beads/fun buttons.
- Remove the felt sheet from the hoop when you are done. Squeeze some glue onto the back of the tag (where the embroidery tails are), then place another sheet of felt onto the back. Avoid squeezing glue onto where the hole will be.
- Sew dashed lines (running stitch) on the marker outline of the tag to sew both pieces of felt together.
- Cut the tag out, about half a centimetre around the sewed line.
- Starting with a thin darning needle, poke a hole through where you want the tag to be attached to the stocking. Gradually pass thicker needles through the hole, until the hole is big enough. I wanted my hole slightly larger than my thickest darning needle, so I passed a 3.5mm hook through after my thickest darning needle.
- Allow the glue to fully dry, then rinse the tag under water to wash off the marker marks. To dry the tag, place between two towels and pat down firmly to wick the water out of the tag. Allow to air dry fully before attaching to the stocking with a piece of yarn.

Pom poms
- Make a few pompoms in varying sizes and attach them to the base of the hanging strap, using the same method used when attaching the hanging strap.
- To make the pompoms extra fluffy, use a wire slicker cat brush to brush out the pompom to fluff up the fibres.
Spirals
with worsted weight yarn in the colour of your choice
Ch 30, starting in the 2nd ch from the hook, inc in each ch [58]
Fasten off and leave a tail for sewing. Attach near the base of the hanging strap.
And that’s it! I hope you love this Christmas stocking as much as I do. Merry Christmas!

Please leave me a comment down below (or contact me) if you have any questions about this pattern. I would also love to see your creation so don’t forget to tag me (@olliehollycrochet) on Instagram or use the #olliehollycrochet! Follow me on Instagram to get updates on new patterns and to see what I’m up to on a daily.
If you find any mistakes in the pattern, please contact me and let me know! My testers and I do my best to catch my mistakes, but we will still miss things here and there. Also, I will sometimes make mistakes while formatting the blog post.
You may sell products made from this pattern in small quantities but please clearly credit the design to me, Abby Sy of Ollie + Holly and provide a link to my blog www.OllieHolly.com. Permission is NOT granted for mass production or factory manufacturing of any kind. Thank you for being respectful and for your understanding!
Please do not reprint, sell or claim the pattern as your own. If you wish to share this pattern, you may link to the shop or the free blog post. Please do not copy and post the pattern onto your site.

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