My stocking journey........

 My Mom is a wonderful knitter, and has knitted amazing things.  When my kids were small she knitted them each a stocking.  When Dawn came into my life when my hubby and I married, it was so important that she feel like part of the family.  So I decided to knit her a socking.  As you can see, my talents weren't all that good, but my heart was in it, and she loved it.    Over the years I offered to re-do the stocking as my knitting improved, but she kept this one.

When may sister had her kids, my Mom had decided after knitting 5 stockings she was over it and not doing anymore.  So wanting my nephew and then niece to feel like they were loved, I offered to do stocking.

I was into cross stitching by then and decided to try my talents at doing a duplicate stitch stocking, which was very popular in the  late 80's, early 90's.  I did the snowman for my nephew and the teddy bear for my niece.

By the time my niece Emily arrived I have found Shepard Bush stockings and decided that was the way to go and I've not turned back.  My first stocking was completed in maybe 1996. Emily was born in November and the socking make its appearance for her first Christmas.

In 2000 I did a socking for my grandson, Michael.  Unfortunately I don't have a picture of that stocking, it has been misplaced :(  But hopefully will show up, I believe it's in one of many boxes in our house.  Around that time I also did 2 stockings for a possible daughter-in-law and son-in-law, which never happened, so they are extra's that are use for unexpected guests at Christmas.

I also did a stocking for my hubby, which again is packed away someplace.  Hopefully it will be found and used once again next year.

Then came along Granddaughter #1 Donna, and she got this stocking.  Not sure if you can see it or not, but there are charms from Dawn's Mother's charm bracelet on it.  I loved doing this stocking.  I used a different fabric and color, heatherfield, which was nice to work with, so soft.

After Donna came grandson #2 - Addison.  His stocking has a pin that belonged to his grandfather and again I used heatherfield.

After Addison came granddaughter #2 - Arwen.  Her's was one of the first with the over-dyed threads.  I added a charm to hers that I got from a local bead shop.  I wanted something special on it, so it would be her own.

Grandniece #1 was next in line and I went old school with one of SB's earlier stockings.  I liked the design and color and thought it would make a nice stocking.

The same year Grandniece #2 put in an appearance a little bit earlier than expected.  Her's was the first stocking that wasn't delivered for her first Christmas.  I felt bad about that, but given she arrived about 8 weeks early, I'm not going to beat myself up too much.  The stocking was there for her 2nd Christmas.

I've added a close up of the added pictures in some little charms that my sister did for her.  They are pictures of her shortly after she was born and so very tiny.

The next stocking was going to be for a nephew's first baby, but since he and his wife don't celebrate Christmas, I decided not to send it.  He got the traditional rag quilt, but no stocking.

So this stocking has been set aside for another baby one day.  And finally I decided that since I had a male stocking I would add a female stocking, which is one of my current WIP's.   Of course my brother's daughter-in-law is expecting a little sister for Olivia, so this one might find a home quickly.  The baby is due in March.  With my WIP, that will make 11 Shepherd Bush stockings that I have completed!!

I like Barbara Bush, I would love to have several completed and waiting for the next generation of grandchildren.  Sure glad that I have several charts still in my stash and they continue to add new ones annually.

I guess all of these stockings explains why I don't have any Christmas themed X-stitches around :(

My needlepoint nativity is as close as it get.  The designer was supposed to add an angel, but that never happened.  Maybe one day I'll find something that will fit in, until then we'll be happen.

So here is to my Stocking journey, I'm loving my successes, and have learned from my failures.

Sandy