Moss Stitch Stocking

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Time for another Christmas in July project. Today's project is another crochet project, this time a crocheted stocking. 

Moss stitch is one of my favorite crochet stitches. Sometimes this stitch is called by other names, like granite stitch, linen stitch, and woven stitch. But whichever name you use for it, it is a great stitch. It is made of alternating single crochet and chain stitches so it is a very simple basic stitch, but I love the look of it. The way the rows interlock make it a great stitch for variegated yarns too, and it can be hard to find patterns and stitches that work well with variegated yarns. 

It gives a sort of woven or faux-knit look to the finished item. I thought it would be a fun stitch to try to use for a Christmas stocking. I wasn't quite ready to jump fully into Christmas so I kind of wanted to use a non-traditional color for my stocking. I have mentioned before that I am working on using up some of the yarn in my stash and I had this variegated blue that I thought would look really nice and be Christmasy/wintery without being too Christmasy. 

I used a plain white for a contrasting heel, toe, and cuff. Both colors were Red Heart Super Saver but you could use any similar weight yarn. It is not a huge stocking so it works up pretty fast and doesn't take a ton of yarn, great for using up partial skeins. 

How to Crochet a Moss Stitch Stocking

Finished Size 12" tall

You will need:

• 1 skein medium weight yarn in 2 colors (I used Red Heart Super Saver in Shaded Dusk and White)
• I crochet hook
• yarn needle
• scissors
• stitch marker

Instructions:

Color A- main stocking color (Shaded Dusk)

Color B- toe, heel, cuff color (White)

Stocking begins with a magic ring. 

Beginning ch 2 in the dc rounds do not count as a stitch, if you prefer you could start with a ch 3 and count it as your first dc, or use a standing dc technique to start your rounds. I chose to use the ch 2 not counting as a stitch because I feel like it leaves less of a gap, but that is just my personal preference. 

Heel is made by decreasing for some rows, then increasing by adding stitches in the sides of the previous rows, it is the same technique I use on my mini advent stockings and I have a video showing how to do that. The number of stitches is different but the method is the same and it may help if there is any confusion on those rows. 

Stocking

Begin with Color A

Round 1: in mr, ch 2, 10 dc, slip stitch to first dc to join (10 dc)

Round 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each stitch, slip stitch to first dc to join (20 dc)

Round 3: ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next] repeat around, slip stitch to first stitch to join (30 dc)

Round 4: ch 2, [2 dc in first stitch, 1 dc in next 2] repeat around, slip stitch to first stitch to join (40 dc)

Round 5: ch 2, dc in each stitch, slip stitch to first stitch to join (40 dc)

Round 6: ch 2, dc in each stitch, slip stitch to first stitch to join (40 dc)

 

Switch to Color B

Round 7: ch 1, sc in each stitch around, slip stitch to first sc to join (40 sc)

Round 8: ch 1, [sc in first st, ch 1, sk next st] repeat around, join with sl st to first sc (20 sc, 20 ch)

Rounds 9-14: sl st into first ch 1 sp, ch 1, [sc in ch sp, ch 1, sk next sc] repeat around, join with sl st to first sc (20 sc, 20 ch sp)

Switch to Color B to begin heel rows 

Heel Row 1: ch 1, sc in 20 stitches (20 sc)

Heel Row 2: ch 1, turn sc2tog, sc in next 16, sc2tog (18 sc)

Heel Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 14, sc2tog (16 sc)

Heel Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 12, sc2tog (14 sc)

Heel Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 10, sc2tog (12 sc)

Heel Row 6: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 8, sc2tog (10 sc)

Heel Row 7: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 6, sc2tog (8 sc)

Heel Row 8: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 4, sc2tog (6 sc)

Heel Row 9: ch 1, turn, sc2tog, sc in next 2, sc2tog (4 sc)

Heel Row 10: ch 1, turn, sc2tog twice (2 sc)

Heel Row 11: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (4 sc)

Heel Row 12: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (6 sc)

Heel Row 13: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (8 sc)

Heel Row 14: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (10 sc)

Heel Row 15: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (12 sc)

Heel Row 16: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (14 sc)

Heel Row 17: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (16 sc)

Heel Row 18: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 1, turn, sc in sl st, sc in each sc across, sc in side of the previous row (18 sc)

Heel Row 19: sl st to the side of the stitch from the previous row, ch 2, turn, hdc in sl st, hdc in each sc across, hdc in side of the previous row (20 hdc)

Switch to Color A

Round 15: sl st into first unworked sc from round 14, sl st into first ch 1 sp, ch 1, [sc in ch sp, ch 1, sk next sc] repeat around, join with sl st to first sc (20 sc, 20 ch sp)

Rounds 16-34: sl st into first ch 1 sp, ch 1, [sc in ch sp, ch 1, sk next sc] repeat around, join with sl st to first sc (20 sc, 20 ch sp)

Switch to Color B

Round 35: ch 1, sc in each st, slip stitch to first stitch to join (40 sc)

Round 36-38: ch 2, dc in each st around, sl st to first st to join (40 dc)

Round 39: flatten your stocking the way that it would hang and find the stitch that would be the heel side edge of the cuff (where the hanging loop will go) and put a stitch marker in that stitch, ch, sc in each st to the stitch marker, ch 12, sl st to the first ch, sc in next st and each st around, sl st to the first sc to join (40 sc, 12 ch loop)

Finish off, cut yarn and weave in ends