Talk about quick and easy! This is truly a modern project for any kind of Nana. Purchased by my daughter for her son, Alastair, I was asked to personalize it for him, which I did. But, as it turns out, this stocking is doomed to be a single use item, scheduled for replacement, Christmas 2010.
His name is embroidered in the candy cane true type font, about which I wrote in the Christmas Aprons post a few days ago. At the intersections of the decorative stitching, novelty Christmas buttons are sewn. The Santa, snowman, gingerbread man, cardinal, Christmas tree and other dimensional buttons delighted Alastair.
Rebecca, too, was delighted until she caught up with this blog and saw her nephew Robert’s stocking in the Flying Santa post. She had never seen it.  When that stocking was made and hung, Robert was a newborn and his Aunt Rebecca and Uncle Harvey were in Africa, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“You mean you can MAKE Christmas stockings? I had no idea! Will you please make one for Alastair? Uh, next year will be fine.”
She just makes me laugh. This precious daughter of mine, who grew up wearing smocked and heirloom dresses, sleeping under handmade quilts and smothered in every sort of needlework project possible–all made by her loving mother– had no idea that I could actually sew a Christmas stocking.
Sure, she knew I had knitted stockings (and sweaters and afghans) for her and her brother. So when she asked me to “make” a stocking for Alastair, she requested one to match hers. Due to time constraints, I suggested that she ask Alastair’s paternal grandmother, an accomplished knitter, to take on the task. But, due to “Oma’s” time constraints, Rebecca chose instead to purchase this.
It really is a nice little stocking and if you need one in a hurry, it is a fine choice. Meanwhile, I am left wondering just what she might want when she sees Laurel and Shelly’s stockings posted in the next few days. I am also left wondering just what we will do with this particular stocking next year when the replacement is hung. It’s not like I can donate it to Goodwill or Toys for Tots. There just aren’t that many kids named Alastair in need of a Christmas stocking.
