Heirloom Jacquard Christmas Stocking - Baby Alpaca - #1a

New for 2026, a very special offering from the Woollykins Knittery. Now open for Pre-Order. Delivery 1-2 weeks after your order is placed. Limited availability. 

We're now making Christmas Stockings to order. There is a 1-2 week lead time and we’ll ship your stockings out as soon as they are finished. 

Each stocking comes with a little set of yarns and a needle with instructions for a simple chain stitch embroidery for you to personalise with your child's name. That’s the easiest and most effective stitch to write lettering in, in my experience. But you could use any embroidery stitch you like. 

We hope you and your family treasure them! 

The Story Behind our Heirloom Christmas Stocking Series

So years ago, I saw an old piece of a jumper sticking out of the mud outside an abandoned house, down the road from us in Hackney, London. I wanted to make my first son a Christmas stocking for his first Christmas and the Fair Isle knitted fabric had Christmassy feel. So I excavated it and washed it many times and it came out clean and lovely and so I cut it up and turned it into a Christmas stocking. Four years later my second son’s stocking was made from a bit of red wool felt from a car boot sale and the top of another old knitted jumper that was beyond repair. I made it a little bigger because not many things fit into the narrow shape of the first one I made. Another four years later my third son’s stocking was made from a recycled piece of wool fabric found somewhere or other. And again, it was a little bigger because both my first sons’ stocking were not really big enough to fit odd shaped things in boxes and as they got older and bigger, so did the size of the little stocking gifts from Santa, as it happened. 

So now, nearly 18 years after making my first Christmas stocking I find myself with a knitting machine that can make six colour jacquard knitted fabric and so I just knew I had to make heirloom Christmas stockings for you all. I created the stitch patterns using Photoshop and a 1 pixel grid. Each stitch is one pixel and I drew the patterns with a four colour palette. The patterns were based on old knitting stitches from nordic stockings and mittens as well as cross stitch patterns from books. We painstakingly chose colours but knitting many samples and arrived at a collection that feels traditional but also a little bit modern.

The size and design of the stockings were both arrived at intentionally. I wanted them to be something that took the place of a simple pillowcase, something that lasted and fit enough small things as they grew up, something that could be personalised with some simple embroidery and become so dear to you and your children and that they would have it for their entire Santa days and then go on to be passed down to their own children as a family keepsake. We have made six colour options with the idea that if you had multiple children, naturally they’d need to have their own colour or special one just for them, or that you could collect as your family grew. 

My kids have become very attached to their stockings. Bringing them out in December is always a joy. The anticipation soon starts to build, their Christmas wishlists start appearing on the fridge until Christmas eve when they get offered with carrot and some supper to the visiting troop. I know everyone does the whole thing a little differently but that’s how it goes in our home.

This year my oldest will technically be an adult on boxing day, but my youngest who is 9 is still very much in the world of Santa and my middle son is straddling both worlds. We still have a good few years ahead of enjoying our Christmas stockings. 

Composition: 100% Natural Fibres. Your stocking is knit predominantly with baby alpaca yarns which some colours in extra fine merino wool. They are extremely strong and robust and knit in a four colour birds eye jacquard cloth. There is a little stretch but not too much, so they will hold their shape but accomodate all sorts of shapes within.

Care: Air between uses. Gentle cold handwash when required. Reshape while damp and dry flat. Mend any thread pulls or holes immediately.

Moths: Because it's summer in Australia/NZ over Christmas you should freeze before packing it away to protect from moths between seasons.  We recommend putting your stockings in the freezer for 2 weeks. Remove and then wrap tightly in a pillowcase with some cedar wood or neem spray before placing it in storage. 

Measurements (taken flat):67cm length, 44.5cm width at the toe, 28cm width at the opening

Pattern/Colours - Each Stocking is listed separately: 

• Pattern 1 a / Red, Cream, Green, Mustard
• Pattern 1 b / Forest Green, Rust, Pistachio, Light Grey
• Pattern 1 c / Dark Navy, Peacock, Light Grey, Red
• Pattern 2 a / Red, Green, Mustard, Green
• Pattern 2 b / Forest Green, Sherbet, Pistachio, Light Grey
• Pattern 2 c / Light Peacock, Brown, Red, Walnut

Brand: UMIFORM for Woollykins
Made at theWoollykins Knittery, Castlemaine, Australia
Fabric composition:100% natural fibres: 80% Baby Alpaca, 20% RWS Extrafine Merino
Yarn manufacture: Alpaca is grown and spun in Peru/ Merino from Tasmania, spun in Italy.
Certifications: RAS Certified Alpaca, RWS Certified Extrafine Merino from Tasmania
Hanging Trims: Cordage made from 100% organic cotton
100% Biodegradable: Yes
Machine Washable:No (See care instructions above)