Massive Knit Christmas Stocking

This is a huge Victorian style knit stocking. My mother had these hanging for years in our house, a woman from church had made them and I wanted a challenge. She forwarded the pattern to my mother after moving out of state, a photocopy from a craft magazine from 1993, stating "For the Advanced Knitter only", with a note that basically said she would be knocked out of her socks if I could complete the pattern.

I was sort of irked by that and was totally motivated to not let the pattern best me. The reason I say in the tagline that it's a labor of love is because it spent more time in various states of completion for the better part of 4 years. Yes. Four. Years.

The pattern ran me in circles. The true time I spend on it is probably double what I have here. Each section that forms the /\ shape on the stocking took 4-5 hours. When I got it right. I remember one day crying (actually bawling) as I ripped out about 20 hours of work when I was shaping the heel.

Oh, and the last picture I threw in there so you can see how big this thing is. Poppy is NOT a small cat but she's excited to be in a picture with the stocking because it makes her look diminutive in relation.

I have to say I have a tremendous appreciation for that woman from church, who made SEVERAL of them over the years. I think I'm totally all set with one!