White Family Stockings: Origins

Christmas 2018. 2 generations of stockings.

In the 1950s, Grandma Kathleen started knitting Christmas stockings for her three children. She had no idea that it would become such a beloved tradition.

She already knitted some of Granddad Jerry’s socks, so it wasn’t anything new for her to do this too. When Aunt Peggy was about 13, she learned to make them too, and made stockings for Granny Jo, Grandma Kathleen, and Granddad Jerry, making three generations with the stockings.

Grandma Kathleen and Granddad Jerry's
stockings, made by teenage Aunt Peggy

Next, Aunt Peggy made stockings for her own children, Roger, Russ, Chris, and Jan. Uncle Brent liked the tradition, and learned to knit too. He made stockings for his kids too. Sarah was the first of those of my generation to start making the stockings, followed by Jan. They made stockings for their children too, making 5 generations of family with the stockings.

While teaching high school science during the 2008-2009 school year, I learned how to knit while attending a knitting group that a friend started. While visiting Aunt Peggy and Uncle Brent at Christmas 2009, I got introduced to the stocking. Aunt Peggy gave me knitting needles and yarn. I got off to a great start. After a while, I forgot what I was doing, and had to watch a few YouTube videos to get started again.

The record for fastest of the stockings was Cyrus': done in 4 days!

I really got stuck on the heel, but Aunt Peggy came down to help me mid-December 2018, and got me back on track. Right before Christmas 2018, nine years after beginning, I finally finished my own stocking. I finished Paul’s stocking a month later (1/22/19), and Ada’s stocking three weeks after that (2/10/19). It’s amazing what experience and dedication can do for a stocking.

Isn't that a fantastic stocking hanger?!

Working on the stocking makes me feel closer to the White/ Wallace side of the family. Thanks to the dedication of Aunt Peggy and Uncle Brent, what began as a craft of love by Grandma has blossomed into a dear tradition for five generations.

Bryan has started his own on the left.
Jo's on the right is the last Gentry stocking.

This post shows the background of the stocking. To see the pattern and instructions on how to make the stockings, see the next post.