I’ve been seeking inspiration for picking up knitting again.

Even with a new baby I have not become smitten with mittens, booties, soakers or sweaters to knit.  If I’m honest my knitting prowess (or lack thereof) has me stuck at pot holders and scarves. I like knitting. However, my knit purl needs motivation and a patient mind with time to fix a dropped stitch.

I just need a pattern, yarn and some time. The holidays are perfect for projects like this. Just in case, I have chosen a project I won’t require until December of next year.

Several years ago I purchased a set of stocking hangers at a boxing day sale.  There were four and a lone one nearby, so I bought five for merely pennies.

We had spent that Christmas holiday with my husband’s mother and father visiting us from Nova Scotia.  I hung stockings by non-committal thumbtacks! Once filled, my method a la Charlie Brown didn’t bode well for baby-proofing or poor Santa’s toes.

The Christmas that followed I was pleased to rediscover planning for my previous year’s hindsight.  My in laws each had a stocking, my husband, myself and Sweet Potato Sam.  When one stocking hanger fell and broke (note aforementioned toes), my husband and I shared a stocking.  Four stocking hangers sat on the mantle that year. One lone stocking hanger lay wrapped up and boxed away last Christmas with the intent to be moved back East for spending Christmas together.  I didn’t foresee any significance.

While unpacking Christmas decor this year Sweet Potato was impressed.  “One for me, one for mommy, one for daddy….and look, Mommy, there’s even one for the baby!” I smiled.  We set these on the mantle as we unwrapped ornaments of Christmas past and looked for the red Christmas stockings.

Low and behold this year the stockings turned up short.  Boxing day last year meant packing for our move to Halifax. Gone was the plush Santa and flattened boxes with ribbons waiting to be reused.  The trinkets.  The nutcracker.   I can only hope our movers sent my Christmas remnants to a good home.

I hate to say it: I skipped the stockings this year.  Oranges and chocolates went in a bowl.  The harmonica I could hardly wait to put in Sweet Potato’s stocking was wrapped at the last minute. A yo-yo found it’s way into the household circulation early this season.

We kept the empty and unweighted stocking hangers up.

Symbolic for each member of the family.

Four knitted Christmas stockings have my best intentions now and into the new year.  May they be packed away next Boxing Day.

Perhaps I’ll find enough yarn to knit a fifth.  For a dog of course. Ahem.

Happy Boxing Day to you and your family.  Go ahead and buy the extra stocking hanger.

Use it to invite a special guest for Christmas next year or fill it with donations for the Boxing Day intended tradition of giving.

I promise it’s worth the pennies and the memories in the making.

P.S. I’ll knit mittens for the grandkids.