The mini befana stocking to knit.

To celebrate the last day of the holidays, the Epiphany, here is a super fun and easy idea to make with circular knitting needles or play needles.
It can be a cute idea if you want to decorate the table with themed place cards or make gifts for the little ones at home. These little stockings of the Befane are made of 100% merino wool New Jersey Sesia Yarns with a tie-stitch knitting
The needles we used are number 5 mm, we used the 5 Ergonomics Prym needles because they have the drop point which is a fabulous especially in the last step, that is when the 3-needle knitting will be done (which is an easy stitch with the needles)

SAMPLE
20 knits and 40 needles = 10 cm in lacework

INSTRUCTIONS:

TOE AND FOOTNECK
Start 44 stitches on circular needles or a double-pointed iron, leaving a tail of yarn about 30 cm long for the final seam.

Iron 1 (reverse side of work): Pass the first knit straight through with the yarn behind (wyib), work straight through to the end of the iron. NOTE: Mark the first iron with a removable stitch marker to indicate the wrong side. In this case we suggest you use the safety pin ones if you don’t have them here they are: MARKER
Repeat Iron 1 eight more times, ending with an iron on the wrong side.
[Lo riconosci per le 5 creste di legaccio sul diritto]

SUOL

• Preparation Iron (straight): Pass first stitch straight with yarn behind, knit straight for 7 stitches, cut yarn, pass next 9 stitches backward without knitting, rejoin yarn, knit 9 stitches straight, knit 2 stitches together backward, turn work over. [Hai calato 1 maglia]
• Iron 1 (reverse): Pass first stitch backward with yarn in front, knit 8 stitches straight, knit 2 stitches together straight, turn work over. [Hai calato 1 maglia]
• Iron 2 (straight): Pass first stitch backward with yarn behind, knit 8 stitches straight, knit 2 stitches together backward, turn work over. [Hai calato 1 maglia]

Repeat needles 1 and 2 until you have 28 stitches

• Next iron (straight): Pass the first stitch backward, knit 8 stitches straight, knit 2 stitches together backward, knit straight until the end of the iron. [27 maglie]
• Next iron (reverse): Pass first stitch straight, knit 16 stitches straight, knit 2 stitches together straight, knit straight until the end of the iron. [26 maglie]

HEEL

• Iron 1 (straight): Pass the first knit straight through with the yarn behind the work, work straight through to the end of the iron.
  Repeat Iron 1 seven more times, ending with an iron on the reverse side.

Fold the work in half so that the needles are parallel with 13 stitches on each needle and the wrong sides are touching.

If using double-pointed needles, transfer 13 stitches to another needle and fold the work.
Close the back of the heel with a three-needle closure.

SEWING
With the long boot tail, sew the two sides of the boot edge, then complete your Befana socks and hide all the threads

If you want to make smaller socks, perhaps to hang on the Christmas tree, the more you can use the same instructions but with a thinner yarn such as Manifattura Sesia’s Mistral 100% shrinkproof wool, which you will need to work with needles of the number 3 mm Game Irons Prym

If, on the other hand, you want to create more plentiful socks, you can use a coarser merino wool yarn such as New One Sesia Filati, worked with 7 mm Prym Ergonomics two-pronged needles Tell us if you made the socks and share them on social media by tagging us ❤️ Happy Epiphany!!!