Sweaters with unusual pockets, collars, or buttons make excellent stockings, and making a stocking from a patterned sweater creates the illusion that you knit it yourself.

1. Place basic-stocking template* on sweater, positioning it so that buttons are centered, pockets do not fall into seams, and collars are incorporated by laying template flush with shoulders of sweater.

2. Pin template through front and back of sweater. Cut out both layers (we elongated the toe for the stockings shown at left). Pin the stocking pieces together, right sides facing.

3. Leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance, stitch around the stocking; leave the top open. Remove pins.

4. So that the curves lie smoothly, cut notches about 1/8 inch from the edge at the ankle, toe, and heel.

5. To make the cuff, stitch the short sides of the cuff fabric together, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Slip the cuff over the stocking with all the seams facing out. Align cuff seam with seam on heel side of stocking, and stitch the top edges of the cuff and stocking together, leaving a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

6. Turn the stocking right side out. Hand-stitch a 1/2-inch hem around the rim of the cuff. Fold the cuff down so that the seams connecting the stocking and the cuff are completely covered. Press if necessary.

For the pocket stocking in the photo, a contrasting toe and cuff were made from wool felt. For the cardigan stockings, no cuff is needed. Simply adjust the stocking template to accommodate sweater's neck plus a 1/4-inch seam allowance on each side.

We offer the template in a portable document format, or PDF, in order to make the details clear and printable. To view and print the file, you need a program called Adobe Acrobat Reader, which most browsers already include. If you have trouble downloading the file, or if you'd like to upgrade to Acrobat Reader 4.0, you can obtain the software for free from Adobe's website.