Hi,
I know the wrong time of year but I have been looking at a vintage Christmas stocking knitting pattern for my little girl. It says to use worsted yarn but I am not really a fan, would I be ok to substitute Aran once I get the right gauge? I just find Aran softer than worsted. A Google search is giving me mixed advice so thought I would ask the real experts 
Thank you!
Lou x
What pattern are you using? Aran and worsted in the context of the weight of yarn are pretty similar. In the US yarn listed as Aran weight tends to be on the thicker end of the worsted category which starts just above dk. Your choice of yarn should be fine but you might need a larger needle. The stocking might be a little bigger but I never knew a kid that complained aboutf a Christmas stocking being too big - a bigger stocking holds more! Use the size needles that give the fabric result you prefer. I hope you’ll share photos too.
Wouldn’t softness be related to yarn fiber rather than weight? I do t really know enough ebout yarn to comment but that’s my first thought. Then gauge, a ight knit would be firm and ‘harder’ and a more open gauge would be ‘softer’ and with more drape. Xmas stockings are good on the firmer side I feel as they can stetch out and sag if hung with items in them.
It’s this pattern from Westhaven. Thanks so much for all your help as always, maybe it’s just the worsted yarn I had and I should try a different brand.
!Thanks so much for the help as always, I know even less about yarn so I imagine you are right and I take your point about it being saggy, I once knit a shopper bag in unsuitable wool and I couldn’t use it because if I put anything in it sagged right down 
maybe it was the worsted brand I had, I also, possibly wrongly feel that there isn’t that many worsted brands to choose from and hence not a lot of colour options but the colour options aren’t too relevant here
The gauge in the pattern is 5 sts per inch, 20 per 4 " or 20 per cm in my language, which means a DK yarn would be ideal.
As has already been noted, if you work it in aran weight it will turn out bigger or to get gauge the fabric would be very firm. You would need to decide if you wanted to use a needle size suitable for aran weight and get a bigger stocking or make gauge as close as you can and get a stiffer stocking (could be hard to work with the stitches on a small needle, tight for the yarn).
Thanks so much, will do a swatch with DK I have and see how I feel, then maybe move to worsted if I’m not happy.
