Let’s start with the Ski Hut itself, working through the details before filling in the main color blocks.

I’d begin by picking up Wine and using the Continental stitch to lay in the hut accents, like the darker vertical detail lines on the hut and the wreath bow.

For the front steps, work in Fawn using Basketweave.

To bring dimension to the garland and wreath, first work with Jade for the lightest tone, using Continental. Use Fir for the mid-tone of the garland and the darkest tone of the wreath, both in Continental. Finish up the garland in Forest, using Continental. It may seem like a lot of work, but that little flick of darker green gives the garland movement and life.

Now, for those details around the doors and windows, use Dove in Continental. Finish up with the Dove by stitching the chimney smoke in Basketweave.

The tiniest details, like the doorknob and festive lights, are a pop of color. Work in Gold using Continental or Half-Cross, whichever you find easiest for those tiny spaces. I would not cut my yarn between the lights, just make sure not to pull too tightly to avoid skewing the canvas.

Tidy up the roofline and eaves with Black, using Continental. Keep using Black, but switch to Basketweave for broader chimney pipe and window backgrounds.

With all of these elements in place, fill the hut’s main color with Scarlet using a smooth Basketweave. This helps anchor the building and makes those earlier details really shine.

Skiers

Yellow (Top) Skier

On to the top skier - a bright spot flying down the hill! I’d tackle the little details first: the ski poles, skis, and coat accent all stitched in Dove. Next, work Black in around the gloves and shoes. The skintone should feel gentle and warm, so Peach brings out lifelike softness. All of these tiny areas should be stitched using Continental.

The skier's pants come next. Stitch in Iron, using Basketweave. Finish up with that punchy yellow ski jacket in Gold, worked in Basketweave.

Salmon (Middle) Skier

The middle skier wears salmon shades with classic wine-red accents; I’d start with those. Stitch in Wine along the scarf and coat accents. Work the details of hat, ski poles, gloves, and shoes in Black. Use Elephant for the skis. Then it’s back to Peach for skintone. Again, all of these small detail areas should be stitched using Continental.

The skier's pants come next. Stitch in Iron, using Basketweave. Finish up by filling in that salmon pink ski jacket with Salmon, worked in Basketweave.

Bottom (Orange) Skier

At the bottom, the orange skier sports hauls skis back to the ski hut. Start with Wine for coat accents. For the subtle accents on the pants and the skis, use Elephant. Go back to Black for the hat, ski poles, gloves, and boots. Flesh out the skintone with Peach. Stitch all of these details in Continental.

Next, work the pants in Dove, using Basketweave. That bold ski jacket? Coral using Basketweave. It’s all about coverage and a bold splash of color.

Trees

Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate the greens of trees. I use a lot of the same color combinations across designs, so that the illustrations hang together well. I've made a visual guide to help you decode which tree colors go where.

Deep Dive: Decoding Tree Colors

Forest Green Trees

For the darkest green trees (upper right, middle right, lower left), begin by stitching the details in Black using Continental. Then, fill the rest with Forest in Basketweave.

Fir Green Trees

For mid-tone green trees, start with Forest for the details, using Continental. Then stitch the background in Fir, using Basketweave. These are the mid-tone green trees behind the hut and those sprinkled across the middle and edges.

Jade Green Trees

Start by stitching the details of these trees (middle, upper left, and upper right) in Fir, using Continental. Finish by filling the main color in Jade using Basketweave.

Olive Green Trees

Stitch the accents of the trees (lower left, middle right, and top right) with Fir, using Continental. The background (or main) color of the tree is Olive, which you’ll fill in using Basketweave.

Tree Trunks

Even trunks need attention! Stitch with Fawn, using Basketweave.

Mountains

Mountains anchor this backdrop. They're layered to create a sense of distance. Start with the lightest gray peaks in Dove, using Basketweave. Layer the mid-tone gray next, stitching the next darkest gray in Elephant, using Basketweave. Finish up the mountain backgrounds with the darkest gray color, stitching in Iron, using Basketweave.

The white snow on top is a finishing highlight. Work in Bleach using Basketweave to create a wintry blanket across the mountain range.

Pro tip! White yarn can sometimes look thin because it’s not plumped by dye, so for the snow background, use Bleach in Basketweave.

If you notice the yarn is looking thin, you might consider adding an extra strand for better coverage.

Name

You’re almost there! For the name, I actually change the order I stitch in.

I first stitch the lighter red, main color of the name in Continental, using Scarlet. I keep every letter separate, without long, connecting thread tails. So I would start with a new knot for each letter and tie off each yarn when I’m finished with the letter. This probably isn’t totally necessary, but I want the name to be super crisp, with no chance of thread tails showing through the white name plate.

Finally, I fill in the darker red name accents using Half-Cross to add detail, using Wine.

Here's a how-to video showing how I stitch our classic lettering style in Scarlet & Wine, but the same principles apply if you’re stitching a different colorway, or even a different font!

Deep Dive: Stitching Your Name >

Backgrounds

The big, simple blocks of color are often the very last thing I complete on any stockings. I think about it like filling in backgrounds after the details are completed.

White Snow

The snow on the ground truly completes your winter wonderland. Stitch in Bleach, using Basketweave. Basketweave is essential here since white yarn often runs thin. If you see a thin stitch only here or there, you can just go over it again with another stitch at the end.

Blue Snow Drifts