Becky's stockings

I am going to be making 2 stockings for me and my husband for our First Christmas as a married couple. My stocking is going to be this one from Elegant Heirlooms:

I saw one done up at a yarn store in Minneapolis on a recent trip up there and fell in love. The beads and ribbon make it so beautiful. My husband is designing his stocking, but it will be based on this basic pattern, just with a different design so that they will coordinate. His will be a deep blue background with a large star that will have beads and then a small town (Bethlehem) under the star. He wants his to have a white toe to match mine, and mine to have a blue toe to match his. The cuffs will also be those colors with our names in the opposite color. I think they will be beautiful, but I am very worried about getting them done by Christmas!

I'm interested to hear everyone's opinions on whether to knit these in the round or to knit flat and seam up. In general I would think I would prefer in the round b/c I don't like sewing, but I am wondering if a seam helps to strengthen the stocking when it's hanging full of goodies? Thoughts?

I apologize I haven't updated the sidebar with more pattern links yet. I will do so in the next few days. Also, if anyone has more experience with blogger, please let me know. I'm trying to have a right and a left sidebar, but can't figure out how to get it to work.

Keep the updates coming!!