T'was the Night Before Christmas for Crocheters

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished crocheting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep-he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my hook to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.

The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.
When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.

And although I was tired-my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.
Yet what I heard left me very perplexed
For nothing I heard was what I expected.

"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite! Move over!
Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!

I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."
I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!

And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe
And his clothes were hand crochet from above to below.
A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran crochet sack.

His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.

On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:
"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, "Hey, Nick, did YOU crochet all this stuff?"

He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was just a kid."
He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.

I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.
He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my crochet hook and yarn for a cap.

He began then to crochet, first one cap then 2 -
For the first time I thought I might really get through.
He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.

Quickly like magic his hooks they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your crocheting sometime around JUNE!"


~ Author Unknown ~

A Crafty Update - Finally!

I have finally finished a craft project. It seemed like everything I have been doing was just 'in progress"!

The first image is of a matryoshka set. My oldest daughter and I created it. From the outside in, it is King Tut, Queen Cleopatra, Anubis, The Eye of Ra, a mummy and an anhk. It is a Christmas present for my bil.

The second image is of a papercraft bald eagle that I made as a gift for my sil & bil. You can find the link to create your own at Canon Papercraft. I took the picture next to a can of soda, so it would have some scale. The end result is about 2 1/2 feet from wing tip to wing tip.

A Blessed Easter!

Without going into the spiritual whys and wherefores of this most holy of holidays, I would like to share a beautiful example of the creativity God has granted to his people.

This work is absolutely amazing. Not just the precision of the work, but the gentleness and care that must be taken in order to complete it.

Knitted Easter Eggs

A great easter project to knit. I'll put it on my WIM list and maybe get a few done by next year!

At least these Easter Eggs won't get broken.

Crocheted Swedish Woven Heart

I have created my second original pattern. The first will never be written up, as I can't duplicate it. I am just not that good at filet crochet.

I will get a picture & the pattern posted asap.

Weasley Wizarding Wheezes Christmas Sampler

This group of knitted and crocheted food are part of a swap from swap-bot.com - Knit & Crochet Tasty Goodies. The recipient was also the co-ordinator and she said she was a fan of Harry Potter and loved miniature things. The candy cane is about 2 1/2" long to give you a bit of scale. I forgot to take a picture next to a coin.

Here is the text of the letter that I sent along with the "goodies".

Dear Molly,

Congratulations on being the recipient of the new Weasley Wizarding Wheezes Holiday sampler. This assortment of new W3 delights has been sent to you as a gift. Below, you will find a description of the new tasty treats and the resulting consequence of said morsels.

Merry Mint Creams : The eater frequently Ho Ho Hos for a period of 3 hours.

Red Reindeer Roll: The nose of the eater becomes a large round ball and glows with an inner red light for a period of 2 hours.

Plum Party Pudding: The eater becomes the life of the party, with random occurrences of the following: whistles of steam erupting from his/her ears, glowing eyes, uncontrollable urges to dance an Irish Jig, and produce mistletoe in order to kiss strangers. The effect lasts approximately 3 1/3 hours.

Frosty Candy Twist: The eater gains the power to chill glasses of pumpkin juice and butterbeer for a period of 1 hour.

Please tell all of your friends about this great new holiday gift. We are currently accepting pre-orders now.

Yours in jest,


CC
Delivery Specialist
Weasley Wizards Wheezes

Going Batty!

Well, I can't post a picture of my bats until I find the cord for my digital camera. Until then, I'll "borrow" the original image.

Here is the link to the pattern, tho, from SweaterBabe: Little Bats