Night Before Christmas for Crocheters

Twas the Night before Christmas (for crocheters

If you've used this poem in the past, the info is CROCHETERS CHRISTMAS EVE, Original knit version by Nancy Massaroni, 2003, rewritten (crochet version) by Dee Stanziano, 2006. Please give them credit.
CROCHETERS´ NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

~ Nancy Massaroni adapted by Dee Stanziano ("Crocheting with Dee")

`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 perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.

"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 heat 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!"

FM 9/29/08

Here it is, Monday again (and so quickly). I am still walking sround with my lovely boot;) I did do something I thought was neat crochet wise this weekend - I used an old cd to make a coaster for my tea mug at work. It wasn't that hard to do, especially if you count your stitches correctly, which I seemed to have trouble doing last night;) Anyway, on with the show....

I thought this was pretty cool, a cheat sheet on how many chains & how many wraps you use for various stitches: http://crochet.about.com/od/filetcrochetcharts/ss/leaves011203.htm

For those of you who want to get an early start, here's Christmas Stocking pattern. It's for a crochet (and knit) Christmas stockings. (By the way, does anyone else notice how fast the special Christmas yarn disappears from the stores? It seems if you don't get it way before Halloween, you don't get it)
http://www.berroco.com/exclusives/magi/magi.html

For the filet lovers out there, here's a lovely filet leaves chart:
http://crochet.about.com/od/filetcrochetcharts/ss/leaves011203.htm


Amy O'Neil Houck has found the time, between moving from Maryland to Alaska, to create some crochet instructional videos - you got to check them out:
http://www.monkeysee.com/play/10393-crochet-chainless-foundations

I thought this is a very interesting textured wristband - prehaps would be good for a watchband.
http://crochet.about.com/od/wristbands/a/aa09202008.htm?nl=1

"Crocheting with Dee"'s Dee Stanziano has posted her pattern for preemie caps and info on the "Caps to the Capital" project.

Click here: Tulip Preemie Pattern

"Hankering for Yarn"'s Noreen Crone-Findlay has also posted a preemie cap pattern, along with info for the same project.
http://www.hankeringforyarn.com/crocheted-baby-earflap-style-cap-by-noreen-crone-findlay

Need something to hold the door open? How about a crochet door stop wizard?
http://www.pattern-making.com/crochet/crochet-door-stop-wizard/


This isn't a freebie, this is for a kit - but you can find inspiration in it - it's gorgeous. You could use your favorite flower motif in your favorite colors (or somebody else's favorite colors) to make a lovely gift.
http://www.loopknits.com/2008/09/22/kaleidoscope-crochet-scarf/


For Rosh HaShanah:
How to crochet a yarmulke
http://www.ehow.com/how_2319506_crochet-yarmulke.html
and another yarmulke
http://homes.aol.com/kpsbox/kippah.html
Happy New Year 5769!

_enjoy_

As usual, I get no kickback from anyone for listing these sites. I'd take a bribe, but that's not oging to happen;)

FM 9/8/08

Here I am, a little later than I like to be, but that's the problem at work - they don't let you surf the internet;) or crochet, *sheesh* what a rotten place;) I definitely miss being home and crocheting whenever I want. But while patterns may come free, yarn doesn't. (Neither does cat food.) So here we go:

Dee of "Crocheting with Dee" is doing her "60 scarves in 60 days" campaign again (she has extended the time). So check this out:

Click here: Fifth Annual "60 Scarves in 60 Days" Challenge Kickoff!

Yes, it's not quite fall, but almost. Here are some pumpkin patterns for you.
http://crochet.about.com/od/pumpkins/Pumpkin_Free_Crochet_Patterns.htm?nl=1

I thought this was pretty cool - a "flower power" slide show of beautiful crochet.
http://www.myspace.com/gonerustic

Remember the 10 year old girl crocheting doilies? Her mom posted more of her doilies to her blog site. (By the way, Lynn's blogsite is interesting in it's own right, but it doesn't have anything to do with crochet. It does, however, have a brownie mix recipe posted.)

lynnskitchenadventures.blogspot.com
and the daughter's blogsite:

http://briannascreativecrochet.blogspot.com/

Wondering about amigurumi? Here's a cool tutorial on it:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Crochet_tutorial_Amigurumi_Part_1/

And once you check out the tutorial, you can make this alien amigurumi alien- wouldn't the eye be cool in glow-in-the-dark yarn or if not for a child, a flow-in-the dark device/button?
http://pepperberry.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/09/amigurumi-alien-pattern.html

And if you're looking to buy yarn, Herrschner's is doing their free shipping for orders $35 or more until September 30, 2008. The code is CC2. Could save money just by not driving around to find exactly what you want. I know sometimes I _need_ to pet the yarn, but it's great to be able to see all the colors in a particular line of yarn if I'm looking for specifics for a project.
http://herrschners.com/

September 12, 2008 is International Crochet Day. Crochet in public, wear or use something crocheted or something crochet related. Spread the good word. You can find out more about it here: http://yarnkrazy.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/september-12-2008-international-crochet-day/#comment-11

You may recognize this jacket - I did. Here's a pattern for a crochet and denim jacket.
http://www.pattern-making.com/crochet/crochet-denim-jacket/

And last but certainly not least, bat curtains. I'm hoping my younger son does not see these because he'd probably want them for his room. Than he would be unhappy because they didn't block out the sun. Oh, well, can't please everyone.
http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8710/filet-crochet-goes-to-the-bats

As usual, I get no payments from anyone for listing these sites. These are just things that are interesting to me and I hope are interesting to whoever is reading this blog. If not, poke around, there's bound to be something in these blogs you might want to crochet.

_enjoy_

FM 4/28/08

Do you have a small doll that needs some clothes? This might be a good place to look for patterns.
http://www.geocities.com/crochet_crafters/patterns/patindex.html

I have made many, many afghans made of motifs - as I'm sure most crocheters do. Here's an easier way to join all thoise motifs.
http://www.crochetcabana.com/tutorials/joining_squares3a.htm


Want to try some freeform for a good cause - breast cancer.
http://www.knotjustknitting.com/

Krenik (to me) is better known for their embroidery thread. But here's some crochet patterns for their various projects:
Click here: Kreinik Manufacturing Co., Inc. :: Freebies :: Crochet & Knitting

Here's a new fashion crochet magazine that debuts June 15, 2008: http://chiqmag.com/

Crochet (as well as knit) patterns by yarn type:
http://www.straw.com/cpy/free_pattern_yarnssort.html#choo

The hyperbolic crochet reef project visits New York.
http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2008/04/08/segments/96377

Here's a Scandinavian snow white bikini for the (relatively) short Scanfinavian summer.
http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/visoppskrift.php?d_nr=99&d_id=28&lang=en

Want to make a hackey sack? Here you go:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-crochet-a-ball-or-a-hackey-sack/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss

This is a pattern for a natural alternative for plastic pants that cover diapers. Definitely better than plastic pants.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Modern-Homesteading/1976-09-01/Woolen-Diaper-Covers.aspx

Ready for a crochet talk show - with the "cheerleader for crochet" Dee Stanizano?
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mary-Beth-Temple
Crochet and Dee Staniziano

The "crochet dude", Drew Emborsky, has a free afghan pattern posted, based on Frank Lloyd Wright's work.
http://www.creativehomeartsclub.com/Projects/Project.aspx?id=104502
Drew Emborsky also has a book coming out later this year, "The Crochet Dude Designs For Guys".

Need an oven towel? I do. Here's a tutorial for one:
http://bunks.wordpress.com/2008/04/23/oven-towel-tutorial/

Sometimes, I need to see a stitch being worked to really understand it. This tutorial for the diagonal box stitch is good.
http://www.crochetcabana.com/stitches/diag-box-st.htm


It doesn't have anything to do with crochet, but it's a little something to think about:
http://amyoops.blogspot.com/2008/04/some-deep-thinking-for-today.html

as usual, no kickbacks for me

_enjoy_

60 scarves in 60 days

I'm sure most, if not all of you, are familiar with the "Crocheting With Dee" blog. In it, Dee descibes the various items she has been crocheting, her attempts at gaining knitting proficiency, the classes she teaches and projects she supports. One project she supports (and I got involved in) in her "60 scarves in 60 days". You don't have to follow a particular pattern or use a particular yarn. You don't have to give it to a particular charity - you can choose a local charity if you want. That's what makes it so cool.
This year, I made 8 scarves. I particularly enjoyed working with all the different yarn. I made a lovely one (if I do say so myself) out of Plymouth Encore "Colorspun", an oatmeal color with other colors in it.l color. I also used Caron's "Simply Soft Shadows" for 2 of the scarves. I love the way they feel and the way the yarn works up. I also used an old favorite, Red Heart. Say what you want, but I _know_ Red Heart is durable. It will be softer once it gets washed.
I didn't really use any special techniques to crochet the scarves. On the red scarf, I made a graduated fringe, which I have never done before, so that was neat. But I used the basic double crochet or half double crochet because it could be used for male or female. I didn't use any fur yarns just because (to me) they seem feminine.
The church I go to has a homeless shelter for women and children. I will donate the scarves there. Even if it's a relatively warm winter (according to the "Old Farmer's Alamanc", it's supposed to be for this area), it still gets windy and cold and a soft scarf is a great companion.
If you want to check out Dee's blog, you can use the "Crocheting With Dee" button I have on my page.

me, a winner?

I was quite pleasantly surprised when I read my mail tonight. I always read Dee's blog (sometimes several at once, trying to catchup)

CrochetingWithDee.com ~ Cheering for the Art of Crochet
Subject: And So She's Back ...

If you click this link, you will see that I was the guest blogger that won the hat from Dee. *wow* I'm so excited. It looks like a pretty sweet hat in the picture.

Payton update:
He is scheduled to have a fourth surgery on Wednesday. he is healing well. The doctors think the upcoming surgery may be the last. He'll have to have rehab to learn how to walk again. Payton's not happy with nurses now, but that's to be expected. But it also means myolder sibs will have to change out of their scrubs before they visit him....
if you'd like to send a card to Payton, here's the address:

Payton Potochney
c/o Johns Hopkins Hospital
600 North Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287

thanks!

guest blogger - my favorite stitch

Many of you know (and follow) the "Crochet With Dee" blog. She asked for guest bloggers and I put in my two cents - here's the link in case you are interested:

http://journals.aol.com/crochetwithdee/CrochetWithDee/entries/2007/04/20/guest-blogger-robin/2083

As for Payton, they did a third surgery today and he is doing about as well as can be expected for an almost 3 year old kid having 3 surgeries in less than a week. They have now charged the 2 juveniles as adults in the case.

And maybe tomorrow I will post a shawl I made....