Tuesday, December 23, 2008

A Crocheters’ Christmas



A Crocheters’ Christmas
Author Unknown


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!”


Thank you to Crystal, cowgirlcrysi, who shared this with our team on our Etsy Hookers Ning network.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to All!


Monday, December 15, 2008

EtsyHooker of the Week --- CharteChic

My friend, CharteChic is one talented lady! I met her quite by accident as I was browsing the "Photos" feature on the Etsyhookers site. I was simply over-taken by her amazing sense of style, design, and yarn/color combinations. Her designs are feminine, elegant and breath-takingly beautiful!
Charte describes herself as a "self-proclaimed fiber freak" whose one-of-a-kind (OOAK) designs are both "sassy and functional". And you know what? She's right! Gotta love it! :) My favorite of her tags is "Wearable Art" and that's exactly what her designs bring to mind... a work of art!
Purchasing most of her "raw" materials from fellow etsians, Charte creates luscious neck warmers, scarves, shrugs, and cowls, to just name a few. I had a difficult time selecting my favorites to share with you so let me encourage you to visit her shop and be WOWed!

A Cirrus Weather Report
A circular scarf in soft, puffs of colors and textures. Handspun yarn by TerraBellaSpun


Fabulous "Minky Stole Scarf" in gorgeous shades of grey, cream and moss green both knitted and crocheted of ribbon, chenille, and novelty yarns to create an extra-long, masterpiece that drapes the head and body beautifully!


Artic Reflections
A study in shades of blue (like turquoise, one of my favorite shades) and accented with white. Done in fluffy handspun marino wool.



Those are three of my favorites! You'll just have to see for yourself what an incredibly talented artist Charte is.

Jacqueline/UniquelyEwe

Saturday, December 6, 2008

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Romantique Junk


Shabby Cottage Christmas Stocking Ornament

Pat, of MountainsideCrochet, had the great idea of featuring one of our members with a newer shop that many of us might not have discovered yet. Romantique Junk is the home of creations by Brenda Geisler, including some adorable items for your Christmas tree like the stocking above.

Romantique Lace Facial Cloth

Romantique Junk has some incredible deals in her shop, like this set of face cloths. These are made with cotton yarn and have a lovely, delicate look to them.

Golden Sheen Wrap

This wrap would make any evening feel elegant. Use it as a scarf to get to your destination, then use it as your wrap to keep the chill off at a holiday party.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Happy Birthday EtsyHookers!



The EtsyHookers Crochet Team is officially 1 year old today, December 1st! Created by Deon, I took over the team in March of this year. Lots of changes have happened on our team since then and I’m happy to say that most of the original members who signed up last December are still with us and active!
To celebrate our Birthday, our Ning network has a brand new look - check it out here:
http://etsyhookers.ning.com

I think most of us, myself included, were tired of the overwhelming pinkness of our original theme we had. This new look is refreshing and will be an easier to read font and color scheme. I created our new banner with the hopes that team members will design something that will look more professional (I've also uploaded the new banner here). We’ll have a contest for a new team banner, and plan some other team events to celebrate.

Thanks so much to a wonderful team! Happy Birthday, and I wish us many more!

Please take a moment to help us celebrate by “signing” this birthday card, by leaving a comment. Thank you.