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A Christmas pickle…crochet pattern

By on December 21, 2011 in crochet, Handmade, Handmade Christmas Challenge, Holidays

Today I am working on sugar cookies (recipe long overdo will be posted tomorrow), cooking up presents in the kitchen and working on some ornaments.

My children are big on traditions, just as the daily rhythm of our lives keeps their world feeling just as it should, the rhythm of our traditions does the same.  They however are not big on changes to our traditions but this year I am pulling a fast one on them.  For a few years I have wanted to add the tradition of hiding a Christmas pickle in the tree.   It is the last ornament to be put in the tree on Christmas Eve and the first child to find it in the morning gets a little extra surprise.  I am thinking that would be a little handmade toy or a sweet.

 The tradition of hiding a pickle is a medieval tale of two Spanish boys traveling home from boarding school for the holidays. When they stopped at an inn for the night, the innkeeper, a mean and evil man, stuffed the boys into a pickle barrel. That evening, St. Nicholas stopped at the same inn, became aware of the boys’ plight, tapped the pickle barrel with his staff, and the boys were magically freed.

I could not find a pattern that looked like a pickle much to me so I made this one and though it does not look exactly like a pickle it works for me.  I have not tested it so if you find any mistakes please let me know.  You can make one of these in about 20 minutes so perfect for last minute new traditions : )

Christmas pickle pattern

I used a chunky wool blend yarn and a size I crochet hook.  You also need a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each row.

Row 1: Make a magic ring, 5 sc in ring

Row 2: 2 sc in each st around

Row 3 to 8:  1 sc in each st around

Row 9:  sk 1st st, sc in next st, sk next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, sc around to last st, 2 sc in last st of row

Row 10:  repeat row 9

Row 11 to 14: sc in each st around, stuff with wool or fiberfill, bits of yarn or whatever

Row 15: sk next st, sc in next, repeat around

Row 16: repeat row 15 until the hole at the top is closed, ch 8, sl st to next st.  Fasten off and weave in end.  Hide your ornament until Christmas Eve then hide is really well in the tree and don’t forget to have a little something to give the child who finds it.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)
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Matching crocheted pinafores for a waldorf baby and her little momma

By on November 30, 2011 in crochet, Handmade Christmas Challenge, Waldorf, Yarn Along
Feverishly working on Christmas presents, night and day!  Right now my list is so big that every little mistake I make seems to make my list bigger : (  I am taking it in stride because in the end they will love and remember whatever I made them and my need for perfection will be for not.

I have been working on anothe gift which is part of the Knit along over at Frontier Dreams but I am having such a hard time with my terrible knitting skills that I could not bear to take a picture : (  To see what it should look like visit the most amazing Nicole.

Please allow me to apologize for my pictures today.  Truth is I forgot to take the pictures during the day and the lighting in my house is terrible (did I ever tell you to never take pictures at night, they come out sucky).
On my list for Ronnie and Livie are a pair of new Waldorf babies and I thought I would make some matching crocheted dresses for Livie and her new baby (in all the spare time I have right?).  I really like the way it is coming out though I writing and rewriting the pattern which means ripping and ripping out my stitches but in the end I will have hopefully a pair of dresses that my babies love and a pattern to make more in the future.  I am thinking it would be cuter to make the top of the pinafore crocheted and then add fabric as the body of the dress starting under the arm pits, what do you think?
Yarning along with Ginny again this week. I am reading Little House Christmas, which is one of our favorite reads during advent and Christmas.  

I am sneaking in one last picture down here because the lighting is so supermarketish in the pic but it does show the top of the dress better, so sorry!



If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or follow me by email at the top right hand of the screen to have future posts sent to you. Tricia (Crunchy Catholic Momma)

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