STOCKINGS!!!!!

Sterling's 

Mine. (I mean, it is the red one, right?)

Ruthie's. I'm going to add two BIG silver bells hanging to the side of hers. It's that way in the pattern. Her yarn is also sparkly, its kinda hard to tell, but I definitely think it adds.

Yay for Christmas!!! My friend Bry (from our last ward...she lives two blocks away, but we moved stakes, go figure) is a crocheting demon, really, she is absolutely amazing. She whips out little stuffed-crochet-animals for her little boy all the time. Anyway, I bought this pattern with the intention of learning how. And I bought the red and green and cream yarn. And the crochet hook. And I EVEN started the red stocking. I made it about six rows before I knew I was in a big mess. I haven't crocheted since high school (I was pretty good in high school, I made a baby blanket and a ruffle and everything) and these were SUPPOSED to be easy patterns. Ahem. So I asked Bry for help. And then I realized I was already three stockings behind. So we decided she'd make these three, and teach me over the next few months on a stocking for my little boy. Only, his is the hardest pattern in the book--it has stripes, so I have to switch out colors. But if I learn on the hardest one, then the rest of my kids will be easy-peasy, right?!?!?!? I spent a LONG time looking at all of my sister's styles and stockings, and decided these were my absolute favorite and I am SO SO SO HAPPY with how they turned out, I just LOVE them!!! They are crocheted with two strands at once (hence my difficulty, I have never learned to do that) so they are really thick, like a board, they don't drape at all...its kind of hard to explain. But I am glad because I think that because of how hard they are, they won't stretch over the years.  I am so incredibly happy with them. Every time I look at them its just this excited/delighted/incredibly joyous feeling. I love Christmas. (Oh yeah, for anyone interested, the fluffy ribbon on my stocking is that new ribbon yarn...which does not come in plain white in ANY stores so I had to order from somewhere crazy like Thailand. And its not what is in the pattern, but we think the stuff from the pattern is discontinued. Anyway...this stuff worked GREAT and looks so awesome!)