Happy New Year 2014 and welcome to Balthazar.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!
May your year 2014 be healthy and happy, filled with wealth and wisdom, brimming with peace and prosperity, give you the giggles with glee and a glow of passion and most of all be full of Love and Laughter!

Here at home, I'm still coughing and spluttering away with deep rumbles and pains in the chest and poor JJ has now caught it too, so we're united in the shivers and chestiness.
Meanwhile I have been reading about the three wise men or Kings as they are also called and how in Spain and Portugal they are celebrated as arriving at the crib on 5th or 6th January or twelfth night...
So slowly a little crochet has progressed between restful sleep and here is Balthazar . I have him bringing gold and Wikepedia says it not known which King brought which but then other web pages mentioned Myrrh or Frankincense but I gave him gold to bring.

 He's clean shaven and a Moor, with a curly mop of black hair which was a long 2.5 m length of crochet chains which were curled as I embroidered them onto the head

 He has a 5 pointed crown in deep gold and wears the royal colours of deep purple and amethyst very well.

 He carries a blue green ceramic pot brimming with gold.

 I made him slightly taller than the other figures as with wealth came height in those days and the three Kings are always depicted as very tall on cards and images.

Soon to follow: NewYears Eve and Melchior the Persian King and then Caspar the Oriental King, with the camel, oxen and Angel bringing in the finale.