Making Melchior

 While the thunder struck overhead and rain and hail lashed the house and the garden, the dogs cuddled up together and we had lovely cosy times by the open fire.

 And busily crocheting , the second wise man or King was created: Melchior, the Persian King representing Europe.

 I made him a cloak without armholes this time, wide and billowing and richly decorated with white gold and rubies- a lovely chance for some beaded crochet. He's in saffron robes over coral as I thought the three wise men could all be in the secondary colours of purple, orange and green...

 Back of cloak and beaded details.

 Melchior is even taller than Balthazar and skinny too, to compensate for the billowing cloak?

 Head-dress in the making. Coral and pale  white gold.

 Hands tied together with a bow while awaiting the vessel with Frankincense. Grey beard for gravitas and wisdom.

 The turban decoration was 2 double crochet stitches wide with a turning chain and was sewn around a fluffy pipe-cleaner:

 The cloak was finished with a scarlet fluted and standing collar and contrast edges.

 With his turban decoration in place he's almost there.... The red and gold lines were embroidered in place.

 He carries a vessel carved of lapis lazuli with the glazed creamy resin of Frankincense spilling out over the top.( bit of poetic licence on the Frankincense- should be creamier and less regular but hey.)

Shepherd's avidly discussing the splendid new arrivals

 We Two Kings of Orient are.... Travel in convoy we travel afar....

 Greeting the infant King.

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.

Short break due to illness

Fell ill with severe chest infection so no update on nativity for a while. Please bear with me, the wise men will come but are delayed by say sand -storms in the dessert?
Been asleep mostly then saw GP and started antibiotics and extras to relieve pains and so on.
Can't be flu as I've had the jab.  Did have a while with family lying on sofa with lovely fire:

By the way the fire moves sideways as I stood and then lay back down as really not feeling too great...

 Also tried out the new chair that came just after Christmas... and a little new crochet I did before I fell ill.

 And the pattern link is as below, it's really lovely and free! I'm using DROPS 4 ply alpaca in pale blue with 2 skeins of Noro Taiyo SOck in S03.

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/butterfly-39

Second Shepherd arrives

 The second shepherd has now arrived at the stable and they are busily discussing the wonderful miracle.

Nativity lamb and Yule log

 Catching up on Christmas, since I caught a really bad chest cold and then went bacterial, we stayed at home this year and did not manage the midnight mass nor the Christmas morning Communion, I was coughing and spluttering awfully. So we said our prayers at the  Christingle service and at this little scene of JOY.

 Miss E was given all the ingredients, equipment , video and recipe to make the Mary Berry gingerbread House which she started on Christmas Day and completed on Boxing Day.

 We laughed ever so much when JJ happily wore his Dinosaur one-sie when we were opening the presents...

 And he gained a Turkey hat too- such FUN!

 Miss Y had an elf hat and moi: a Christmas tree....

 This little sprout was a gift from a dear friend- lovely isn't it?

 Miss E was sooooo excited with her Apple computer...

 And I was given Kaffe's autobiography!!!!

 Even the inside pages have fabulous painted designs: oh such joy and inspiration inside!

 And I loved the knitted reindeer wrapping paper too!

 Here I am recuperating by a fading fire... Comfy tartan trews to lounge in due to them being bought by the kids in the wrong size and they lost the receipts so we just HAD to keep them didn't we?
I gained two pair that way, hooray!

 Computer all set up and working in no time...Elf one grinning...

 And then somehow they both appeared underwater with swimming fish? Oh the miracles of a Mac.

 There was a wee dachsie tree decoration with antlers and a red nose....

 And fabulous soft baby alpaca wool from Rowan...

 Miss Y in a new beaded dress for church, but I was unable to go...

 I sat crocheting in bed: discovering THIS new stitch pattern and just LOVING it?

 When dearest JJ cooked the Christmas dinner I went to walk the dogs, it has been raining and blowing a gale for days and they would not walk in the downpours we had. Finally it was dry so off I went.

 It seemed so quiet and deserted but we did meet families on new bikes and some dogs with owners later on.

 The dogs feasted on some sloes...

 Back at home I made shepherd number one: cut pipe-cleaner in half- 15 cm

 then double up and twist together and insert into crocheted arm.

 We also played CLUEDO , this time a new SHERLOCK version and JJ who literally hasnlt a clue how to play this game astounded us all by winning with an amazing guess!!! He was so happy it was wonderful to see.

 Before pudding however he was on a call out for work so we had our pudding between us girls ans it didn;t light up very well...

 Boxing Day we drove to see mum and take her foods and eat lunch with her that we brought along.

 A quick stop in Winchester to replace the supplies the girls had eaten: profiteroles and pigs in blankets.

 Back home that night the gingerbread had been made and demolished the same day as it was so delicious they had been eating it. I managed just a few photos of the stained glass windows and the chocolate buttoned roof tiles..

 And yes, all of it deliciously edible! Yummy!

 In Winchester I'd been inspired by this shawl/scarf, it could so easily be crochet with interlocking colours?

 And today: 27th we were in need of chocolate so Miss Y , although she too was now feeling ill, baked a second Yule Log.

 And while she baked I crocheted and sewed the lamb together to make another figure for the Nativity:

Baaa, baaa,baaa...

 This time I pretty well followed the pattern, except I changed the tail and the legs might have been slightly longer in my version as I didn't count the rows correctly?

 Not sure about the ears, and kind of wish I'd given him black feet but he's kind of cute anyway?

I did do some googling to remind me of the look of lambs, see?

I think I'll need to embroider his muzzle a little?

 Next will be the second shepherd, can;t wait to start on the Wise Men or Kings of the Orient!
And ideally there'll be a huge star and an angel to complete the set before I create the stable as well.

I'd like to create a setting where all the figures can gather around and this wooden one is a bit too small...

I remembered our nativity set that was set out in my childhood, with a large wooden stable and stone figures, much like our local church has now, but when I asked mum she said she'd disposed of it in 1976 before coming to England. Shame, but never mind : it will be a challenge to make a crocheted stable that can be folded flat for storage and set up to stand for the Christmas display!

And I want a big gold star in lacework with a tiny torch or flickering light inside so we can light up the star from within?

And an angel which can ''fly'' suspended from a pole, stand among the shepherds or sit on the roof of the stable...

I have also researched the look of Frankincence and Myrrh so as to use the right colours to stitch the gifts the Three Kings will be bearing to the baby.

This is what I found:

Frankincence:

and Myrrh: looks like raisins:

And gold should be easy using some gold beads...

What fun!!! See you soon with the next figure?