What I did over the holiday weekend...

What do you do with a long weekend?  Paint the spare room?  Prune the rose bushes?  Go to the beach?  Not me... I figure it's time for a Mentalist marathon and a bigger crochet project than usual.

This weekend, I crocheted a coral reef!  It's part of a project at the University of Florida.  My reef will be on display with a lot of other reefs from a lot of other crocheters around the country.  It was a fun way to use up leftover yarn and I must say the photo does not do the colors justice!

I also worked on more silliness.  Last week I came across a discussion on Ravelry about "bearded beanies".  I know, who would want a beard on their beanie, right?  But you know, I found a photo of one and it made me laugh.  I printed it off, and added it to the 'when I am bored I might try to make this' pile.  The very next day, Steve came home saying that the gals at the office had also been talking about them.  I don't believe in coincidence, so the photo moved to the top of the pile and I tried to recreate it.

It didn't turn out half bad if I do say so myself... and it was certainly worth the effort for Steve to get some good mileage with it around work.  Thanks Julian! 

But you know how crazy crocheters' minds work.  Now that I've figured out how to do it, can I make it better?  The answer is of course I can!

Steve drove me out to the store yesterday to check out holiday sales... and we came home with nothing but a skein of gray eyelash yarn.  Can you imagine where we are heading?  Yes!  A beard with hair.  This time we chose gray since that is the natural color of Steve's beard these days.  I haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. 

Well, you can see why, I mean just look at the photo!

I crocheted one strand of soft black yarn and one strand of the silvery eyelash yarn together to make the beard.  We did have to do a little mustache trimming here and there.

My first thought of course was that the beanie should have been red... because all I could think of is Yukon Cornelius from my favorite Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  It makes me laugh again just to think about how hard I laughed.

You can see why... right?

Another idea struck me about beards.  Hockey players have a superstition about shaving during the playoffs.  It's why they all look so straggly in championship photos.  What if I made a beanie in Sundogs colors, and attached a beard to it?  Then I would have my own playoff beard?  It might be fun!  So, if you see me at a Sundogs game sporting a beard, don't be surprised.  It's on purpose!

Sorry Yukon, for all the laughing at your expense... I promise to make one with a red beanie and yellow earmuffs for Christmas.