Chapter 4: Christmas Special

In our family we gather for large celebrations on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  So having just arrived home after visiting with two sections of our families, before we tiptoe off to bed, allow me to take one last chance to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas - whether that entails celebrations with family and friends, quiet nights knitting fireside, or afternoons of binge-watching Netflix dramas - may you find joy and peace this Christmas and may the New Year bring you all the goodness your hearts can hold.  

And now, if I may be so bold, I would like to share with you my own crafter's version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I previously shared on my now inactive blog, Completely Frogged.  I hope you like it.  

'Twas one month 'till Christmas and amongst all the glitter
There existed at least one confident knitter. 
Her projects were laid out with impeccable care
Just awaiting the knitting and crocheting flair. 
There was a blanket for baby, some mitts for her man,
A scarf for dear dad and some socks for her nan. 
A felt bone for rover and a mouse for the cat. 
Some slippers for mom and that will be that. 
With her cast-ons completed and her needles a-clicking,
The countdown was on. The clock, it was ticking. 

Now 'twas three weeks to Christmas that knitter got wary. 
"These UFOs here," she thought, "Sure do look scary."
But determined she was, so she knit all the quicker,
Tracking each stitch and each row on her clicker. 
Slowly but surely some progress was made,
And some of her worries had started to fade. 
But alas, though she knit and she counted with care,
a yarn-over was lost 20 rows ago, there.
She shook her head, "No!", and squeezed out a small sob,
Then took a deep breath and she started to frog. 

Only two weeks to Christmas, our knitter's uptight.
With a cramp in one hand and a squint from bad light, 
She keeps on with her craft during each hour God sends
And denies to stop knitting at parties with friends.
As cosmos and chianti and h'ors deuvres abound
She vows, "I'll join in, I promise, just after this round."
Her needles are flying, there's yarn in her clutch, 
And even hubby thinks, "This is a bit much."
He sneakily lures her away with merino, 
Then hands her a glass, quite full, with some vino.
He takes her out slowly to the mistletoe, 
When sudenly she bursts out, "I've got loose ends left to sew!"

'Twas one last week to Christmas - it didn't look good.
The gifts being made weren't ending up like they should.
Our knitter, alas, wasstarting to fade, 
With scarce half her gifts blocked out and made.
Onward she goes, not giving up yet.
"There's seven more days, I'll be done then I bet!"
Frantic and frazzled she works on even quicker,
Her hook and her needles nothing more than a flicker.  
Her hubby watches on with tender care,
Trying hard not to show his look of despair.
Secretly he has shopped for all on their list,
In case his dear wife doesn't finish the gifts!  

'Twas the night before Christmas and all were asleep,
Except for our knitter who was cutting a steek.
Twelve gifts she had finished, laid out and blocked,
But she still needed this sweater, two hats and a sock.
Her children were dreaming, as children oft do.
Her hubby, well yes, he was asleep too.
As her scissors snipped in the dead of the night,
She swore she just saw several reindeer in flight.
Now sure she had lost it, she worked extra quick,
But in her haste she breaks her wood stick.
"Blast!" she exclaims, as she then hears a noise,
And Santa appeared with his bag full of toys!
With a glint in his eye he takes in the scene,
Then shares where she is, is a place he has been.
He confides, "No one minds really, if the gifts are not done,
All that they want is some love and good fun.
Now stop all your stitching and wrap what's completed
Before you pass out and feel quite defeated."
He was right, she then realized, she'd lost sight of the goal,
To make people feel loved, not finish two soles.
So she wrapped up her gifts and went straight to bed,
With visions of Santa still in her head.
And just as she reached out to turn off the light, she heard faintly,
"Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!"