Isn’t that Reindeer a Moose?

I know that the month of January is almost over, but I am pleased to announce I have finished my first project of the year. (And it won’t be required till next Christmas, so I’m really early.)  It is another Rudolph the Reindeer stocking – to go with the one I completed last year.  I hung the original stocking over the little reading light on my side of the bed in the caravan.  But then, I reflected, Robin could do with his own Rudolph on his side of the bed.  Whether he actually wanted a stuffed Rudolph stocking for Christmas is debateable.  Nevertheless, I set to work, and dug out the pattern, and traced off Rudolph.  My original stocking was made in a class, and dye was used to colour in the body.  But what to do - I didn’t have any dye, or paint, or even a brown coloured pencil, and didn’t want to  buy any just for this one little project.  With necessity being the mother of invention, I mixed up some brown shoe polish with a little water, and sponged it on.  My Rudolph was diligently stitched in the afternoons while I relaxed on our shady back deck.  Then it didn’t take too long to stitch and stuff the stocking.  There, he is all done, ready and waiting to be hung up in the caravan next Christmas with his brother .

Robin’s stocking

Robin was looking at the pattern and was flabbergasted.  “That’s not a reindeer at all”, he declared, “it’s a moose!  Look at this, your pattern is called Maxwell Moose”.  He is quite right, the pattern from Homespun magazine is in fact called Maxwell Moose.  But that is not Christmassy  at all, is it?  Rudolph the Reindeer sounds so much nicer.  And he has got that big red nose!