Long time readers will know that I am a huge fan of the Lawrence Festival of Trees--an annual fundraiser for our local emergency youth shelter, where organizations donate Christmas trees which are then auctioned off. Sometime last year, I put my name in to make a tree for this year, and whaddaya know, it got picked!
Not having any other organization I could think of to get my entry form back in a hurry, I put down "The Mirth Knitting Club", volunteering the little knitting circle that I'm a part of, just hoping they'd be as excited about it as I was.
My wonderful knitting friends threw themselves into the project in their usual style--Nice C came up with the awesome design for the tree, Nice S gamely and happily knit "whatever we told her to", and Nice R worked the branches onto the wire form--a very tricksey thing. And they all sweetly put up with me. (I'm kind of a worrywart when it comes to things that have to be done in a certain amount of time, I get all antsy and demanding, I know it....)
In the end, we made what was, indeed, a very knitted Christmas tree....
In addition to the branches of the tree being knitted (chunky i-cord over a purchased, "skinned" little artificial tree), the trunk is crocheted. The lights are also covered with a crocheted garland, and the ornaments are knitted sweaters, mittens, stockings, and scarves. The topper is--what else?--a stocking cap!
It was called everything from a "cactus" to "Scandinavian", and it raised $300, which tickled all of us! (We were a little worried about what we would do if no one bid!) The lady that bought it was a knitter, of course, and came over and let us know how much she loved it. I was a little sad to give up our pretty tree, but I'm convinced it was going to a good home.
If you're local, you can go view the trees all day tomorrow (Wednesday) and all day Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Liberty Hall. It's $2 to get in, but the money benefits the Shelter and it's well worth it to see all the gorgeous trees!
