Stocking Up For Christmas Already?

In the bag of goodies I was given the other Sunday at Church was this strange little bag

Inside was a small pair of red plastic knitting needles, a leaflet explaining the basics of knitting, and a number of small balls of yarn in very bright colours.

I googled "knitterbugs" but that didn't get me anywhere.

There wasn't an adequate amount of any of the colours to produce anything significant. Not even a scarf.

So I decided to dig out a small, quick-to-knit pattern I could do whilst watching TV.

I found a neat little one [originally from Jean Greenhowe, I think] for mini-Xmas-stockings. Ideal to hang on the tree, or possibly fill with a small tube of sweets or other tiny gift.

First batch, started on the evening of Palm Sunday.

I have finished up all the wool now - 22 stockings!

Towards the end, I made a ball of yarn using random lengths of the remaining colours  knotted together - which gave some very interesting variegated results.

I have put all the stockings back into the red bag now - ready to go into the "Christmas 2010" section of the loft.

I just can't bear to waste anything!

...postscript - I prepared this post earlier, to go on the blog after Easter. At church yesterday I was given a dozen small bottles of shower gel [the ones you get in hotels] They are exactly  the right size. So half my stockings are filled already!

I am going to have to do a post soon about 'What I tried to give away in Lent and how things kept coming back to me' !