Tuesday 2 December 2014

Laternenfest - and a Shepherd


And we did have fun! It was a great night of brass bands, German singing, beer gardens, market stalls, Bratwurst and sauerkraut, kids rides, a lantern parade and a 20th anniversary fireworks display to top it off.

As I was an organiser and busy on the night, of course, I got next to useless photos. So there are no photos for me to post of my little one singing Mein Gott Ist So Gross (My God Is So Big) or Legoman dancing the maypole. Totally horrifying for him, I can tell you! Heaven forbid, he had to skip! And hold a ribbon! The only consolation, he said, was that at least his ribbon was navy blue. So it can always be worse.

As part of the leadup to Laternenfest, our community decorate hay bales. And there was some magnificent hay bale art this year. This was my favourite:



Some other great examples:




I don't know if you had the TV show, Mr Squiggle, in the US, but I have been singing the theme song for weeks, since that hay bale went up.

There were so many great hay bales - snowman, angel, maypole, vintage caravan, ladybug, cockatoo - google Tarrington Laternenfest and you can see them all!




After sharing the wonderful creativity of my local community, this is some of what I have been working on - the Nativity for the school and church.
We have been using Knit The Nativity by Jan Messent
I am on shepherds! This is the first one, the kneeling shepherd.




His headband is a bit wonky and I think I will add some ears to the sheep (don't you agree it needs some?) But other than that, he turned out well. Now I need to do two standing ones, quick smart!

Now that is all over on to Christmas knitting!

Linking with Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On.

15 comments:

  1. Love your shepherd! The headband is all good - he is a hard working man!
    Yes, I'd put some ears on the sheep too!
    Can't wait to see his friends :-)
    Lena x

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    1. I finished the second one today - will post him in Yarn Along. And I am taking some photos of the whole Nativity on Friday as it will be set up in the chapel by then. It will look fabulous!

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  2. I love the shepherd too! The sheep will look cute with ears :)

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    1. Thanks! Not sure why all the other sheep in the pattern book had ears, but not this poor little one!

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  3. Wow the hay bale decorating is fantastic. Your shepherd looks fantastic. Yes I think the sheep would appreciate some ears : ) All the better to hear you with.
    Ali xx

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  4. The hay bales are always lots of fun. I already know what I am doing next year! I really better make him some ears - he does look weird without them.

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  5. Wow! Love the nativity! I need to find that book.

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    1. It is a reprint of an old classic by Jan Messent. I think the original was published in the 80s. I also have a fantastic book by her, knitting fantasy. So knights, dragons, even a whole knitted castle. A project I will get to one day!

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  6. My favourite was Mr Squiggle and everytime we drive past we all sing it. Now when we ask the children to hurry up its HURRY UP HURRY UP like the blackboard used to say. I think we are showing our age now (ha ha).. I did like the gingerbread man and the dog too, there are some very talented people in Tarrington. Blessings

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    1. I have the song in my head for weeks! Mr Squiggle was fabulous - very clever. I love seeing the hay bales go up every year. I loved our neighbours' nativity as well. The dog won the People's Choice prize.

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  7. Do you mean the neighbour with the nativity and the animals around looking into the crib? do you live on the corner there???

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    1. We are diagonally opposite there - not the new brick house right on the corner, but the Mount Gambier stone one next to that. The one with the ten tonne piles of cypress pines in the paddock! We just took them all done as they were dropping limbs in every storm. We have a Lucas Mill there and are milling it all tomorrow. Fun! Some is going to the school for the new playground and we are making lots of stuff with the rest.

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  8. Oh, ok I sort of get it, you know I drive past there at least 4 times a week and I don't really pay any attention. That sounds great about milling the timber, we have just had pines taken down too but they were mainly dead and not millable, what a great resource. Blessings

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  9. Oh my, you will have to drop in for a visit! We are not actually living there at the moment as we are renovating, but it is almost finished and I will have a morning tea when we finally move back in. It is no 8049.

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  10. Hey jayne, how are things going?? Have a. Blessed Christmas xxx

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