Saturday, December 20, 2008

CROCHETERS CHRISTMAS EVE

In 2005 there was a knitter's version of the NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS making rounds through various online groups. Unfortunately it was never revealed who the orginal author was. The author of the knit version was revealed this week to be Nancy Massaroni, a knitter from New York. (Many thanks to Sparrowrose for researching this!)

In 2006 I took the knitter's version and rewrote parts of it for crocheters ,and then posted it to my AOL Journal where my blog resided for some 4+ years. Although my version of it can be found in my blog archives here on blogger, I do not have access to edit the entry to give Nancy the proper credit. Just moments ago I credited her in the Comments section of that entry.

Now I find my crochet version is going around various internet groups with "author unknown." The author is not unknown; I'm right here. ... so please, if you're going to share the poem, do so with the proper credit ... to Nancy and to myself, Dee Stanziano. Better yet, just give the link to this entry. *<;)


CROCHETERS CHRISTMAS EVE
Original knit version by Nancy Massaroni, 2003

rewritten (crochet version) by Dee Stanziano, 2006

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
Was unfinished crocheting not under the tree.
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and toes had not a stitch there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep; he was no help at all,
And the sweater for him was six inches too small,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
I put down my hooks to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tripped over my yarn and fell down with a crash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how much I still had to go.
Out on my lawn I heard such a noise,
I thought it would wake both Dad and the boys.
And though I was tired, my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

But what I heard then left me perplex-ed,
For not a name I heard was what I expected,
"Move, Berroco! Move, Lopi! Move, Addi and Clover!
Move, Boye! Move Woolease! Move Reynolds --move over
Paton, don't circle 'round; stand in the line.
Come now, you sheep will work out just fine!
I know this is hard; it's just your first year,
I'd hate to go back to eight tiny reindeer.

"I peered over the sill; what I saw was amazing,
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing.
And then, in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's feet coming across the porch floor.
I rose from my knees and got back on my feet,
And as I turned 'round St Nick I did meet.

He was dressed all in wool from his head to his toe,
And his clothes were hand crocheted from above to below.
A bright Fun Fur sweater he wore on his back,
And his toys were all stuffed in an cro-knit sack.
His cap was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosy red face.
The scarf 'round his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
The back of his mittens bore an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I espied a small label,
"S.C." was duplicate stitchedon the cuff,
And I asked, "Hey, Nick, did you crochet all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to crochet when I was a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a quite well-dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair,
He spoke not a word, but looked in his lap
Where I'd laid my hooks and yarn for a cap.
He quickly began crocheting, first one cap then two,
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks.
While I sat back drinking scotch on the rocks.
So quickly like magic his stitches they flew
That he was all finished by quarter to two.
He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me,
And I heard him exclaim as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year start your crocheting sometime around June!"

4 comments:

velmalikevelvet said...

hah! great minds think alike: i posted the knitter's version on my blog today. :)

happy holidaze,

-v-

Jennifer Cirka said...

Cool!! Thanks for letting me know who wrote it! I'll go edit my post!

Sandie said...

I also edited my post and made a new post just now to make sure everyone knows. Thanks for clearing that up! Sorry I didn't read your post until today to make that change. It still doesn't update in my blogroll and I've had a sick soldier home, spent today in the emergency room.

CrochetWithDee said...

Thanks guys! :)
~Dee