A Bit of Brainstorming

  “And while they were there, the time came for her (Mary’s) baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son.” Luke 2:6-7

  I don’t know if I have mentioned the latest project of replacing the Nativity scene which got destroyed in the flood. It is important for me to have one because I place it under my Christmas tree as a reminder of the greatest gift of all, the birth of Jesus.

  It had the wheels turning last night as I attempted to go to sleep. It was a long time coming.

  Nevertheless, it’s going well.  All the people are completed as well as three sheep. There ended up being a bit of an issue with these beasties. Following the pattern made the first one far too big. A giant among lambs! By reducing the stitches, the next two were a more appropriate size. I stepped aside from the traditional nativity scene by knitting one of them with black yarn. Black sheep are more than welcome to come into the presence of Jesus!

  Stepping outside the parameters of tradition, while doing something traditional, has added depth to my musings on the birth of Christ and the people who gathered to worship Him. I was thinking of adding a half sized figure…the little drummer boy from the Christmas carol. Hmmm, how would I knit a drum?

  I might even experiment with knitting an angel which isn’t included in the pattern. Maybe using wire would keep the knitted wings open…another “Hmmmm…”

  The pattern also called for Mary to have yellow hair. Had that been true, she would have been an exotic and unusual woman, not the humble maiden described in Scripture. In fact, all the figures called for their faces and hands to be knitted in a flesh tone more akin to Caucasian. I’ve tried to remain true to the Hebrew roots of Jesus and used a soft caramel instead of peach for Mary, Joseph and the two shepherds. I am assuming they all would have been Hebrew.

  The three wise men have a dark caramel, a deep brown and a black face respectively. I feel it gives them an exotic appearance. They must have appeared that way, too, to people who may have never seen the like before as they travelled west following the Star.

  Oh, I know there has been some debate about them being present when Jesus was born. Some say they came much later. I feel keeping them as part of the Nativity adds the important message that Jesus is the King of kings. Maybe that’s why they were included in the very first Nativity depiction. When was that?

  Figuring out how to knit a donkey, albeit a very small one, has the ole gray matter chewing away at the problem. I have a pattern but it is knitted in the round (using four needles.) This is a skill I haven’t even come close to mastering. Give me straight needles any day! I think the pattern will make the donkey the size of a Percheron horse in relation to the rest of the scene. It wasn’t designed by the same person.

  Hmmm, maybe the giant sheep can be a starting off point. Now, how to knit a neck…

  The knitting process fascinates me. Who thought about taking wool from an animal, making it into string and using sticks to make clothing?

  I also find myself reflecting this morning about how God knits us together in our mother’s womb. Two sticks and string can create an infinite variety of patterns.