By Becky Stahl
What's the strangest thing I've ever made?
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It was a giant rooster head. Yes, an entire rooster head. Let me explain.
There was a Halloween costume contest at work, and I wanted to win that gift card. Apparently, the possibility of free money was all the motivation I needed to crochet poultry. I searched Etsy, found a great pattern, and got to work.
It was a giant hood with a stuffed rooster head on top and an opening for my face. I used lots and lots and lots of Bernat Blanket yarn and enough stuffing to fill a small mattress.
A Week of Late Night Crocheting Before Halloween
It took about a week of frantic, late-night crocheting to finish it in time for Halloween. I would never do that again. Probably.
The Rooster Head Becomes a Christmas Gag Gift
No one understood why a grown woman was walking around wearing a giant rooster head. Of course none of them were crocheters, so they couldn't appreciate the time, effort, and questionable decision-making that went into it. Everyone tried to be nice, but I still felt ridiculous.
Later that year, my kids, grandkids, and I had our annual Christmas white elephant gift exchange. Since we give gag gifts, I knew the rooster head had finally found its true calling. My oldest daughter ended up with it and proudly wore it that night. I'm not sure whether she genuinely liked it or was just being a good sport. She's a little crazy like me, so it could've gone either way.
As far as I know, she still has it. She has teenagers, so hopefully they've found a use for a giant rooster head. If not, there's always next Halloween.
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Beards Beat Out My Giant Poultry Every Time
It always surprises me which crochet projects become popular. I made hats with attached beards for my sons, and apparently fake facial hair is more marketable than giant poultry.
The Blanket I Made My Mother Before She Died
For the project I'm most proud of, it's so hard to choose just one. It's like choosing a favorite child. I love them all.
If I had to choose, I'd pick two.
The first is the piano bench cover I recently made. The second is a crocheted blanket I made for my mother a few years before she died. She taught me how to crochet, so I was proud to give her something made with the skills she had passed on to me.
I still have the piano bench cover, but somehow my mother's blanket disappeared. I don't know where it ended up, but I'll always remember making it for her.
The Itchy Wool Shorts I Keep Threatening My Sister With
What would I make if nobody had to wear it? I'd make a pair of hideous, wildly colored shorts using the scratchiest yarn I could find, maybe that old plastic-feeling red heart yarn or some extremely itchy wool.
I'm always teasing my sister that I'm going to crochet her a pair of wool shorts. I'd love to see her model them for me, although I'm guessing she wouldn't be nearly as excited.
