It's harder than I thought to grow sheep...

Poor Spud. He has had a longer gestation period than I anticipated. He was begun in May, and was progressing well. He was to be a gift for my daughter when she visits in June. I spent a long weekend in North Carolina with 7 of my friends who have known each other since kindergarten.

We talked, we laughed, we ate, we hiked, we played, and during much of that time Spud was coming closer to completion. On the trip back home, I discovered that every row I had knit in the mountains was off kilter. (I had left the directions at home and was sure I remembered them anyway...) The to-be sheep became a frog. Aargh. Rip-it rip-it!

Luckily the next day was Memorial Day, so I had time to do some re-knitting.

My index finger would turn blue at the tip if I knit and twisted too long!

I had intended to take a picture of all the parts (body, head, tail, ears, feet, toupe) and then show the completed sheep becoming more than the sum of his/her parts. She was also infused with love. Did you notice the he-to-she change after the frog? I discovered that as I knit and twisted and thought about my daughter, who is a priest in the Episcopal Church, Spud had a new identity. All I had to do was change to bow-tie into a hair-bow. Momma J was born. She received a clerical collar and cross, and is ready to preach to her multi-cultural congregation, pictured with her here:

 

The other sheep have many differences in size and color and body-types and origins- one is even a llama- but they are all together in one happy flock. Unfortunately, she is being called from her current parish, Green Pastures Episcopal Church, to a new parish in Mississippi. I think it is called Church of the Still Waters. She will have to leave behind her best friends, Shirley (bottom row middle,) Goodness (middle row 3rd from right,) and Mercy (tall sheep on back row,) but they will follow her in spirit.

Below is her official portrait that hangs in the Parish Hall:

 Peace.