Needle Night

Tuesday nights, 7 pm, Hilltop House, Heifer Ranch. Be there. As I found out yesternight, Needle Night is every craftsman's dream: older women workin' their stuff. Knittin' what God give 'em, if you know what I mean.
At this point, you're probably wondering what exactly I'm doing at Needle Night. Well, feast your eyes on the pictures, and you'll see that I, my good friends, am constructing the most immaculate pair of (genuine leather indian) mocassins to ever lay foot on this green earth. The kit (fig. 1) was a recent gift from my friend Kayla, who only felt it appropriate to supply some mocassins to complement my Rocky Mountain Vest that I adorned in Colorado a few weeks back. I had the weekend to concoct a strategy for making these mocassins the Cadillac of Native American footwear, and my imagination ran wild. I also had to befriend the resident seamstress on the Ranch...
...JoAnn (fig. 2). JoAnn, as I learned last night at Needle Night is not only a gifted and tender mender, she is also a family woman from Indiana with two children, a nice retirement package from 25 years as a middle school math teacher, and a pretty good grip on her Medicare/Social Security situation. She also is my mentor in this undertaking - at least until next week when she and her husband (my competition) leave next week.
JoAnn oversaw my progress last night, and wisely advised me not to try my biggest and best idea - lining. I was thinking freshly-shorn lambs wool and she was thinking polysynthetic fleece or used mattress pad insulation...that is, until we realized that the size "large" kit is made to fit a foot of 10.5. Mine is a 12.5. Problem? Oh no...nothing a little rinsing of the leather won't take care of. But the lining just had to go, and I have only JoAnn to thank for wisely preventing me from shearing a sheep in the cover of darkness.
This (fig. 3) is the unfinished product of one Needle Night of hard work and toil. Beautiful, huh? And you'll be relived to know that despite the size limitations suggested by the kit manufacturers, it's a nice fit on my foot. It even has an insole for comfort.
Don't worry, though. This project is far from over. My interior additions might have been thwarted due to unforseen circumstances, but the exterior possibilities remain limitless. Check back next Needle Night for updates on my progress, and feel free to leave your own suggestions for mocassin upgrade.