The Amazing Lace: Challenge #1

LittleLace of the Desert: Chapter One

The birds were just beginning to sing, and the desert sun had just peeked over the horizon when Momma LittleLace woke up. She lay still for a moment, thinking about the long journey ahead. Everything had been packed into the covered wagon the night before. Now it was time to go, before the desert sun rose much higher.

Poppa LittleLace was already feeding the horses. Momma sighed. Horse feed had gotten so expensive the last few months, almost three dollars a pound. And with the drought having ruined the corn and lima bean crop for the last two years, there wasn't much extra money to pay for the feed that the horses seemed to always need.



Momma slid out of bed and quickly dressed. It was time to feed the girls. She quietly went to wake the two oldest. "Moira, Magda, wake up."

Moira felt Momma's hand on her head. She wanted to keep sleeping, but she forced herself to get up. She was the oldest, and Momma would need help with the breakfast. She quickly slipped on her plain green dress and pulled her hair back into a simple knot at the back of her neck. She felt that, of all her sisters, she was the plainest. She was anxious to be grown and out on her own; perhaps the coming journey would bring her the maturity she sought. She found the bacon and eggs and began to fry them up.



Magda slipped back under her blanket. She did not want to get up. she did not want to help. Sometimes Moira got so irritated with her sister that she almost couldn't bear it. Magda wasn't plain. Magda always wore pink ruffles and thought she was better than everyone else. She was always prinking and polishing and playing with her hair. She was vain; Moira was plain. Moira worked hard and tried to always help Momma and Poppa. Magda always seemed to disappear when there was work to be done.



Soon the air was filled with the aroma of frying bacon. Moira heard her younger sister waking up. Megan LittleLace toddled in with the little quilt she carried everywhere. Megan always looked rumpled, and her hair went every which way. This bothered Moira. But Momma said not to worry, that Megan was growing very fast and someday she would be very tall and slender. Her hair would straighten out overnight and she would magically turn into a beautiful, elegant lady.





Moira could hear Momma singing to the newest member of the LittleLace family. Her name was Victoria Anastasia Patience Amanda Madelyn Susanna Charlotte Sophia LittleLace, but everyone called her Baby Lace. She was only a few days old, and very tiny.



She'd had a difficult birth, and was still very fragile. Moira was afraid that she was too tiny to make the long journey. Why, she was so small, her eyelets weren't even open yet.



Momma and Poppa came when breakfast was ready. Moira took a few bits of bread out to the family pet. His real name was Stan, but Moira called him Max the Wonder Sheep. Max went everywhere with them, and shared in all their adventures. This journey would be no different.

And so, when breakfast was over and the dishes done and put away (Magda dried 2 forks and a cup and went to lie down with a tension headache), Poppa hitched the horses to the covered wagon and the LittleLace family set off to find fame and fortune in THE AMAZING LACE!

------Our Cast----

Momma LittleLace.................Pumpkinknitter

Poppa LittleLace...................Joe Pumpkinknitter

Moira LittleLace...................Simple Lace Scarf/Louet Gems Pearl

Magda LittleLace..................Lace Kerchief Scarf/IK Summer '05/KnitPicks Shine

Megan LittleLace..................Branching Out/Frog Tree Alpaca Fingering

Baby Lace...........................Sensational Knitted Socks, Harebell Lace/Naturespun Fingering

Max the Wonder Sheep...........Himself

Covered Wagon courtesy of Coleman Camper Trailers

Team/Family photo courtesy of Annie Pumpkinknitter