I was given at birth a wood and wire-spring spider by an elderly woman who brought the ornament when she came to the USA from Germany around 1900. We used the ornament for over 50 years before it just fell apart from use. I found the following legend, made spiders from wires, tiny black seed and 2 large glass beads. These I gave to my children with the legend. Now, a few more years later, I am making the spiders for my grandchildren. The Spider in Your Christmas Tree Spiders seem to figure a great deal in legends. Perhaps it's not surprising then, that one of the most beautiful legends surrounding the Christmas story tells of a spider who saved the life of the infant Jesus. This very lovely children's tale tells how the Holy Family stumbled wearily into a dark, damp cave on their way to Egypt. It was a cold, freezing night - so cold that the ground was carpeted with a white hoar-frost. Tired as they were, Mary and Joseph busied themselves trying to make the cave as warm as they could for their new-born child. But it was all to no avail. It was impossible to light a fire as the wind blew mercilessly into the cave. Soon the baby began to cry and awoke a sleeping spider. The spider was moved when he saw Jesus and decided that somehow he must do something to help Mary and Joseph. So, patiently, he began to spin a web across the entrance of the cave to make a kind of curtain which would shield them from the searing wind. It was hard work and the spider was near to exhaustion when it was finished. He had only just completed his work however, when a detachment of Herod's soldiers approached the cave. Blood was on their swords and hate in their hearts. Their mission was to kill the infant Jesus. The spider trembled with fear as he heard them stop outside the cave and prepare to burst in and search it. He looked at the now sleeping Jesus and prayed with all his might for a miracle. He was not disappointed. The soldiers were just about to enter the cave when the captain noticed the slender web, covered with white hoar-frost, stretched across the entrance. He laughed hideously and cursed his men for their ignorance. "Can't you see the spider's web, you idiots?" he cried. "It's completely unbroken. There can't possibly be anyone in the cave, otherwise they would have certainly torn the web." And so the soldiers went on their way and the infant Jesus slept peacefully that night because the little spider had given up his night's sleep to spin his web. Any gift given to Jesus is never forgotten. And that, so they say, is why each year we cover our Christmas trees with tinsel: so that the shiny streamers will remind us of the unknown spider whose frost-covered web saved the life of the infant King.

I have a copy of the July/Aug 88 CS&CC magazine and there is a boy stocking on the cover. It does have a small train at the bottom of the stocking,engine,and 2 small cars. a santa doll a quilt draped over a chair a bookcase a wall clock just to name a few other things on the stocking. If this is the pattern you want please let me know and I will be happy to make a copy of it for you and send it your way. Mary

Bernat has one on their web page. http://www.bernat.com/data/pattern/pdf/instruction_199.pdf

I can't see the photos....when I made quilted stockings I simply drew my stocking size and used 2 pieces of quilt , one for the front and one for the back, and cut out my front and back pieces. put them right sides together and sew around the edge sides and bottom. I made a cuff the right size to fit the top... sewed it on and turned the whole thing right side out. I embroidered the cuff with their names and edged it with red lace I knitted. I thought the quilted fabric itself was sufficiently strong and didn't bother lining it (I used old pieces of a 'cutter quilt' but you could use newly quilted pieces).