Olympic closing ceremony, and playing reindeer games

I got my Olympic reindeer hat done! Yay…I was trying to get it done by the end of the Olympics, well actually way before that, but it didn’t get finished until 2 days after the closing ceremony.

Olympic Reindeer Hat pattern free download [rav] thanks to Helena Bristow

Here is the start of my hat, It called to use a provisional cast on, I found a nice tutorial on You Tube by Numenorean77 (mountain mom), she has a variety of tutorials that are useful. Crochet provisional cast on tutorial video

What better way to watch the Olympics than to knit! Well, thank goodness for the instant replays. I always was missing the jump or slip, I usually stopped to see the finish.

 

Here is the band joined together, now I’m ready to start the exciting part of the pattern! The reindeer!

Did you know? The Reindeer family also includes the elk, moose, caribou, and deer. The Reindeer differs from other deer in that both sexes carry antlers.
The origins of the word 'deer' comes from the Middle English word 'der' meaning beast and  from the Old English word 'dor'. The origins of 'rein' comes from the Old Norse word 'hreinn'

The reindeer family includes caribou as well as a few smaller subspecies. In fact, reindeer and Caribou are essentially the same animal, although reindeer are domesticated and caribou are wild.

Reindeer are found in the arctic and subarctic regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Reindeer have thick, multi-layered fur that is specially suited for the harsh arctic climate where they live.

Male reindeer can sometimes weigh as much as 700 pounds. Females are smaller, weighing only about 350 pounds.

Male reindeer are called bulls and females are called cows. Baby reindeer are called calves.

Reindeer typically have a lifespan of around 10 years.

Reindeer are the only deer species in which both the male and females grow antlers, although the males’ antlers are bigger.

Reindeer shed and regrow their antlers every year. Males usually shed their antlers by early December, while females usually don’t shed their antlers until after they give birth, in the spring.

Reindeer usually mate in the fall, and their young are born the following spring. A reindeer will usually give birth to one or two calves at a time.

Reindeer calves can begin grazing by the time they are 45 days old, although they will continue drinking mother’s milk until the autumn after their birth.

Reindeer eat mostly lichen, grasses, willow and birch leaves. However, they are not picky eaters, and will eat any vegetation they can find in the tundra. They have been known to eat bird eggs and sometimes even mushrooms.

Reindeer have an excellent sense of smell. Because food is scarce in the Arctic, reindeer use their great sense of smell to detect food buried deep beneath the snow.

Reindeer are excellent swimmers.

And of course they pull Santa’s sleigh.

Wild life experts consider that Reindeer are an endangered species

Need to learn more about the Reindeer?

Almost to the heads now.

 

Ready for the antlers

A

And the rest is all downhill.

Tassels done and ready to wear, just in time…

Super warm, and fits great!

Lets go!!

 

Hold on I know there is something down there I need to get! I’m not a reindeer but I can smell under the snow also.

Yeah it’s right here…

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