phila*craft

my merry men


The internet came to my rescue when on the day before Halloween I still hadn't put together Bruno's costume. It seems to be a trend that he wants to be a character in a book we're reading around the time of the holiday; we recently finished the version of Robin Hood told by Robert Leeson. I googled "robin hood hat pattern" and "sewn cape pattern" and happily arrived here and here. The cape fastens with a button on one side and a crochet chain loop sewn to the opposite side. I made the buskins using men's socks with the toe and heel cut out and fitted over Bruno's boots with crochet chain laces. The quiver is just a rectangle of felt folded and sewn along one side and at the bottom with a strip of fabric attached to the two ends for a strap. His belt is a long strip of garter stitch knitted wool. Since Elio arrived, he's been happy to be Bruno's sidekick each Halloween. This year he was the steadfast Little John in a Robin hat of his own and Bruno's Viking vest from a few years ago. Bruno's whole outfit came together in less than an hour which had me thinking it would make a good gift to put together (with a bow and suction-cup arrows set) for little boys on a holiday gift list.