Christmas at Sea

When we think of Christmas, we usually think of time spent with family and friends; going to Christmas Eve services, singing carols, gathering in a warm home, eating a feast of turkey, ham, potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie. Of course, we share gifts.

There is some irony that the Christmas gifts we will share with family and friends in the warmth of our homes will most likely have arrived from overseas, aboard merchant ships whose seafarers will spend Christmas in the middle of some ocean, far away from their own family and friends.

But all of us have the opportunity to return the favor to those seafarers and unselfishly share the spirit of Christmas. There are local Seafarer's Ministries with Lutheran Chaplains at the Ports of the oceans and lakes around the United States and the Caribbean.

Chaplains meet with the seafarers when they come to their ports and provide an ear to listen and a smile to encourage. Each port has a program to provide gifts to the seafarers that come to their ports during the Christmas season.

Lutheran Advocates for Maritime Mission (LAMM) is an independent Lutheran organization that relates to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through the unit of Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission. You could participate in a ministry in your area or find one on our website that you would like to support.

Please go to the website and find a Port Ministry you can support. You can help bring some joy to those who will be separated from family and friends during this Christmas season.

Photos are from Seafarer's House, Inc in Port Everglades, FL; courtesy of Maritime Art By BobbyR (Robert Raskin, photographer)

These are gifts that are given to the seafarers for Christmas. Usually groups work on these all year round and give them to the Port Ministries to give out as Christmas gifts. For those seafarers that sail during the Winter months, it gets very cold out on deck at sea, especially while sailing the Atlantic, the North Atlantic, the Great Lakes and the North Pacific.

Crocheted Scarf

Finished Size: 7 1/2" x 42"

Gauge: 4 double crocheted stitches = 1 inch

Materials: 5 ounces, 4-ply yarn; crochet hook, size G

Directions:

Chain 32 loosely

Row 1: Right side, Double Crochet (DC) in 4th chain from hook and in remaining 29 chains.

Row 2: Turn. Chain 3 (Counts as first DC, now and throughout). *DC in back loop of next 4 DC. DC in front loop of next 4 DC. Repeat from * through last DC. End with DC in top stitch of turning chain.

Row 3: Repeat row 2 to desired length, ending with last row on right side.

Fasten off.

Please do not add fringe or tassels. Do not use pastel colors

Watch Cap

Material: 4-Ply Yarn (3 ozs. will complete a cap)

Please don’t use more than one color on cap. Do not use pastel colors

Needles: No 6 and wool needle to join seam and crown

Gauge: 4 sts to inch and 7 rows to inch in garter stitch

Directions:

Cast on 84 sts. K2, P2 ribbing for 4 inches

K even for 40 rows (this makes 20 ridges of garter stitch)

*K10, K2 tog, repeat from * across. Knit back next row.

*K9, K 2 tog, repeat from * across. Knit back next row.

*K8, K2 tog, repeat from * across. Knit back next row.

Seafarer's Scarf

Materials: 5 oz. 4-ply machine washable yarn

Needles: No. 6, crochet hook or wool needle for finishin

Gauge: 5 sts = 1" ; 8 rows = 1" approximately

Directions:

Cast on 32 sts with medium tension.

Knit even for 14 inches.

K 4, P 4 for 18 inches.

Knit even for 14 inches.

Bind off with medium tension and weave in all ends.

Note: Measurement of completed scarf (without stretching it) is 6 1/2" wide and 46" long. The 18 inches of ribbing will make the neck of the scarf narrow looking. This makes the scarf denser and warmer around the neck where you need it without adding extra bulk. Do not use pastel colors