Christmas 2013

Double Cappuccino & Ruffles

Published on December 29, 2013December 19, 2023 by Jen16 Comments

The lace leg-warmers are at last sweetly embracing my now fourteen-year-old niece . . . . . sans boots.

The ‘boot leg’ photo will have to be another time. In fact, these leg warmers are named “Double Cappuccino” because whenever we have our Equinox sweater photos, they always, without fail, begin at Calistoga Roastery. That, and they really do remind me of a whip-topped yummy drink. Until the next time at the roastery , I was lucky to squeeze in this little photo shoot before our visit was up and my nieces had to leave back home.

Double Cappuccino Leg Warmers have a frothed milk quality with an ever-so-slightly asymmetrical lace pattern in ribbing, and is such a speedy and uncomplicated knit. ((proof : I made these while hiking)) Knit with sport-weight natural undyed superwash sock yarn, achieving just the right light airy quality from knitting on US 4 – 3.50 mm needles. Tasty !

My niece in her infinite good taste, chose to adorn the upper rib with cute little buttons . . .

Which makes these warm to the eyes as well as to the touch !

Calistoga Coffee Roastery is the first stop with all of our modeling of Equinox Sweaters, so it will be the first design (and kick-off) of my ~~ Calistoga Collection !

Double Cappuccino pattern on Ravelry HERE

Pattern page for Double Cappuccino on Yarnings HERE

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Now, I can’t leave it at that , because *both* of my lovely nieces participated in our little impromptu knit-wear photo shoot of this morning. Here is my adorable eleven-year-old niece in the “Ruffles” scarf I made her for Christmas.

It is nice simply tied and cascading down the front,

or double wrapped and tied for a very pretty affect.

Is she not the most photogenic kid ever?

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Ruffles details on Ravelry HERE

Free How-To instructions for Ruffles Scarf HERE.

Christmas

Published on December 25, 2013June 15, 2018 by Jen16 Comments

Wishing you All a very Merry Christmas!

Hugs & Kisses to All. xoxo

(( This is the flannel check shirt I worked on for nearly four days, for Jeff while he was in Mexico. Try to overlook the ever-so-slightly wrinkliness of it. 🙂 ))

One-And-A-Half Days

Published on December 23, 2013June 15, 2018 by Jen8 Comments

Dazzled by the spirit of the holiday, and all that I’ve been busy with.

I can’t believe this pile of gifts I made . . .

(( My heart is about to burst with pride that I sure turned around when I thought I could only manage the kitty which got sent off over two weeks ago, and the felted bag which went to Mexico with Jeff. ))

Since then I really went into making overdrive.

All of my hand-made Christmas gifts are finished, as of yesterday, and tucked under the tree, waiting for family to gather. I hate to seem all smug & self-satisfied, but now that I am finished, I can’t help but just be elated, and enjoy myself !!! This folks, is not something that happens every Christmas, as I am usually always making up into Christmas Day itself, and beyond. But this year…. I just put my nose to the grindstone and did it.

( Interesting lights photo at top of page was accidentally shot while I was moving in front of our Christmas tree. )

Sending out loads of love and encouragement to all those elves busy still making, hoping all gets finished and that you may too relax ! ~~ xx.

Three Days

Published on December 22, 2013March 27, 2019 by Jen11 Comments

One of my weird kitchen concoctions ~~ hot pepper chocolate.

I have been home alone on the mountain with Emma and The Ravens for four days now. Jeff is returning tonight, from Mexico where he has been visiting with his daughter in Cancun since the nineteenth, visiting ancient Mayan ruins and enjoying a lovely warm beach. Here, I’ve been very busy with holding the fort, and working on this lacey thing . . .

But really what I’ve been working hard on while alone in the house, is my traditional gift of Christmas to Jeff, but I dare not show you a thing until Christmas morning. In the mean time, still serving up my Spiced Chocolate drink if you’d like to stop by ~~I’ll whip one up for you ! If you can’t make it over, I understand, but you’ll have to try this at home ! Here’s how :

Jen’s Spicy Bittersweet Chocolate

(For two servings)

With a mortar & pestle, crunch up a couple of cinnamon sticks, and dried chile flakes or a whole small chile pepper ~~ to taste, what you consider ‘barely hot’ , or ‘really hot’, it is up to you.

(( Optional: a few cardamom pods, and a ‘petal’ from a star anise pod, a dash of grey sea salt ))

Simmer in a pan with about 3 cups of water for about 20 minutes, take off heat and melt into it a few ounces bittersweet chocolate, whisking while it melts.

More chocolate is nice… as much as you feel to balance against the heat of the peppers. I don’t add more sugar, as the idea is to be bittersweet and spicy hot… which is really delicious. However, nobody is stopping you from sweetening it up :).

Whip up a small bowl of cream, again, barely sweetened.

Strain through sieve into cups and pile on the whipped cream , sprinkle with something… like nutmeg or cinnamon… and enjoy !

Wishing You All and Yours lovely days of these fresh first winter days (or summer) and Happy Christmas sentiments.

Six Days

Published on December 19, 2013March 11, 2019 by Jen16 Comments

Taking a break from the yarns, and before I get into the next big project, I thought I’d make a batch of cranberry jam ! The mountain’s freeze-drying wind is keeping me from walking today, and so here I am, with cheery sing-along Christmas songs , a fire in the woodstove, and more still to make.

Just feeling rather cheer’d by the seasonal dazzle of colored lights and sentimental old ornaments. Some are very old, as this doll’s doll that was my mother’s as a child, which I made into an ‘ornament’ years ago, and the little sheep given to me by a friend back when I just started learning to spin and got a spinning wheel . . .

And the little ‘teazle mouse’ given along with a really generous gift certificate to a lovely spinning shop, now two decades ago (does anybody remember the one in Jack London Square in Sonoma??) I remember I only got to spend a little of it before the shop sadly went out of business.

I’ll be making some peppery spiced cocoa a little later today so do hang around !