Peppermint Coffee and Chat

It is a fact universally acknowledged, that I have a tendency to consume caffeinated beverages in large quantities. This is not good for my body, but Peppermint Coffee is certainly good for my soul! And the holiday season must have its indulgences!





I’m trying to get back into regularly scheduled programming, so this post may be a bit all over the place. However, since life tends to be all over the place . . . I’ll fit in. Fifteen inches of snow in Missouri must have a prominent place in any post I make. FUN!



Sally and Kala have been having great fun in the snow, and Lance has had his moments. [grin] In this one, he's looking for a snowball!



The washing machine is filling, the dryer is rumbling, and the bathroom sink is filling the air with the stink of wet alpaca, ah, such bliss. [grin] I love things made of alpaca, but it is almost as bad as wet dog when it’s being washed and blocked! Not that I’ve actually blocked the dogs, mind you. Nothing new, I’m afraid. Just the leaf lace shawl from previous posts. And the Ostrich Plumes Stole will be next. I’ve GOT to invest in blocking wires sometime soon.



Contentment and crisp snow-scented air swirl through my house, and I’m wrapped in the chenille shawl my mom gave me for Christmas several years ago. I wish I could say my toes were toasty, but store-bought cotton can’t compare to hand-made wool, and my tootsies are chilled! I’m about to start the heel on my lavender socks – having frogged them as started on larger needles. Mid-calf, simple rib. I’m trying to get these done FAST! I refuse to buy socks when I have this much scrumptious sock yarn to hand! [sigh] (note: failed that one and bought two new pair of socks as multiple pairs gave all in one week!)


My dog contingent has had its troubles recently, but getting Kala the Husky spayed should help with some of the problems. She and Sally the Shepherd have been arguing over Kala’s coming of age. Typical sibling sniping over toys escalated into a bar room brawl twice in six weeks. I was astonished at the amount of spit involved! NOT dainty dogs by a long shot. Silly jocks. How did a wimp like me end up with so many jocks for dogs? Not a single computer geek in the bunch! But the surgery went well, and the snow last week as completed the re-bonding process between the Husky and the Shepherd. Who can resist playing tag in the snow?



What else is new? Well, I’ve been working on a baby surprise jacket in shades of blue for my niece, and Friday I found the perfect buttons for it! Dark blue with light blue flecks. I think I’ll get pictures taken this afternoon, so I’m assuming that there is a picture here for you to ogle. This is the jacket in Elizabeth Zimmerman’s “Opinionated Knitter” and I’m having a blast knitting it up. I’ve doubled the yarn and gone up a few needle sizes to get something big enough for my two y o niece. Her deep blue eyes should be set off well by this yarn, and it’s acrylic, so she’ll actually be able to wear it with ease! Or should I say, her mother and father will be able to wash it with ease!

Now, a wicked head cold and then a sinus infection delayed this post by several weeks. So I’m still wrapped in chenille, but have a box of tissues surgically grafted to my elbow, and am getting increasingly grumpy about said graft. I think they took skin from my nose to complete the surgery. Cats purr, and I grumble. Dogs prance, and I grumble. If I had something dire, I would not be so grumpy. I’m only this grumpy when inconvenience is the chief factor of the malady!

I’m working on a shawl from Folk Shawls in charcoal grey Galway Highland Heather 100% wool. This will match my dark grey winter fedora, and give me a second winter-thick shawl to wear. Unfortunately for the shawl, I am stacked up with knitting projects to finish for Christmas – some of which are VERY satisfying and I cannot be tempted back to the grey wool when I’ve having so much fun making “Candy Cane Hats” in various flavors and fibers! These hats are from Melanie Falick’s Handknit Holidays and constitute my first attempt at real colorwork – the kind that involves switching back and forth in the same row! Fare Isle here I come!

Christmas music and some meditation have soothed my spirit a bit. And watching the dogs play with their “early” Christmas presents has had me cracking up! I couldn’t resist the “Bad Cuz” toys. You can see them here. They’ve a great reputation for lasting a long time, even with determined eviscerators like my three!

Well, time to take some pictures to supplement this post. I’ll put in the shots of the dogs in the snow to keep you occupied until the shots of the knitting are done!