caps for their heads December yarn along

Knitting caps are to me a Christmasy thing to do, a gift that is easy, quick and makes me think of Little House on the Prairie days when handmade gifts were the only ones to be had during some of those leaner years, unlike the year Ma received the stove.

Breanna and Ivy's hats were knitted with my very own spun Romney wool that I dyed with Country Classic Dye.  The patterns for these hats can be found free on Ravelry, the Herringbone Hat by Ann Mizoguchi for the girls made for some fun color work while watching Hallmark Christmas movies. Since Riley is still a baby, I did not want his little head with significantly less hair to be in direct contact with the 100% wool, therefore, I decided that leftovers of acrylic yarn would do nicely for  knitting the Luuk by Annis Jones for him. I have so far knitted a pair of mittens for Ivy to go along with her hat, hopefully I will whip up some for Breanna too before Christmas.

With the Christmas season bringing extra events and activities, even so I continue to knit, and likewise, I continue to read. So much so that I presently am reading three books. But I wanted to share this particular cookbook with you. After checking it out from the library twice, I decided I must have it for more than its excellent recipes. Ruth Reichel was the former editor of Gourmet Magazine that left not only its loyal readers, but also its staff, lamenting its passing with the decision to stop its publication in 2009.

I am also reading The Substitute Guest, a Christmas story written by Grace Livingston Hill,  on those nights when even the decaf coffee delays sleep, and a book I received when I visited Operation Exodus in New York back in early October, Exodus II: Let My People Go by Steve Lightle. 

All three books are entirely different in content, technique of writing, and purpose but I am enjoying each one immensely.

I look forward to Ginny's Yarnalongs, please feel free to join in and share your latest fiber project and current reads.