Gripped by the “Grippe”….Dec.20, 2004

Grippe~
1. A tight hold; a firm grasp
2. The pressure or strength of such a grasp
3. A manner of grasping and holding

What a yucky couple of days it has been !  I don’t know what got ahold of me…….but the above definitions of "Grippe" (another term for flu), kind of tells the story of just how my stomach has felt.  Today is the first day that I have even felt remotely good enough to think about blogging. Ho, ho, ho

Yule~Tide Cheer

Last week, Norma and I conversed about contests.  I was going to run a contest for favorite Christmas drink recipes……….but being the sick one that I was over the weekend….I thought that I would wait for another time for a contest.  However………..I AM going to share a fantastic egg~nog recipe that I have been using for years and years and years……..   It may not sound all that special, but whip up a batch……. I tell ya……it keeps them coming back year after year..LOL

I would love to read some of your favorite Christmas Yule~Tide recipes 🙂  Perhaps we could put a little "Christmas Spirit" booklet together…………

EGG~NOG
12 eggs (separated)
1pint heavy cream
1/2 gallon milk
1cup rum (more or less)..we like more 🙂
1 1/2 c. sugar
3tsp. vanilla
nutmeg
Beat yolks & sugar in large bowl.  Beat whites in another bowl and beat cream in yet another bowl.  Slowly beat milk into yolk mixture, then fold in whites and cream.  (I actually beat the whites and cream in, so that it is well mixed).  Add your rum and then top off with lots of nutmeg  ~YUM

On the Knitting Front
I have been working a few small projects over the last week.  You will remember from a previous post, about the jester hat, I was making for a friend overseas.  Well…….a jester hat it did not become….as the points were just giving me a headache. However, I played with the pattern and came up with this rendition.  It looked sooooooo cute on my grandson, that one will soon go onto the needles for him as well…….although, he is not too good about keeping hats on these days…LOL

Next on the FO list were these bags.  I had sooooooooo much fun with these little bags.  Being a die-hard natural fiber person, I never thought that I would ever knit with these fibers…….but, even a yarn snob can be converted.  These bags were fun.  Not only can they be used as a small purse, but they make fabulous bait bags for those that show dogs and would like to add a little pizzaz to their outfits. 

BTW…………do you notice……..those bags are being photographed on my new kitchen floor……yippee!!  It is soooooo nice to not be living on plywood any longer :-))))

In the Mail
Look what Mr. Postman brought to me in the last 2 weeks!!  I surely do look forward to all of the great publications that Interweave creates for us fiber folk. 

I haven’t had much time for reading……..but I have had enough time to glance thru all of the magazines and there are some wonderful projects to fill the winter months.  Which brings me to my next subject

Spinning
I think that I may have been a wee bit ambitious in my Christmas knitting.  You have heard of writer’s cramp…….well, I am getting a serious case of "knitter’s cramp"  I have decided that for next year, I will knit one Christmas present a month…..that way, I won’t be cramming in December…LOL.  (time will tell if I can be THAT organized)

I thought that as soon as I finished my Christmas knitting, I would give my tired, cramping hands a rest and set about some spinning again.  In glancing at the cover
of the newest Spin~Off magazine, I just fell in love with the scarf featured.  I have this lovely rose~grey alpaca cria roving that I had purchased in Rhinebeck.  I am thinking that it would make a lovely scarf, so I set about spinning it as fine as I am able to do.  It probably will not be lace weight, but closer to
fingering weight, which should still be ok. 

On my last trip to Caravan beads, I saw some beads that I think will complement this yarn perfectly.  I will have to set about a trip down there after the holidays

~I will leave you with this~

The Song of the Holly Fairy

O, I am green in Winter`time,
When other trees are brown;
Of all the trees (so saith the rhyme)
The holly bears the crown.
December days are drawing near
When I shall come to town,
And carol~boys go singing clear.
Of all the trees (O hush and hear!)
The holly bears the crown!

For who so well~beloved and merry
As the Scarlet Holly Berry?

* An excerpt from A Deluxe Book of Flower Fairies…Cicely Mary Baker

~Have a great week!