Our transition from Christmas to Winter is leisurely.  We are still enjoying instrumental Christmas music and the last round of pastries.  Relishing the last days with our decorations.  We will pack them up this week — tho I have never come up with a lovely phrase for that process, so I am referring to it as “Decorating the House for Winter” and we will leave out the snowy bits and enough delightful battery-lit pieces to brighten the long dark evenings.

As usual, I find myself finishing up my Christmas knitting in these early days of January.  George had requested a Stephen West shawl to wear at home in the evenings.  I chose Stripescape and bought colors to match our living room.

I also knit him a hat (which was finished for Christmas!) utilizing a slip stitch pattern — and I making a coordinating one for me.  So we will look adorable when we go for Winter walks together 🙂

I received yarn to make one of Sarah Schira’s charming Gnomes.  It was a gift in our family Christmas Eve “Grinch” exchange — and was extra Grinchy since (due to delivery issues) I did not receive the yarn until January 4th!  But it is on the needles now 🙂 So much fun to knit!  Like a fancy sock, but I don’t have to knit the second one!

And what is up next?  My Winter knitting will include some Scandinavian slippers and cozy bootees.  And Stephen West’s “Briyoke” — a brioche pullover that should carry me from our frosty Winter through our chilly Spring.  Sort of like a favorite sweatshirt.  

Bring on the hot tea and firelight!  Quiet days and leisurely evenings — the gifts of Winter.