Post Christmas Thoughts

Some years, the little things make all the difference.

Rhonda’s childlike wonder, glee and mischief as soon as we brought out the first few Christmas decorations effortlessly put smiles on our faces.

The pups have both been joyful presences in our lives this season. Ronni has been the typical wide-eyed 4-year-old, believing in Santa Claus (in her own doggy way) and doing her best to sneak into the wrapped gifts and stockings.

Her nose is unrelenting in sniffing out anything edible – especially if it’s not meant for her.

Baxter is the patient older brother, more mellow but not above grabbing a bow off the floor and running into his kennel to shred it. He rolls his eyes at his little sister’s antics, and is bored by my attempts at Christmas photo shots.

Ronni seems to recognize the changes in the living room and is jazzed by the shiny lights and brightly wrapped boxes … or is it just that there’s an x-pen up, meaning there must be something on the other side of it we don’t want her getting into?

I know you’ll laugh when I say Rhonda seems to be speaking clearly as her soft little “Woo woo woo’s” tells me, “Mom, is it Christmas yet? Moooom! Can we tear up just one present early?”

I think this one’s for me …

Whether naughty or nice, Ronni and Baxter are a bright light in my life.

Speaking of life … and dogs; this year, I started building my Christmas spirit a couple of months early by planning a special gift.

Of course, for me, that usually means spinning and knitting. For this gift, I pulled out some yarn I’ve been saving with a great deal of care for years.

I’d told Jerry a long time ago that I would make him a hat using fur from his hero dog, Libby. This year, it was time to make good on that promise.

I had to dig deep in my fiber stash to find the single skein of white Libby fur that I had spun and then plied with dark brown wool, and the cream and gold Abby/Falki yarn also spun several years ago. Two small skeins of very special memories.

Deciding these two small skeins weren’t quite enough for a hat, and honestly, thinking it needed more wool worked in to add strength and elasticity to the hat, I chose two shades of Shetland sheep’s wool – a chocolate brown and a light tan, and spun up a skein of each.

Now I had enough yarn. What to do with it?

OK, the goal was to make a SPECIAL hat for Jerry for Christmas out of hand-spun yarn – including this special doggy yarn. I’m the first to admit that much as I love to spin, I am at best a mediocre knitter. I’m also a really slow knitter.

So, a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, I pulled out the big guns. I called my dear friend, Ruth, who is one of the best knitters I know. Help!!

Fortunately, Ruth loves my hand spun yarn, so we made a deal. In exchange for a couple of skeins of colorful hand spun yarn for her, she agreed to take my Shetland and doggy yarn and knit this special hat for me (for Jer)..

The paw-print pattern was Ruth’s creation, too. I could never have come up with anything so perfect!

The hat was by far Jer’s favorite Christmas gift this year. Maybe best ever. Made with love.