Rabbit Tracks in the Snow - Happy Hanukkah

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When I got into my car this morning, it was officially fifty-six degrees Fahrenheit. I say officially because the front of my house, like the front of the courthouse, faces north.  There is never ever EVER any sunlight there. So it always feels at least 10 degrees colder than the rest of the street. Practically freezing.  Throw in the wind tunnel that is trapped there, and you might even find yourself  searching for a pair of gloves.

And while I am worried about frostbite, my friend and fellow attorney Tony Richardson is dreaming about snow.  The man wants to SEE snow.  He wants to EXPERIENCE snow.  He wants a white Christmas.  In Central Florida.  Good luck, buddy.

It is scarf weather, my friends.  Not cold enough for a sweater (except in front of the courthouse), but a not-too-heavy scarf wards off the Florida chill, as well as an overworked air conditioner.  When it comes to scarves, I am set in my ways, and those ways are hand knit or hand crocheted.  Like socks, once you have worn a well-made hand knit scarf, there is no turning back.

I love lace knitting, so you will see lace patterns show up on most of my socks and many of my scarves.  I love the look, I love working the patterns.  Most of all, I love the results.

I have designed a number of scarves (and socks, and mittens) but this is one of my favorites because of the lace pattern, which I believe is called "Oriel" or sometimes "Cathedral Windows."  This is worked totally in acrylic baby yarn from Hobby Lobby.  So soft.

This is the scarf I wrapped around me today.  The pattern is from a very talented designer and prolific blogger, Alison Jeppson Hyde.  She calls the pattern "Rabbit Tracks" and provides the pattern on her blog at this link:

Rabbit Tracks Scarf Pattern

For my scarf, which I call "Cat's Paw", I added a fourth repeat of the pattern, so it looks like there are four paws moving across the fabric.  I also followed her suggestion for the lacy edging.

I purchased her book Wrapped in Comfort some years ago, and I completed one of her wonderful shawls.  I'm crazy about hand knit shawls.  Her patterns are gorgeous.  Gorgeous.  And there is a story behind each one.

I used Paton's "Lace" for this - if I remember correctly, I used two skeins.  Nice yarn to work with and very reasonably priced.

The year is streaking to the end, and tonight is the first night of Hanukkah.  Happy Hanukkah to my family and friends!  May your lives shine as brightly as the candles on the menorah.  And may your latkes never get soggy!