2009 Wrap Up

This time last year I was so excited about digging into my stash and knitting a good chunk of it up. And I had 12 brown bags, each filled with a small project, stapled up and ready for each month of the year. I was ready for the challenge of not buying yarn, too.

Now that the year's almost over, I'm trying to assess how it went. I opened up each brown bag and as of today, only have two projects that are still in the works. One is the April project, my Good and Plenty mitts and the other is the December project, Wanida socks for me. I'm feeling no pressure to try and finish these by year's end, believe me.

As far as knitting down my stash. I did knit it down...but not a lot. I have tons of yarn for sweaters and I only knit a few sweaters last year. I knit a lot of socks and small projects. I've totally changed my sock knitting, now I no longer knit K2,P2 rib socks but rather, patterns that are fun and even a challenge, too. This change made me want to knit socks, socks, socks! I have knit the Diagonal Rib sock at least 8 times, so maybe that can be called my new K2, P2. It's a pattern that I have memorized so it's the easy project that follows me everywhere. I even did a test knit this year for Picnicknits. I'll continue to knit socks and more socks next year...I can't help it!

Next year I only have two goals:
1. Knit socks from the toe up.
2. Knit more sweaters.

I better get clicking!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Merry Christmas! I hope you're having a fun day...opening presents, visiting with family and friends, relaxing and enjoying the day.

We're having a great time!

Check out those socks...ho ho ho!
Santa brought the kids a basketball hoop! Joey helps Mike put it together.

B-ball time!!

Secret Santa

Sunday we had our knitting group Christmas Party. We did a Secret Santa gift exchange and lookie what I got from my Secret Santa, Tracy!! My first ever skein of Malabrigo Sock!! The pictures just don't do the color justice...they are so rich and yummy. The yarn is not gonna end up on my feet though...I'm going to make Picnicknits' Gaenor (another gift from Tracy). Isn't it adorable?! I love it!! I just started another mini shawl so Gaenor will have be wait a little bit. But I'm knitting as fast as I can, so it won't be long!

Oooooo...Mmmmmmalabrigo!

Tracy, who is also LOVES animals, got Gracie and Jake gifts, too!! She's so sweet. She knit a catnip mousie that is so cute, but once we gave it to Jake, he hid it away. He probably thinks we're going to give it to that dog or something.

Gracie went absolutely nuts over her little ducky. Within 24 hours she had that thing shredded...there was duck guts (stuffing, for you non-dog owners) all over the house! She carries it around everywhere and sleeps with it under her head.

Ducky has taken a beating, but he (and Tracy) sure made our little dog happy!

Thanks Secret Santa!!

Cherry Mistmas!

Another great Holiday Recipe for you to try:

Patron Christmas Cookies

1 cup of water

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup or brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup nuts

2 cups of dried fruit

1 bottle Patron Silver Tequila

Sample the Patron to check quality.

Take a large bowl,

check the Patron again, to be sure it is of the highest quality,

pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer.

Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl.
Add one peastoon of sugar.

Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the Patron is still ok, try another cup just in case.

Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs

and add to the bowl and

chuck in the cup

of dried fruit.

Pick the frigging fruit off the floor.

Mix on the turner.

If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaters just pry

it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Patron to check for tonsisticity.

Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.

Who geevesa sheet.

Check the Patron.

Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts.

Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink.

Whatever you canfind.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fallover.

Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window,

finish the Patron

and make sure to put the stove in the wishdasher.

Cherry Mistmas!

(Thanks for this recipe, Spidwy!)

Crack Pretzels

Ok, here's a Holiday Recipe that is so easy and so good...you're gonna love it! A couple years ago BadJen gave these out to us knitters at Christmastime and they've been a huge hit ever since. You can find the recipe here. BadJen named them "Crack Pretzels" because, well, you know how addictive they say the drug "crack" is...enough said.

You need the square pretzels (I found them at Target), kisses (I used dark and milk chocolate) and M&Ms.

Lay the pretzels on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment and put a kiss on top of each. Yeah, you have to peel the kisses. (Um, sorry about the photo, it didn't look good at any angle.)

After you've cooked them at 170 degrees for about 5 minutes, take them out and put an M&M on top of each one and press gently down. This takes a bit of dexterity to get it centered and not pushed down too hard. Don't fret; you can do it!

Viola! Put them in the fridge for about 10 minutes to set. I usually let them harden on the counter for a few hours then put them in ziplock baggies.
Enjoy!

IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!!

PACKAGES FROM AUNT BARB & UNCLE MARK!!!!

If you haven't already, put this on your Christmas list to Santa: "Please bring me an Aunt Barb and Uncle Mark." Not everyone is lucky enough to have one...but we do!

Presents for the kids...for me...and tons of Sees Candy!!

How did they know I was whining about not having any Sees Candy?

Maybe they're really Mr. & Mrs. Claus....

You just never know...

Looks like I made the homepage of the Amelia Runners Club...oh brother! We were doing a warm up routine before our Reindeer Run 5K. I saw the guy taking the video...you just never know where a random video will show up. I'll have to learn to be more careful in the future.

USPS Here I Come!!

I finished all my shopping for presents that needed to be mailed, got the Christmas cards done and ready for mailing...so I'm off the the Post Office in the morning.

Ya think there will be a line?

Ugh.

C is for Cookie

Veronica made Christmas cookies...you know, the sugar kind for decorating. She did everything all by herself! She also organized my cookie cutters...you gotta love that!

Concert Night

We had to divide and conquer last night because both concerts were on the same night. Both were a huge success!

Joey gave his trumpet a bath and polished it up...look at that baby shine!

Please don't try to adjust your computer screen...that is Veronica in a dress.

Closer...and.......Closer!

I know Christmas is inching closer...and not because every morning Justine bounces out of her bedroom and announces how many days left until Christmas...I know because...

...I still have a pile of Christmas cards sitting on my table. Half are addressed, none are written in, I have no return address labels (have to have cute, Christmas ones of course) and I have three stamps in my position (none of which I can use because I need the Madonna stamps instead). I remember the days when I would have the cards out before Thanksgiving weekend was up. Those days are LONG gone.

...My closet is filling up with plastic bags full of presents for my family. That's the hiding place...it's ok, if you know, everyone knows (and they know to stay out, if they want their presents).

...I made my first batch of Almond Roca on Tuesday. I also have enough ingredients to make another 7 batches in my pantry. Gee, I hope that's enough.

...I'm knitting at a feverish pace to make sure CERTAIN things get done.

...I'm wondering what to get for the 5 people I work with....any ideas?

...I got an email from my mom giving me the wish list for my niece and nephews. Crap, I coulda got them stuff when I was at the mall yesterday. Back to the mall, I suppose.

...I have got to make it to the one See's Candy kiosk in all of Jacksonville to get goodies for the family (um...and me). I liked San Diego better, there was a See's Candy STORE in every mall...even one at the airport!

...I'm getting a hankerin' to drive around and look at Christmas lights! I'm even excited about going downtown and seeing the big tree at the Landing do it's little show of lights and music (hokey, but good family fun).

Gotta go...Christmas is coming!