On The Home Stretch...

I'm exhausted and my body actually hurts after all the knitting I've been doing the last week or so. Today I'm heading on the homestretch and if I had just one more day I would be on time! But, my SIL, a quilter for whom I'm making the Tote 'Em bag from the recent Knitters, is coming tomorrow to exchange gifts! I have the knitting done and tonight I was able to felt it, but I doubt it will be dry, not to mention that I have not knit the 12 feet of I-cord, knit in 2 foot strips, which are braided for the handles! I ended up doing the I-cord bind off and starting the handles in the red, even though it is supposed to be in the oatmeal color, because I ran out, even though I used the recommended yarn and amount. It seems like everything I have knit the last two months has had some kind of stress attached to it! I hope I start a new trend for the new year! :-)

I also made sugar cookies today from my Betty Crocker Cooky Book which I love. The link is for a reprint, mine is the 1963 edition, therefore older than me. It was my Aunt Grace's and she gave it to Mom and Mom gave it to me several years ago. I cheated on some other things...I used Krusteaz mix for lemon bars and pumpkin bread and a kit for Magic Cookie Bars. I gave myself permission to do that this year since I was on this knitting deadline. I also made our family favorite, White Chocolate Popcorn (2 bags of light microwave popcorn, kernels removed and 1 bag melted white chocolate chips, thoroughly stirred in...it sounds weird, but it's addictive!) and was going to make fudge but ran out of time. Tomorrow I need to put them together in containers and distribute them to our neighbors.

We are not sure what we are doing for Christmas completely. For several years we have had a tradition of going to the Sacramento Zoo, but this year it is on a Sunday and so we have not decided how we are juggling everything. If we have three sick kiddos, it may be a mute point. However, on Christmas Day we do know we will be puppy sitting Pixie, a wonderful Sheltie belonging to my friend Sonia. All of us except for Abbie (our gray tabby) are looking forward to that! :-) Pixie will think she died and went to heaven if we let her out under the table when the kids are eating! LOL

Well, if there is anyone out in blogland reading you must be done with your knitting, shopping, baking...or just taking a brain break like me!