Here we are again....

...at the end of another year, and I have some things I need to say.

First, notes on Christmas:

• Remember that 4 people for dinner (Christmas) is much different than 10 people for dinner (Thanksgiving).  I compensated, but not quite enough.  A work in progress
• Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Topping is the BOMB!  That's a keeper, and may become my standard potluck contribution.  NOM!
• Really and truly, the rolls are done at 8 minutes, no matter what they look like.  All those freakin' burned bottoms make no sense.  Maybe next year, try a free-form roll on the double-bottomed pizza pans?  Or set the muffin pans on a cookie sheet?
• 1 purchased pie crust = 16 cinnamon rolls.  Cooked on said pizza pans, 16 minutes appears to be not too long.
• Sad to say, I think the time for the matching Christmas Eve nightgowns is past.  Mom and I have a gazillion of them.  Must think of something else for next year; no idea what.
• Also, the Nutcracker is probably over, as well.  No clue what to replace that with, either.
• Must go through the stuff in the garage, if only to find the missing Christmas items, such as the hooks for the stockings.  Though the chair backs worked OK, in a pinch.
• Stuffing in the crock pot needs to be on LOW NOT HIGH!
• For WeHoSnB Christmas party, take hot cider.  (Would have been lovely, if I had made it to the party.  On the up side, I finished my hat, so it's ready for next year!)

Now, for some crafting talk of the year.  I am proud that the following ANCIENT UFOs have FINALLY been completed!:

• The Farm Blanket: only three years late, it actually was delivered at a good time, as the recipent is currently into farms and will make good use of it
• Belle's hoop and petticoat: not so timely, as I don't know how much Victorian (non-Steampunk) stuff Belle is doing these days, but she has it if she needs it.
• Belles' purple socks that have been languishing for several years

Several years ago, I tried an experiment aimed at getting some antique UFOs done and out of the house.  It was almost totally unsuccessful, but it seems like such a good idea that I am going to try it again.  The following are the past-due items that I will be concentrating on in the next year:

• Mark and Mary Ann's sweatshirts: need to get some equipment to make sure the transfers stay transferred; everything else is done.
• Mark and Mary Ann's scarves: definitely a project gone ferral, it shouldn't be this hard.  I think I will give up on making them shadow knit, and just go for stranded knitting, in the round.  This will make them thicker, but I am otherwise at a loss as to how to do something which SHOULD BE FREAKIN' SIMPLE.  Not that I'm cranky about it or anything.
• Linda's tablecloth.  One of 4 corners is done, one is more than half-done.  I don't know that I can finish in the next year, but I would at least like to have 3 corners done this time next year.
• Camp shirts for Bruce and Tom: the ones from two years ago I finally cut this year, but didn't get any farther.  The one from three years ago (for Bruce; Tom's got done at that time) has gone AWOL; what I thought were pattern pieces were, in fact, scraps.  I have no clue where to look for them.
• Tom's Fair Isle hat from last year.  I dyed the yarn, but have yet to pattern it.  It should be straight-forward, once I get the chart done.  I hope.

This is another list of things that I don't really expect to work on, but are nagging me for a mention:

• Kate's black beaded purse
• pink cabled socks for me
• natural kilt socks for Chris
• DK weight socks for my mom
• Thomas' jacket
• Sam's planets quilt (it's so old, Pluto was still a planet!)
• Sam's Disney Princess quilt (sell the squares on eBay?)

 And these are things that will probably jump the queue and get worked on, despite their lack of seniority:

• new bodice for the white Regency
• new bodice for the white Regency underdress (that goes under the gold gown)
• new grey Regency
• Daughters of Pele
• Captain Dubois

And these will only get worked on in some fantasy world/alternate universe:

• Regency riding habit
• new sage Regency
• yellow-green plaid bustle gown
• dark green bustle gown

To facilitate all this, it would probably be smart to go through every box in the garage, pitch a good deal, and replace the crumbling boxes with sturdier types.  Unfortunately, that would require shelf units in the garage to stack the danged things on, but...

This is daunting, but I'm glad to have it written down.