Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!

YOP Sunday and more...........

In between storms I managed to get "finished" items in the mail, do some baking and get ingredients for Christmas food and frivolities.  They will have things for Christmas....just not everything.

 These are those 6 minute caramels done in the microwave....recipe on All Recipes.  They didn't set very well but it sure didn't bother the taste!  I put sea salt on them this year...yummo.

 Toasted up those pumpkins seeds too.......also made the original Chex Party Mix and mailed out. 

Yesterday we had torrential downpours and flash flooding and my sump pump decided to "retire" during that time.  The basement started filling with water and I called my plumber who I have since renamed to "Christmas Angel".  He was over in less than 30 minutes and put in a used pump until he can order me a new one.  There goes my Christmas and birthday wishes....I was hoping Santa might bring me a Kindle but it looks like now there will be a sump pump under the tree instead. 
But aside from all that.....the knitting angels HAVE been hovering over me big time!  Look at this.....

I still can't believe I knitted this!
  I know to many of you hats are easy but this was my first one and all those mistakes and frustrating moments of past knitting finally paid off.....I never once had to go to Knitting Help, I used circular needles and then switched to DPNS and never had a problem and I understood all the acronyms used in the pattern and the stitches.    This is really the first project that I am truly proud of and it makes me feel like I can finally and truly call myself a knitter!  Merry Christmas to me and my knitting angels. (There must have been a team of them helping me).
But wait!  That's not all...........

  I'm doing ear flaps and an I-cord tie with tassels on the end.  Remember the chair pad that was all I-cord?   Well, all my projects this year seemed to lead to knowing how to make this hat.  BTW, the Purl Soho Basic Hat Pattern I bought was well worth it!  Also, I have finally found a great knitting project that I can do while watching t.v.  I'm off to cast on a simple roll brim hat now...there are games to watch today and tonight the Bear's play the Eagles and I get to see it on t.v.  There's a Christmas present right there as I never get to see the Bears on t.v.  Go Bears!

I wish you all the merriest and brightest of everything now and in the coming year.....