My Christmas knitting report was a bit, um, triumphant.  And while it is all well and good to be pleased with one’s accomplishments, it is only fair to put the achievements in perspective.  I guess I forget that most of you who read my blog are not hanging around my house sipping tea and either tsking over or smiling at the festive (occasionally frantic) bohemian chaos that marks our lives – especially at Christmastime!

So, I should point out that the knitting and other projects I worked on through December meant a routine of early mornings and late nights – and most everything was finished in the ta-da knick of time with hardly a moment to spare. 

I must give deep and heartfelt thanks to my husband George who is not only a great cook and fabulous baker, but a tremendous kitchen manager.  He handled the lion’s share of the holiday cooking, grocery shopping, baking, and kitchen clean-up while the lioness was feverishly knitting or stitching away.  He did a lot of other housework, too.  The rest of the family pitched in (as they always do) and we could not have done it without them!

I kept up with the laundry, did a lot of the decorating and gift-wrapping – and George and I always do the gift shopping together (he drives and I knit!).  But my Christmas cards are late for the first time ever. Sigh.  Usually I get going on those early in the month, but this year they got pushed until the week before Christmas – when everyone was home and then my sister Susan’s family came and, well, the cards were set aside in favor of spending time with all of them, of course.

The point is that knitting happens against the backdrop of our lives – or perhaps, more accurately, as an integral part of our lives.  It is influenced by what occurs in our days and it impacts those very events & activities, chores & commitments, the drudgeries & the festivities.  There are choices to be made, compromises to be made, adjustments to be made.

 I felt I should show that the only reason I could accomplish all that I did and still have such a full & festive family Christmas is that we have a terrific family team.  And that there are times when I put my knitting work above other work – and I am blessed to have a husband who understands and supports that!  And that, try as I may to keep my goals realistic and my time frame reasonable, I usually end up behind schedule – over-tired, kinda stressed out, obsessive….not at my best. 

I just wanted to give an accurate picture of what my knitting life is like during the Holiday Season to set alongside the list of my projects.  Keeping it real!