This year I have been realistic and reasonable about my Christmas Knitting.  I was realistic about the amount of time I could reasonably expect to spend on real knitting in December.  I was realistic about the level of real desire for hand-knit garments I could realistically expect to be generated by the members of my real family who really already have a goodly amount of hand-knit garments.  Some people would really rather have a Home Depot gift card.  That is reasonable, after all, right?

In all reality, there were just a few gifts to knit this year.  So, I ordered a really reasonable amount of yarn for a few reasonable projects.  And I have been cheerfully and reasonably knitting away. 

I have seriously reined myself in this year.  And even so, I am a little nervous about getting things done in time to mail off so they arrive for Christmas.  But I have an even greater worry.  One that shadows my waking hours and haunts my nights.

I worry that I will run out of Christmas Knitting before Christmas.

You see, the vision that dances sugarplum-like in my head involves peaceful days and blissful nights spent knitting delightful gifts for all my friends and family — taking cheerful and very occasional breaks to write a Christmas card or play "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" on the piano or do a little light decorating such as arranging the Nativity set.  As each gift is completed, I wrap it beautifully while listening Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" and every gift destined for New York or Nevada or California is mailed inexpensively and arrives in good time to reign in splendor under the loved one's Christmas tree.  Meanwhile, I spend the last gilded days leading up to Christmas in a gentle flurry of exquisite knitting which concludes as afternoon wanes on Christmas Eve and then as the glorious stars shine above and angels sing on high, I place the final beribboned offering under our own glittering tree.

Of course, there is nothing reasonable or realistic about this vision.  So, clearly, I may have made a tactical error in persuing the path of reason when it comes to the Christmas Knitting.  Well, it is early days yet. And I have not nearly finished my Christmas shopping yet.  There is still time to succumb to inspiration!