With visions of spinning wheels dancing in her head

We made it home safely from our holiday gathering. It was a quick trip this time because my oldest two have a cat-sitting job over the holidays and had to be back to scoop poop, feed, water and dole out treats to four adorable kitty friends.

As you can see by the date stamp on the quilt, it was finished on Christmas eve, mere hours before our trek south. My fingers were hamburger by the time I finished, since I don't hand-quilt very often and I've lost my calluses but the pain was worth the reward of seeing my parents' reaction when they opened their gift.

All told, I'm pretty pleased with my Christmas gift production this year. I didn't quite make all my goals, since I had some Bible study friends I still want to gift with some small, hand-made tokens but I have a week yet to put some belated gifts together. The total listing below speaks for itself, I think:

1. 11 pairs of slippers, 8 of which were embellished.
2. One cable backpack.
3. Hat and scarf set.
4. One pair of Fetching mitts
5. One pair of socks
6. Two cotton wash cloths (technically not a gift, since they were bought from me but still made during the past week).
7. 3 purses with crochet flower pins (the components were already pre-made - I just finished them up last week).
8. One hand-quilted wall-hanging.

Now my plans are to join Sheepish Annie in some totally selfish knitting. I am currently finishing up a pair of Vine Lace Widdershins I've had on the needles since before the Christmas knitting frenzy, then I plan to resurrect Samus and, if my slowly healing back allows, even return to my MBR quilt blocks. My plans to make some Thrummed mittens is on hold because everyone in the family received gloves and mittens for Christmas. A surprise blessing, so I can be selfish for a little while with my knitting/sewing.

On a shopping note, I did receive some money for Christmas and am so torn. Part of me wants to go hog wild and buy Socks That Rock and Lisa Souza and PippiKneeSocks and Scout's Swag and all kinds of fibery goodness. On the other hand, it is a sizable amount of money that could be socked away toward a spinning wheel or a weaving loom, both of which are on my, "if only I believed in gambling and won the lottery" wish list. On my imaginary third hand, with which I multi-task with startling speed and agility, I'd love to own the Barbara G. Walker Knitting Treasury books. So many decisions . . . how's a girl to decide? Fortunately, I have enough new yarn in my stash and so many UFO's hanging around, I have time to mull it over and dream a little before I decide. Let other's have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads. I plan on dreaming of spinning wheels and hand-dyed yarn and can't-live-without design books - at least until the money burns the hole through my pocket and escapes into someone else's hands.