Loose Ends, Tied

I've just spent the last two days doing a year's worth of paperwork - sorting and filing, mostly - in preparation for taxes. Seriously, would I even own a filing cabinet if taxes didn't require that I track receipts, interest payments, interest earned, bills paid, etc, etc, etc? (I must confess that yes I most definitely would own a filing cabinet regardless of the need to reference 50 pounds of paper for tax purposes. However, instead of housing boring old bills it would be full of fun things like knitting patterns, interior design inspiration, maps, things to do, places to see, diy instructions on every conceivable topic, research for photo series, recipes, gardening tips; the things that now pile up in stacks on every available surface and sometimes [rarely] get put into 3-ring binders.) 

While it is awfully satisfying to get all that paper whipped into order, the process isn't exactly photogenic. The other loose ends I've attended lately are:

1. A hat to match the wavy wintry cowl. I pulled the cowl over my head and realized it was a perfect fit for a hat so I knit another one to the same size and then decreased over several rounds to shape and close the top. 
2. Another hand stitched potholder. The first one is a bit stiff to handle, what with 2 layers of denim and an interior of felted (fulled) wool. This new one is one layer of denim and one layer of wool. Both are hanging by the oven eagerly awaiting the next baked good on which to test their mettle.
3. Finished the burn test for the soy candles. I was pleasantly surprised that these little candles each burned for over 20 hours (five 4-hour intervals). Beyond that, what can I say? I had expected dramatic differences in how the 3 different sized wicks would perform. Not so. If I'm forced to split hairs, the mid-sized wick seems to have burned the cleanest and most efficiently. (EcoSoya CB-Excel 100% soy wax, CD-10 wick, 4 oz container with max. diameter of 2.625 in)