December 31, 1981

An obituary Tuesday on Edwin H. Knopf, a Hollywood film producer who died Sunday in West Los Angeles, omitted the names of his survivors. In addition to his wife, he leaves a daughter, Wendy Cooper of Los Angeles; two sons, Christopher Knopf of Santa Monica, Calif., and Jonathan Knopf, who lives in the San Fernando Valley; his brother, the publisher Alfred A. Knopf, and 10 grandchildren.

Karen, Julie and Jo Ann Loughney from Wayne, N.J., collected their annual souvenirs: a needle each from the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and a straw from the St. Patrick's Cathedral creche ''to put in our wallets for luck.'' Miriam Nusbacher from Rochester discovered that while street pretzels may be bigger than when she grew up in New York City, the price can be as big as $1 - ''so you'll have to share,'' she said, handing two to her four children. Paul and Colette Steiner of Paris, in Greenwich Village to hear jazz, were booked solid for their other four evenings: ''Evita,'' ''Dancin','' ''Sophisticated Ladies'' and New Year's Eve at Regine's. As the 12 days of Christmas reached the geese-a-laying and swans-aswimming mark in brilliant weather this week, the world seemed to head for New York. It was time for the annual great-place-to-visitbut invasion -whether for a festive splurge among the luxury hotels and restaurants or a people-watching hike around midtown's holiday spectacle, pretzel in hand.

IF you still have a taste for festivity tomorrow morning, you might consider easing your way into 1982 by going out to one of the special brunches that will be served around town. Fortunately, it will be possible to do so whether your budget is lavish or modest, whether you want to dress up or dress down and whether you are looking for a setting that is spectacular, formal or comfortably casual. Because New Year's Day brunches could not be sampled in advance, the restaurants below were visited in recent months - some for Sunday brunch, others for weekday breakfasts, lunches or dinners, and dishes comparable to those on brunch menus were tried. Stylish but casual is the description that best suits the first group of restaurants, and, not too surprisingly, five are downtown in SoHo, Greenwich Village or TriBeCa, while the sixth is on the Upper East Side. The SoHo Charcuterie (195 Spring Street, corner of Sullivan Street, 226-3545; open noon to 5 P.M.) continues to combine one of the pleasantest settings with some of the most successful brunch dishes in town. This bright and cheerful cafe is an especially suitable setting in which to start the New Year. Although the service is often slow, it is friendly, unpretentious, concerned and polite, and though prices are fairly high, portions are large, and regulars tend to share appetizers and some main courses.

As a service to readers planning their holiday, the New Year's issue of Weekend appears today rather than tomorrow. Home, normally published on Thursdays, will appear tomorrow.

Whether you prefer traditional dining and dancing with champagne at midnight, or entertainment at a jazz, rock or comedy club, or more esoteric celebrations involving magic, old movies or long-distance running, you're sure to find in this issue someplace special to ring in the new year tonight. Here is information about the many places around town that are still accepting reservations - and some that need no reservations at all.