Mitzvah

For anyone who does not know, a mitzvah is, essentially, a good deed. It is also one of those Hebrew words I love to say, along with challah.



I knit this scarf all day on Thursday while watching Boy's father sleep. Specs: Two skeins Caron Simply Soft red & tweed + a little bit of leftover Caron Simply Soft in Black. Knitted on size 15 needles, simple 1x1 ribbing pattern. This scarf is destined for the Red Scarf Project in his memory.



I knitted incessantly during the waiting, the arrangements, and all the travelling (I did put the needles away during the service, in case anyone was wondering exactly how crass I am in real life). Say hello to the Fantasia socks, in memory of the ice cream you can't get at Disneyland anymore. I was hoping these would be for me, but Boy's aunt latched onto them and I can't. deny. her.

And in happier news:

I finished the first feather and fan socks, and gave them to my boss in one of the niftiest gift boxes ever:

I looked at this pattern at Knitty and said "honestly,who would make a coffee sling?" Well, apparently me. My immediate boss was impressed, but this package was for the big boss, and I haven't seen her yet to get her reaction. I think it was a pretty nifty way to use some of my leftover Trekking (I still wish I kept the socks though...).

I also used this holiday to announce to Boy that, since he had the good sense to propose, the knitting embargo is now over. This ball of Mountain Colors Bearfoot (Juniper colorway) will become gigantic socks for his gigantic feet sometime in the near future. He could not be more pleased.

Hope your holiday was happy, with love from the Kitty in the Box!

D. O. N. E.

Or, at least darn near...

Tree is up, complete with Jack Skellington topper

(light-up star from Wallymart + opposable Jack = Awesome)

Stinker has been given one of her gifts early.

Donations have been sent to Heifer International and Doctors Without Borders.

Yarn has been purchased for the Red Scarf project, and the scarf itself is next in queue.

And, the final gift socks are done!

These are the Feather and Fan socks from Socks Socks Socks, made out of Trekking XXL gifted to me from my SP8 secret pal Jen. They fit me like a glove, so I am quite unhappy to give them up, but I know they'll be apprecitated where they're going. I am not quite done with this gift; there's one more piece that goes with it that I'm still stitching away on. I'll take a picture before I give it away, but when the lady from my LYS heard what I was making, she said: "Aww crap, I didn't think anyone would actually make that." It'll be cute as part of the packaging, you'll see.

My first holiday without hitting a mall, yes, it is possible.

If I don't make it back before the holidays, cheers!

Inventory

I'm super-depressed today, so I thought I'd make it worse by doing an inventory of the knitting I have gotten done for the holiday. Here's my original list, completed items bolded:

Boy's Family:
Socks for one grandmother, two aunts, one stepmother, and one monkey-baby.
Knit cupcakes for monkey baby from One Skein to help furnish her rather large play kitchen.
One Swell for teenage cousin.
Sumthin' for Boy (he occasionally reads the blog, so it's gonna be a surprise).
Sumthin' with pigs for Jewish comedian cousin & his wife.
If time/yarn allows, more socks/toys for extended family.

My family:
Socks for one grandmother, two aunts, one dad's gf, and one teenage cousin.
Scarves for aunt and cousin out of the Big Wool Tuft I picked up.
Shawl for grandmother.
Swells for brother and other teenage cousin.
Sumthin' for grandfather, dad, older cousin, and aunt's husband, time/yarn permitting.

Myself:
Scarf/sock set (I'm thinking feather & fan maybe)
Angora Knitted Bodice
Pomatomas Socks using the aloe yarn Jen sent me
Jolie, my love
Swell for me
and, finish my afghan (it's crochet, but I think it counts).

Hmm, that's not a whole lot of bold. I did finish my dad's gf's birthday present:

These are the arm-warmie-thingies from anticraft.com. She liked my Japanese-patterned ones, so I figured I'd make her a pair with little Laugh-In flowers on the hands.

I'm going to drink some tea and consider my next project; I figure I only have time for one move before I run out of pre-holiday fun.