While looking to enhance my pattern stash at Vintage Knits, I found a pattern booklet called "Giving Yourself Away for Christmas". I really like that concept. So for Lent this year everything I do with my hands will be given away. I'll work on spinning rabbit fur for the rabbit shelter and I'll knit only from vintage patterns to keep my interest up. Everything that gets knit the next 40 days will go to charity. I dearly hope I'm inspired to be more productive because so far in 2005 I've only finished 3 items! Yikes.



Here's the second pair of socks for DH. I nearly threw away this handspun laceweight mohair because I didn't like how it biased. Fortunately I saved it because mixing it with some plain old Country Garden DK in these socks made a nice fabric.

Here are the boring blue socks. Well, the yarn color is nice (Elann's Peruvian Highland wool) but otherwise they are the usual 8-9" of K2P2 rib DH prefers. I'll have the second pair for you tomorrow. I debated knitting him a third pair but it was risky enough finishing up 2 pair in front of him without him noticing. I really want these to be his surprise Valentine's day gift.

We didn't watch much of the Super Bowl. DH was working on a woodworking project and I kept getting confused every time I turned it on. I couldn't figure out why football players were reading the Declaration of Independence or why Paul McCartney was singing "Hey Jude" with an image of the Statue of Liberty.



I did get some knitting done while watching the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet. They threw puppies of various breeds in a mock football stadium and filmed the resulting mayhem. Perhaps I'm too easily amused.



I'm almost finished with two pairs of socks for DH. Until then, here's a photo of our two feline friends, Jack and Bosco, doing what comes naturally.

Here's a wonderful snack for your Super Bowl party. Trader Joe's had those large containers of fresh basil I can't seem to resist.



CREAMY BASIL DIP



Puree this really well and I doubt anyone will know you used the dreaded tofu.



1/2 cup fresh basil

1 large clove garlic

12.3 oz container of Mori Nu silken (aseptic) tofu, firm or extra firm

1/2 cup Parmesan (dairy or soy which I used)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

salt



Put basil and garlic in food processor and blend well. Add tofu, Parmesan and lemon juice and puree well. Add salt to taste.

Here's the forlorn sock, retrieved from a pathetic crumpled ball in the bottom of a drawer. I will probably save it to see if I feel like reviving it next Christmas. I like the design (Red Bird Knits December sock of the month) and the colors but I just lost steam somewhere along the line.









Now I have to go get ready to go to Santa Fe for my biweekly Trader Joe's fix. Is there anything better than their frozen berries? I need to get supplies to make my vegetarian black bean chipotle chili for Super Bowl Sunday. Have a terrific weekend!

Peaches is hanging out next to my desk chair so I thought I'd post her photo. Last week was the first anniversary of her adoption. Tomorrow I'll have a photo of a holiday stocking I never managed to finish.

I tried knitting a child's mitten in random stripes out of Classic Elite Tapestry but ended up hating the colors. I also made the thumb hole too wide as you can see.









Ilmar's socks are also destined for the frog pond because I have started to suspect I'm going to run out of one of the main colors. I have started a new pair of simple socks in a brilliant blue color for DH for Valentine's Day. We both like really thick socks so I think I'll work on a few pair of those.