The socks are done, and I’m looking over all the possibilities for gift knitting that can actually be accomplished between now and when needed.  So far I’ve stockpiled two pairs of socks, two scarves, and a pair of halfie mittens.  This is an excellent opportunity to go through my small quantity stash box and identify things that can be pressed into service.  So far I’ve found:

• A large ball of heavy loop mohair/wool blend in black, probably bought at a Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival from Tess Yarns.  If I recall correctly the year I went Saturday night and Sunday morning were quite rainy.  The Tess booth had the misfortune of experiencing tarp failure, and the stock got quite wet.  Those of us who chanced by when the inventory was being packed up at the end of the day were treated to sizable discounts on sopping skeins.  When knit up in garter stitch this stuff is a dead ringer for curly lamb or mouton.  Perhaps a scarf and (if there’s enough) trim on a matching hat.  Or perhaps if I feel adventurous (and there’s enough), a shaped shoulder shrug in imitation of a curly lamb stole of the 1950s.  One drawback – mohair and I don’t get along very well.  I’ll probably have to knit this wearing gloves, or put up with itchy, red hands for the duration. (I didn’t realize how poorly we got along until long after I had bought the stuff.)
• Some leftovers of cotton blend and cotton velor yarns – the dribs and drabs of kid sweaters long since completed and outgrown.  Since I often buy yarn in bag quantity I almost always have extra.  This stuff would be good for small seaman style inside the coat type scarves. 
• Some sport weight Shetland two-ply yarn in cranberry, olive and muted blue, left over from a linen stitch sweater-suit my mother knit sometime in the mid 1960s and shamelessly stolen from her stash.  The colors look quite good together and are not as out of favor as they have been in the past.  Hats?  Ear warmers?  More halfie mitts, but with stranded patterns?  No decisions yet, but the stuff is still in excellent condition and should be used
• Some fingering weight cotton blend sock yarn.  I am not a fan of cotton socks, I find them cold, clammy and hard textured compared to wool or wool blend socks.  But I have some sock weight cottons.  These should make nice wrist warmers or ear bands.  Or perhaps cell phone or iPod socks for the gadget-blessed who have requested such things.  (Someone please tell me why anyone would want an cozy for a device upon which engineers have lavished man-years of effort to mitigate the problem of heat dissipation inherent in small scale electronics.)

And that’s just in the top layer of the box.  Stay tuned!