Right before Christmas, Izzy spied a pair of mittens at the holiday craft safe at our church. I try not to give into these whims — the whole giving rather than receiving thing — but not only were the mittens adorable and fleece-lined wool, they were also crazy cheap. The fact that they were fair-trade wares from Peacecraft is what pushed me to “yes.”

But then, of course, my little fashionista needed a hat to match. And it needed to be a quick knit — we are in Albuquerque, where spring is right around the corner.

Well, I pretty much knit the whole thing up today during a two-and-a-half-hour spelling bee. Mission accomplished plus sanity preserved.

And, yes, that is the Christmas tree still up in the background. It’s coming down this weekend. Hey, St. Knut’s Day fell during the week… (I’m Swedish, so that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)