Because you searched

Somehow, for some reason, the most searched term that brought people to my blog was the phrase “Frosted Window” Since I dont remember typing those words together or posting about a frosted window, I will now and satisfy all those searchers! The picture above is one that I took I think in 2005 or 06 and was the main window in my dorm flat. While the entire thing was frosted over, this section here was the part where Jack Frost did all his detailed work. Though I have seen other frosted windows since then, I have never seen one so pretty again.

Why has it been over a week since my last post? Well friends, its because of travelling and shopping and seeing and moving and settling. I went to Sitka with J and Sisu on Thursday, got there Friday morning, 1 am and then went about our days gathering my things from storage to move them to Pelican because there were few things that I held dear in that unit and there was no way I was going to pay $80 a month to keep them there when I have plenty of room here at the house. Sadly, because of the mass departures from Sitka because of the closing of Sheldon Jackson College (my almost place of employment), the second-hand shops there are over whelmed with supply and without new college students to demand, they are not accepting donations. Anywhere. So I had to trash a lot of things that were perfectly good but had no place in an already full home or things that I just didnt need or want anymore. I am very good about sorting and trashing when I move…lots of practice you know. Have no fear though, I donated a good deal to my old place of employ and the students there will like having dishes and tools to make their Ramen with!

J and I shopped for groceries and you would think that we were the only people who ever went to SeaMart and bought a winters worth of groceries. Yes, I know there are 4 full huge carts. Yes, there are only two of us but it needs to last until Christmas at the very least. Oh, its just over $1,000 and we get a tax break for spending that much all at once? Fantastic! I also got to visit with P and talking with him really helped with various things on my mind…it always does and thats the best part of having friends.

Part of my visit too was seeing the opthomologist and hearing that I needed only a slight change in my contacts but holy cow, how do you see out of these glasses? Sisu got a hold of my already 4 years out of date glasses her first night on the boat and chewed on them quite thoroughly. They are scratched on one lens really badly and have 4 definitive bite marks on the other, not to mention that she loved the give on the plastic ear pieces and I had to boil and file one to make it even wearable for the plastic poking into my ear and head! I have very poor uncorrected vision, an understatement really, because without glasses or contacts anything that isnt 6″ in from of my eyes is quite out of focus. Because of this, my glasses, which I have had since I was 5, have always had to be rather thick and heavy and reasonably, so have my frames. Over the years they have gotten much thinner and lighter but I was never able to get the thin wire frames that I have always coveted. Until now. Imagine my surprise when I was talking to the office manager and she said that they could fit any lens into any frame, no matter the prescription. I made her check because it seemed too good to be true and lo! and behold…it was! I have some fantastic glasses on their way, just made a new order of contacts online and gosh am I glad to have a steady job to be able to pay for all this.

The past 2 days have been all about moving stuff and settling back in so I wont bore you with details but gosh does it feel good to have a freezer full and a well stocked pantry shelf.

Knitting wise? Though I took socks with me, I really didnt knit on them at all. We really didnt spend too much time just sitting or waiting anywhere though so I dont feel bad about wasting any time. I do feel badly that my sisters socks are still 2″ away from being done but those are getting worked on just as soon as I stop typing!

I’ve frogged my Waterfall socks that were part of the Woolgirl Sock Club first shipment because the pattern was just not doing it for me. I like me some tall socks and dont mind buying more yarn (ha!) but when a pattern is written for a specific skein and then leaves a good bit of leftover (some people have like tennis ball sized leftovers!)…well, lets just say that I dont like waste or leftover when I do my socks.  I even have no problem making a mis-matched toe 🙂 but have only had to do that once because I am a very good judge (knock on wood).  Either way, I love, love, love the Miss Babs yarn and the colours make me happy and the yarn is so soft and lovely to work with.

I am lucky enough to have spinner friends and there is a couple who lives off the grid just outside of town who raise sheep!  They have for years and have more roving than they know what to do with and I cant tell you how happy it makes me and how lucky that I feel to know them and them wanting to give me/get rid of some roving.  There will be cookies involved in the exchange…maybe even a pie!  I want to spin enough to make felted slippers and because my spinning right now is at the level of thinner singles, most of the time, I would welcome something to felt away my mistakes!  It will take a while but with all the other projects on the needles and in my head, this is a good thing.

As of today, this is my WIP list:

Re-Knitting Rogue (still frogging and re-knitting)

Hat #1 (Noro and Swish in a stranded pattern of my own)

Hat #2 (LS Fat Bunny, just started because I love the hand to this)

Sisters Socks (2″ from end)

Waterfall somethings (I left the cuff…maybe I’ll make true fingerless gloves or maybe socks again)

PNW Shawl (yes, still.  And I still might give it to someone else to finish!  But I still love it and want to work on it)

Work Socks (in the desk at work, only worked on during slow times at work, gen while waiting for a plane)

Walk in the garden socks (own design, last of 3 for Mum)

What I need to start and finish before December 8th?  At least 5 more Stranded hats, 2 Fat Bunny ones and my Rogue.  There is a craft fair here in town that people come out from Juneau for and I would love to sell my work there, in addition to sending some hats to Mum and Jinny so they can sell them to friends/co-workers for me!  I just need to buckle down and give myself a schedule and all will be good.

That, in fact, is my chore for today; to create a schedule for myself that will let me be the domestic goddess that I want to be, not make me a house elf, have guilt-free knitting time and spin to my hearts desire and still get out and up the mountains with J every chance we get.  Wish me Luck and I promise to post more often, much easier now that I will have a routine for day to day!