Yarn Haul & Closet Cleaning

On my way up to The Clearing a week ago Saturday I swung off the highway to go to Spin, the yarn shop in Sturgeon Bay.  I was hoping that my knitting pal, TS, was working and when I pulled into a parking place on the street in front of the shop, there was ZM's car.  Imagine, two knitting friends in one place.  Serendipity!  TS was busy with customers so I prowled around to find Z.  She was sitting at the knitting table in back with a Christmas stocking she's fixing.  We hugged and commenced chatting.  Soon enough TS entered the room and said, "Is that Barbara?"  We hugged too, and then she went off to help more customers.  I found a few skeins in the "reduced for quick sale" basket tower and since some of them were cotton I HAD to buy some needles and a hook to make another Vintage Hankie Washcloth.  I cast it on when I got to TC and knitted on it most evenings, didn't finish it, didn't get to where I needed the hook, but I was ready just in case.  That black stuff's really soft, it'll make a great cowl, it's also probably discontinued.  That's the story of my life.

Yesterday afternoon I dragged out all I could reach from under the bed and got a broom handle to reach the rest, and dealt with most of it.  Tossed the old manuscripts (that are all in the computer memory, don't have a cow) and I'm ferrying the quilt wrapped framed pictures downstairs over time.  Then it was the closet's turn.  I didn't take out all my clothes or shoes but I did try on a few pairs of old jeans that went into the Goodwill bag (except for one "good for painting" pair) and sorted through the purses, letting go of a few.  The biggest haul were the stacks and stacks of notebooks I had on top of the shoe cupboard.  They kind of hide behind my hanging shirts and are lost.  Not anymore.  I sorted through them too and about half of them went to Goodwill.  I only kept the really important ones and they're in boxes to go downstairs (where they'll probably get lost again but I can't be jarred right now, things have got to leave the rooms).  I was thrilled to find my rainstick tucked in a tube of nautical charts.  I thought I'd tossed it.  Before it gets used again I need to take it downstairs and use the tack hammer to reset all the tiny brads inside that are what makes the sound.  Over time and changes in the weather they're popping out just enough to snag skin.  Ouch.  I'll fix that soon enough.  Today Durwood's closet gets it.  I need more boxes, especially book boxes.  I might have to buy some but I'll check at Goodwill first.  Maybe they'll have some document boxes that will suffice.

Last night after supper I sat on the couch and cast on a pair of bike helmet earmuffs for a friend who has taken up biking lately.  It's not as though I don't have a plethora of projects OTN (on the needles), I do, I have a crapload of them but I also usually have a simmering case of start-itis and I'm weak so I give in.  I knitted a few rows of the dark brown on my oriole wings shawl last week but it's so hard to see those stitches in the usually dim light of night that I give up in favor of more brightly colored things.  Maybe I'll resolve to take it to work this week and power through it in the bright light of the store.  That's a good idea, I think I will.

It's sunny today.  It couldn't be sunny last week?  Apparently not.

Egypt, New Kingdom, Stelophorus Statue of Bay.  She looked like she was crouched behind a tombstone.  Peri carried the small limestone statue to the window of the junk shop where the light was better.  The statue had broken in half and been cemented back together and the stone was stained like it had spent some time buried someplace wet.  Those stains almost convinced her that the sculpture was fake.  She knew that it was dry in Egypt, the dryness was why Egyptian mummies survived to the present.  She turned it over in her hands feeling the smooth lines of the little figure and the incised hieroglyphics of the gravestone.  There was a hieroglyphic dictionary in the study at Uncle Louie's house, maybe she could translate the inscription. It probably said "Made in China" but it was only $13 so she bought it.

Time to seek out some Cheerios before swamping out Durwood's old shoes and forgotten random crap from the bottom of his closet, and getting the laundry going.  Neverending laundry.  I'm tired of the entire neighborhood bringing over their dirty clothes for me to wash and never a word of thanks.  (well, that's what it feels like, we're only two little old people, how can we make so much laundry?)  Enjoy your day and dream of limestone bluffs and wet leaves.  Oh, and the Raking Fairy failed to show up.  If you see him send him my way, please.  Thanks.
--Barbara