Frustration, Contentment and Some Words about Knitting

I've been pretty quiet here this week. I had things to say and I really wanted to join in with Ginny's Yarnalong on Wednesday but the thing is this old laptop of ours is full up to capacity with photos and whatever else takes up memory on a laptop. I couldn't cram one more thing into it and surfing the internet is taking forever. I'm feeling pretty frustrated this week. We need to update the operating system and get all these pictures onto an external hard drive but lack of knowledge, experience, time and confidence has been holding us back for months. I've said it before but this is the weekend we're just going to do this thing and hope for the best! Stupid technology.

While I've been feeling pretty frustrated at my inability to upload all the great photos I took this week at the beach I have been feeling pretty content with other aspects of life in general. Our monthly income has been greatly reduced by me not being able to do my former job anymore and I was really worried our day to day expenses would seriously eat into our savings. So far that hasn't been the case. Somehow, by the grace of God we've had just enough money to pay the bills, eat well and cover a few unexpected costs that have come up. Amazing. When I was working in a retail environment 5 days a week there were so many things I wanted to buy or felt we had to have but now that temptation is totally gone (except for the crock pot. I still really want a crock pot-does that make me weird or boring???). I feel content and satisfied and it's a nice feeling. I am apparently a lot nicer to be around too.
It's the knitting to be sure. I have time to knit. I wanted to show you a picture of the little, tiny heel and toe socks I finished knitting on the weekend. The recipients were happy with them too. I wanted to show you the mouse mittens I'm almost done. I knit the mittens months ago and the spirit finally moved me to make the ears and they are so very awesome. It is with great sadness and some relief that I've decided to frog the Kirin Shawl. I just can't get the rthym of it and its driving me mental. I don't know if it's me or the pattern but we need some apart time. Sometimes you just have to accept that some knitting isn't meant to be. I have a few ideas for the wool but haven't settled on anything yet.
If I could upload photos to this tired dinosaur of a computer I would show you the gorgeous scarf I found yesterday. It was in the lost and found bin at work, headed for the Goodwill store and I snatched it up lickety-split. It's a basket-weave pattern knit from sock wool in this orange-mauve-brown variegated colourway. Being a knitter I know that if I had lost a hand-made scarf I'd want to know that someone found it who appreciated the all of it. So, if you were in an outdoor store in Waterloo last winter and you lost a scarf matching this description you can thank your lucky stars it has found it's way to a knitter's house and is being well cared for. Unfortunately you can't have it back because it's MINE, MINE, MINE now (enter maniacal laughter)