Winter's Beauties

I spotted this beautiful frame on a piece of open Eastern sky this morning when I was heading upstairs to the shower. Didn't have the camera with me(!) but luckily it was still there later (though the colour had changed from the light green it had been earlier).
We have had a snow day - a proper one, with schools, offices and businesses closed! And even though it has been blowing quite a bit the sheltered space we have built and grown over 20 years in this house means that the snow has stayed in place on the trees - and everything else. And in some places the warm sun has created actual icicles from the snow. It seems I do like winter!
Due to the snow day I did get seeds started - not on the actual snow day, as it happens, because I found my seed starter mixture frozen in a solid lump in the garage, where it has been fine until we had those few days of -17 weather. I brought it in to the house, and on Saturday was able to start my Rudbeckia "Cherry Brandy", and Delphinium Centurion Lilac (both from Thompson & Morgan) some Lavender augustifolia from Vesey's, and some (a FEW, of the many) Cleome seeds I collected last fall. I have so many I may just have to broadcast the rest somewhere and hope. The one thing I intended to plant, my F1 Hybrid everbearing strawberries (also from T &M), I can't FIND! I remember getting the packet out to look at the germination instructions, and then I set it down somewhere and it got - I suppose - tidied away. I am being forced to spring clean just in the hope of finding it again - I am sure they should be planted in January...and today is the last possible day!
On Saturday I checked the weather (on my iPod Touch) and discovered that the relatively mild week we had been anticipating has been replaced by another spell in the deep-freeze. The temperature will be in the negative 'teens all week, with corresponding N and NW winds to bring the wind chill down to the negative 'twenties. Thank goodness for a large stash of yarn and an infinite number of patterns to go with it.
On the knitting front, I've decided I must finish up Alister's "60th Birthday" Kilt Hose, as his birthday is just over a month away. I did the fancy cuff, and now am working on the ribbed garter - and after that, it will be straight travel knitting, K5P1 rib until I start the decreases for the calf. Don't know why it took me over a year to finish the first one!!
And I have three cowls and two pairs of mitts finished - only - hmmm - 7 or 8 more sets to go? They do work up quickly, when I concentrate.