All things changing.

 Given everything going on in the country, and the increase in COVID-19 infections all over the world, and the record-setting hurricane season, I don't have much interesting to report.  The election results are still in contention, although the gulf in the electoral numbers is vastly wider than it was in 2000, and the "Million MAGA March" in DC yesterday with violent counterprotests have some people claiming we have a new civil war in progress.  So the president went to play golf.

Therefore I keep knitting, which seems a sensible thing to do:

On top, the first dyelot; on the bottom, the shawl in progress.

I am on the third iteration of this shawl.  When I posted earlier this month the thought I would switch to US#8 needles, I did a test swatch and decided to do so.  That was iteration #2.  Then when I went to get the next skein, I realized that I had two that were closer in dyelot than the third - and I didn't like the look of the two as following the first.  The pair have a bit more white to them, the single is more saturated in colour.

Now iteration #3 is moving along nicely.  In the top photo, you see it OTN with Iteration #2 below.  Yes, the difference is not huge, but it's enough.  The middle photo is a closeup.

The bottom photo should show the lace band difference, but you cannot see much of the first one.  It's in the bottom left corner.  You can also see it at the bottom of the top photo, it was the last full section I did on Iteration #2.  The pattern has you do garter lace and I just didn't like the look of it, so I switched to stockinette lace for Iteration #3.  I am thinking of doing this pattern again and might do reverse stockinette lace on that one.

I'm down in the second Ridge Pattern Band, lots of long slow rows.  Good for listening to the conference I attended on Friday, and also a couple plays Friday night and last night.  When I was traveling I would spend weekends back in North Texas doing crazy amounts of theatre, and we've missed it, so I scheduled a viewing of a recording from one of the theatre companies we supported.  We had a zoom room that acted as the lobby where we gathered before and after and at intermission.  Not quite the same, but good to see people again.

Last night's was a new play, done online, and they hope to have a real-life version in a year or so.  It included a talkback with the playwright and online puzzles for the audience to put together.  I didn't do the first one but had fun with the second.  Occasionally more than one of us tried to grab the same puzzle piece, but the multiplayer jigsaw puzzles worked well.

Samhain, Dia de los Muertos, and Hallowe'en again

KnitTalk had an online (day after) Hallowe'en party tonight.  I used the same costume I'd done for work:

I asked people to bring something orange to wear or show.  One woman loves orange, and had quite a pile of items.  Others had to scrounge for things.  I'd planned to wear a shawl I finished earlier this year, but having finished my latest item I was ready for something new, and had just received The Periwinkle Sheep's Rhinebeck 2020 colourway from The Spinning Room.  Usually I don't immediately think of what to do with a commemorative colourway, but I've wanted to do this shawl for a while:

The fabric is a bit tight, so I've debated switching to a US#8 needle instead of the called-for US#7, but this will be a dense and warm shawl and that will be very useful.

Today was the Second Annual Knitting With Sheep day at Clatter Ridge Farm.  They were attempting to hang onto their world record, which another farm said they would be breaking but ended up canceling the attempt due to local gathering restrictions.  It was nice to be doing something with others, even though we were socially distant.  Well, except for the sheep, who checked us for snacks when they tired of pumpkin:

In past years there was a festival and people were encouraged to bring their jack-o-lanterns to donate to the sheep for snacking.  Hopefully they will be able to do it next year.

Things I forgot to report earlier

Every year for Banned Books Week I try to read a banned or challenged book.  This year, I wasn't going to the library or bookshops so I thought I'd end up re-reading Huckleberry Finn.  Then when looking up the lists of books, I realized that I had one in my pile of books to be read, so I pulled out Bless Me, Ultima and read it.  I was pleased that with the exception of a couple of words, I remain sufficiently bilingual to read without pausing for the dictionary.  This is definitely adult, although told from the viewpoint of a young boy, but a worthwhile read.

I did the Foodshare Virtual Walk Against Hunger, and managed to collect enough pledges to bump my goal twice.  On my daily walks I participated in the themed shirts, except on Friday when I walked in regular clothing and put on the outfit for work:

Monday's theme was "American Football" so I wore an old and beloved University of Chicago Maroons T-shirt.  Tuesday was "Hartford Yard Goats" day, and I don't have any of their gear, so wore one of the baseball shirts I do have.  For "Civic Pride" on Wednesday, since I don't have any town regalia, I chose a Connecticut shirt from Hartford Prints!  Thursday we were supposed to wear a shirt from a past Walk Against Hunger, and I don't have any, so I wore a shirt that had been a fundraiser for Foodshare earlier this year.  Instead of Casual Friday we ended with Fancy Friday, and I wore the gown that had been a bridesmaid's dress over twenty years before.  Happily, we were not stuck with something that couldn't be worn again - and at fancier occasions.

Status of my Resolutions

I am happy to report that the Boneyard Shawl is finished, completed last night:

It has a bit of a ruffle because I did a crocheted bind-off and was hurrying.  And it's more of a shawlette than a proper shawl, since I used fingering weight yarn instead of DK.

November Mini-Resolutions

I suppose I should do something Election-related - voting, definitely.

I need to finish the shawl of my grandmother's set, and I would like to finish my Rhinebeck 2020 Textured Triangle Shawl.  It should be a fairly easy knit.  And I'd like to finish something out of my UFO pile - the other Magical Miniskeins sock?  The other mitten from a set of Buffalo Wool samples?  The Omega Shawl?  It looks like these will continue into 2021, doesn't it?