Tripping.

For the first time since March 9, 2020, I went on an airplane.  I have now been on five, thanks to a connecting flight and a total of two round trips.

The first, and most important one, was to visit family in North Carolina.  I went for ten days, working part of the time, taking off some time to be with the family, running errands, visiting my uncle at his new residence and meeting the administrator, and doing other things.  I saw my brother's new house and land, including my sister-in-law's she-shed and my brother's workshop, and the rooms belonging to their college-aged girls, and the one for the cats.

I didn't take family pictures (we're mostly private) but I did take a number of selfies while I was out walking on some of the days.  I signed up for the Livingston Wong Memorial 5K because a friend works with that organization, and since I often walk 5K of a morning, it's not anything that strains me.  I actually did it three times - once didn't count because I did it the day before the walk week began.  I wore the same shirt for the walks, washing it between of course:

 

 

I am not good at taking selfies.

Then yesterday, Hallowe'en, I zipped down to Baltimore to see a friend.  Southwest has a program where the high-level frequent flyers can maintain their status with two round trips taken in a certain timeframe, as opposed to having to fly many trips in a year.  I used to get the status by July, but not this year!  So I thought of just flying down and turning around, but this was more fun.  As my friend reported it:

You guys! I had such a wonderful day! I have this online-only knit group that I have been a member of for more than 15 years. In the beginning I was a moderator of that group. The group’s owner, Margo Lynn, travels a lot for work, and once, about 11 years ago or so she was blowing through BWI and so we met for brunch. Fast forward to now. Because of the pandemic our group has expanded to include a Sunday Night Zoom, which has become a highlight of my still mostly isolated week. One night a few weeks ago I was knitting on my Silk Garden Santa hat right before the Zoom was supposed to start. And my yarn broke, right in the middle of a cable cross. Grrrr! I was so mad when I signed on for the meeting that night I said the project was going in timeout and that since it had broken in a decrease section on the hat (that is, not actually having to be stretched over my head at that juncture) that I had half a mind to just glue the stupid ends together and be done with it. Of course I was (only half) kidding, but my knit friends would hear nothing of it. I had lots of offers to fix the knitting for me. Margo Lynn even said she could come down (FROM CONNECTICUT!) for the day and fix my knitting and leave. I was like, whaaaat? Really? I had no idea she would really do a thing like that but bright and early this morning there we were, picking her up at BWI! We made a quick run to Starbucks on the way back to the house and my knitting was fixed before 10 a.m. We had a

lovely time

together. I showed her some of my many WIPs that she has only seen glimpses of online. She met Bonny the Cat, who NEVER comes out when company comes, but somehow decided that Margo Lynn must be ok, and we had a wonderful lunch together. By 3:15 we were headed back to the airport, and Margo Lynn was safely home in time for our Sunday Night Zoom. (Oh, and check out this amazing skein of Spun Right Round yarn that Margo Lynn brought me. She said she had found it a few years ago and it screamed, “me.” And she’d been hanging onto it should the day come that we would see each other again. For like, years. How cool is that??) Thanks, Margo Lynn, for a wonderful day, and for creating such a fabulous memory together!!

I was "The Blue Screen of Hallowe'en", and have a motherboard mask but didn't wear it in the photo.

Mini-Resolutions Report

Not much progress.  I took the Magical Miniskeins sock to North Carolina and did nothing on it.  I did get to the lace part of the Q3 MAL shawl and am debating whether to add a few more rows to the body, and thus another repeat of the lace pattern.  I've decided to replace the lace pattern on the Omega Shawl with something I like better, or I may just keep working it as a solid item.

I did finish a book (My Dear Hamilton, which I donated to the library at the clubhouse of my parents' community, along with the other book about the Hamiltons that I finally was able to return), and found The Ballad of Frankie Silver which I think I'll work on finishing next.

I checked the beginning-of-year KnitTalk Resolutions list and I said I would knit the Falling Leaves Cardigan this year.  I guess I should cast on, shouldn't I?

Unseasonably October

The weather has been warm and mostly sunny, so I've enjoyed going out for walks and doing things outside when possible.  We've had some cold and rainy days, of course, and I think more are coming tomorrow or Monday, but most of this week has been very nice and I've gotten a walk outside nearly every day.  One day I was working too much, and with the days getting shorter I wasn't able to get a walk on either end.  The farmstand is winding down the season, though; at the end of the month they close for two-and-a-half weeks, opening for the holidays, then close until spring.

Today was the New York Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, and I know many people who went, but I didn't.  I'm still mostly avoiding crowds, plus nobody invited me to join a group.  In the past some knitters from this area went, but I haven't been in town for several years on the correct weekend, then last year the event cancelled.  It was fun to go with a group, maybe another year I'll do it again.

Mid-Month Resolutions Report

No progress on the second sock or the Omega Shawl.  I've decided I don't like the lace design in the pattern so I will do something else.  I've been finishing a number of charity items, so it's not as if my needles and hooks have been idle.  I keep starting things, I need to finish a few that aren't for charity!  My grandmother was raving about the shawls I've made for her, so it gave me incentive to start another.  I've had a cake of Caron's Latte Cakes waiting for the right time, and found a crocheted shawl that uses just one cake, so have it started:

Yes it doesn't look like much so far.  During the week it's easier to do the mindless items; this requires a bit of focus, and not just because of the yarn.  I'll work more on it tomorrow, and hopefully get the rhythm.  The bobbles are the kind of silly touch my grandmother seems to enjoy.

A Texas Tribute

Have I mentioned lately that one benefit of the pandemic is that so many arts events have moved online, or now to a hybrid presentation, that I can attend them even when far away?  I love the Dallas Winds and was only rarely lucky to be in town on performance night since I moved from the area.  This year, I've been able to enjoy a number of concerts, including tonight's extra-special one:

An additional bonus of the livestream is that you get to re-listen (or rewatch) for a day or a few days or a week, so if you really liked something, you get to hear it again.  Which I will be doing tomorrow.

Mini-Resolutions for October

I am making progress on current projects, not on UFOs.  On the KnitTalk list this is "Aftober" nicknamed after a woman who started a number of years ago to encourage people to finish their UFOs before holiday projects take over.  Maybe I'll get the second sock finished before it gets cold enough to wear the pair.

I am continuing to read books, and this being Banned Books Week I looked for a title to read from the most recent list.  It's amazing how many classics appear there:  The Bluest Eye, To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, and of course The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  I found an article and video addressing the last one that you might want to view.  And when you're done, go read a banned or challenged book, preferably one you haven't read before.  Or one you haven't read in a long time, if you'd rather shop your shelves or if your local library still has limited access.