It’s Day 1 of staycation, and I want to cast on all the things! I need to cast on my Halloween socks, as well as my Celtic Colours Mitts. And I want to join The Woolly Thistle’s Sweater KAL. And I want to sew my Halloween shirt! So what am I doing? I am painting my nails with The Woolly Thistle’s Castonitis color. If I paint my nails, I will have to sit and do nothing while they dry. And let’s face it. I really need to do a bit of nothing.

I am spending some time with By Hand No. 9: Nova Scotia and Shetland Wool Adventures Journal. I’m also trying pumpkin butter and plant milk in my tea for a PSL inspired rooibos concoction.

I ran 2.23 miles today at a new-to-me park, Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve. It was a beautiful run.

Here’s the progress on my Broom Riding Cowl. I think the yarns are too similar for the colorwork to show up. What should I do? Keep knitting anyway? Ok. I’m carrying more floats and not catching the yarn in the back unless there are five or more stitches. This is helping my tension. Once I finish the first chart section, if the design is not showing up, I will rip it out and knit something else with Slutty Pumpkin. Or I will save it for next year.

I just heard Annie Modesitt passed away. I’m heartbroken. I will always remember her fondly from the Knitters Review Retreat when we went to a vineyard and drank wine together. I was nobody and she was a published author and designer, but she included me (and a few others) in the outing and was so genuine. She was a truly lovely person.