Nice

A very pretty day here, if a bit breezy.  The sky in Autumn is always such a clear and different blue than other times of year.

It's also a pretty day in Springfield, Illinois, where my son is for a few days.

This is the State Capitol.  Such a gorgeous building.  I am incredibly envious of him being there.  There'll be more Lincoln-related photos to come, I'm sure.

The new sweater is progressing nicely.  That size 15 needle really speeds things along.  I've tried a couple of times to get a picture of it for you, but to no avail.  Maybe when the whole back is done.

Otherwise, today had me filling the last space in Equine Alley.  One print a horse on a couch, one a lion.  I keep feeling I've found all the animals-on-couches prints, but more keep turning up.

I also baked some oatmeal cookies, as much to cover the stench of the chicken livers I cooked for Tap as anything.  So awful.  The cookies are really good.  About half of them I left plain, the other half I added pecans to.  If I can add pecans to anything, I will.  I've nothing against oatmeal raisin cookies, and chocolate chip ones can be good, but I decided to keep these simple.

First Time, Repeat

Of course, my little friend Elion Koteas didn't vote, but the sticker looks cuter on him than me.

I'm happy to say business at the polling site was very brisk, and had been all day, according to the workers.  Signing in next to me was a first-time voter.  Whoever signs a first-timer in rings a bell, and the room applauds.  The young woman was rightly a little embarrassed, but I couldn't help but feel good about the whole thing.

I've cast on for a pullover sweater.  This morning, I spent a lot of time looking for cardigan patterns, because that's where my real itch has been.  None of the patterns, though, lined up with the amount of yarn I have, so pullover it is.  It's called a Condo sweater, and I've made it before.  You use sizes 6 and 15 needles, alternating rows.  This pattern has been in my knitting folder since shortly after I started knitting, so it may be out of fashion at this point.

Don't care if it is.  It's super-comfortable.  Does anyone else remember when free patterns hung in front of the yarn bins?

Dreamboat

Not surprisingly, I have a crush on more than one actor.  I spent an hour and 40 minutes with one this afternoon:

Chris Evans in "Sacrifice," on Netflix.  As a movie, it's maybe a "B."  John Malkovich is in a very few scenes, and is extraordinary.  Frankly, any movie under two hours these days is a welcome wonder, and it would take a lot to get me not to watch  Christopher.

Mundane day.  Pick up prescriptions, work on a bandana I'm making with yarn left from the cowl.  It's not going to be as big as the leftover yarn had me thinking, but I won't stop now.  It's a clear, cool day, and I've been knitting on my loveseat in my back porch room.  Just exactly one of the reasons I put it together.

FO

The cowl is finished.

 It won't be worn over my nose, obviously,  but that was the best way to show the color graduations.  My next project?  Who can say?

Just a day of laundry and errands, though when you have to avail yourself of a laundromat, laundry is an errand.  Tomorrow is Briton's birthday, but he has lots of plans on his own, so I doubt I'll see him.  I do plan on going to vote early, so I'll seeing if I can make an adventure out of that.

Last Choice

A sunny and very breezy day here.  If the leaves weren't still green, I'd call it a perfect Autumn one.

And finally

Would you rather spend a day with Jane Austen

OR

Spend a day with William Shakespeare?*

*Though Austen might be delightful company, I'd choose Shakespeare, just to see how --- and how quickly --- he writes.

Next to Last

 Would you rather

spend the rest of your life in a library

OR

in a museum?*

(You know, The Morgan in NYC is both.)

*Simple.  Library.

'Tis the Season

You "can" be trapped in a room full of snakes

OR

you "can" be trapped in a room full of spiders.* 

Ooooooh. . .   Spooooooky. . .

Halloween is no big thing for me.  Never has been.  And I always cringe when it's referred to as a "holiday."  A holiday is when things are closed and you don't have to go to work.  I always had to teach on Halloween, so. . .  Yeah.

This is now finished and ready for framing.

That's probably as fast as I've finished a piece.  Another from Subversive Cross Stitch.  Words and borders are pretty quickly done, and I do enjoy so many of their designs.  You can buy frames on the site, too, which I've done a couple of times, but didn't for this one.

*Spiders.  They don't bother me so much.  🕷