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Back to my recent South Dakota trip! On our first day in Rapid City, we went to Mt. Rushmore, and then the Mammoth Site in Hot Spring. Rushmore was really impressive to visit – pictures don’t really do it justice. But here are some of mine anyway You start seeing the monument right as you are walking into the visitor center gateway. As you enter, there are information centers, gift shops, and interpretive centers. Then you go down a walkway lined with flags from all the US states, and then there you are. In addition to just looking at it, there are also hikes, the sculptor’s studio that has the sculptor’s working model and other items. We did do a hike that gets you closer to the monument, though you are still pretty far away, and went to the sculptor’s studio. Later on in the week we came back for the evening lighting ceremony. That was a very moving event, though right as the lights went on, a massive thunder and lightning rainstorm burst right over us, and everyone ran fo...

This week I focused on my Mostly Ghostly pullover, my Tonnach cardigan, and a Halloween cowl. Mostly Ghostly is this year’s Halloween sweater that Alissa of Welsh Hills Stitcher and I are doing as a KAL It is a pattern I have made several times and just keep coming back to – Fall Favorites Collection! All of the yarn is from stash, which makes me very happy My Tonnach is coming along as well! The Kate Davies knit along for this sweater is over, and I still have a ways to go with it. So it’s not as much of a rush now, but I’d like to get it done by the end of the year anyway. Who knows – it might happen! And finally I’m making good progress on my Ghost Knitter Cowl. It gets joined in the round next and then the skull lace pattern starts. So I need to fish out a slightly smaller needles and move into the next part! I am working on catching up on reading everyone’s blogs, but in the meantime – what are you working on and how is it going?

Earlier this month, DH and I went on a great big road trip to South Dakota and a little bit of Wyoming and Iowa. We took our time getting there, stopping for as many wacky roadside things as I could talk him into. We stopped at the World’s Only Corn Palace in Mitchell , which was pretty impressive and a lot of fun. If you happen to be nearby and enjoy whimsy on a pretty grand scale, I highly recommend this stop! Next, we stopped to see the Dignity of Earth and Sky statue. It is both beautiful and an impressive engineering feat. Definitely worth a stop! Then, because there did not seem to be any way of avoiding it, we stopped at Wall Drug. It is an experience. If you get sensory overload, this might not be a place you want to visit for long. In the interest of keeping posts manageable, I will post later about adventures in SD and WY – Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, the Badlands, and all the other sites. Do you enjoy roadside attractions, or prefer to focus on destination...

I’ve got 2 new projects cast on since the last time I wrote about my knitting! The first is another version of the Fall Favorites sweater, this one is the Mostly Ghostly version ( Ravelry link ). Alissa of Welsh Hills Stitcher and I are doing this one as our Halloween KAL. I have made other versions of this sweater before (pumpkin and black cat versions for other Halloweens), though I usually change it to a cardigan and do some other changes to it. This time I am making it a pullover, so that’s different. As usual, I’m enjoying it! The other new project is Ambah O’Brien’s new Halloween pattern, Ghost Knitter’s Cowl . It looks like it will be a quick, fun knit. As a bonus, it is the exact right size for me to use a half-skein of yarn that’s been in my stash for years. So this brings my total count of current WIPS to 4 sweaters and 1 cowl. No new cast-ons until I get at least a few of these things finished!

I finally finished my shark socks! These were started in July to celebrate shark week, and worked on in fits and starts ever since. And now they are done! Very happy with how they turned out! They fit fine and make me smile every time I look at them. What about you? What are you working on and how is it going?

Sorry for the long radio silence – there have been a few things going on with me. Last week, DH and I took a wonderful road trip to South Dakota (and a little bit of Wyoming). So much more about that in the next few posts. Also, I started graduate school. I didn’t want to post about it until I was a little way in and sure I was going to be able to keep up. It’s been quite a while since my last go-round with formal schooling, so I was a little unsure of myself. However, it’s all coming back and everything is going pretty well! In other news, I have gone totally crazy with new cast-ons! More about that tomorrow