Jaywalking along

Mr. MmmYarn and I drove to Kern county this weekend to visit his sister and her family. For most of the drive, the view out the window looked like this:

The I-5 simply doesn’t make for much exciting scenery although I did see all manner of farm animals (horses, cows, sheep, what looked like goats but at 80mph I’m not sure) and orchards (almonds, citrus, etc.; lots of orderly trees, really). Mr. MmmYarn drove a stretch in the middle and the view in my lap during his stint was this:

With him driving, I managed to finish the Jaywalker socks in the car. Funny how the colors look so different depending upon the light at a particular moment; the two photos below were taken fewer than 5 minutes apart.

Pattern: Jaywalker, by Grumperina
Yarn: 3/4 skein Zitron Trekking XXL; 75% wool, 25% nylon; color 158
Needles: size 1
Size: I made the smaller size, casting on 76 stitches

I did not make any specific pattern modifications, simply because I ignored the pattern after the bit that said to cast on 76, then work in the 2-row pattern. I have made so many pairs of socks that I knew how to divide for the heel flap and work on down to the toe. My first foot was a little loose so I went back and worked decreases a few more rows, then wrote down that number of stitches and worked sock #2 the same way.

The socks enjoyed a brief moment in the hammock before the ropey terror unceremoniously dumped me and them out on the porch (I am still bruised but the socks are OK, not even a splinter), so I switched to a chair with a lesser view:

My initial plan was to photograph myself jaywalking while wearing the finished socks, but that’s a scary proposition in San Francisco so I decided on nature instead. Pardon the rather ugly power tower in the photo there, but if you look toward the top of the tower you’ll see a dark blob. That blob is a crow’s nest and I watched the crow parents (or parent; they kind of look the same) fly back and forth gathering supplies for the little crow(s) in the nest.

Mr. MmmYarn also drove a chunk on the way home, enough for me to weave in all the ends and knit the buttonband on the green baby sweater I started last week. Buttons went on at knitting group last night. Photo coming soon.

On this trip we learned Mr. MmmYarn’s stepbrother and his wife are also expecting a little one. Perhaps I need to rethink my plan to make one baby item for everyone born in 2008 or I’ll never make anything else. First birthday gifts are OK, too.