Hey! What's that?

Just a quick post to show my finished Jaywalkers:
This is the first FO that was started after I started my blog -- a milestone!

Particulars: Strapaz Wolle "Cotton Effekt," 45% cotton, 42% wool, 13% polyamide. Note that for my size 10 feet, I needed 2-1/2 balls of this yarn. Knit on 2.5mm addis. Jaywalker pattern from Grumperina, modified by using 1x1 rib instead of suggested 2x2 ('cuz I wanted to practice tubular cast ons.)

I don't reckon they really need to be blocked, do you? Tomorrow I'm going to wear them with some jeans, a yellow chambray shirt, and my turquoise necklace. And I'm going to show them to people who will smile pleasantly and pretend to appreciate them, and I won't mind that they don't get it.

Of course, I'm already plotting my next pair. Daughter picked out some self-patterning yarn that I will need to cope with. It's an opportunity to figure out how to knit two socks at once on two circulars, and how to do short row heels (she'll outgrow them before she wears them out anyway.)

Just a quick post, because it is very very late -- but I am just having too much fun! I can hardly stand it!

Things that are going very very well:

• Oldest son is learning to play guitar, and not only is he learning to play Stairway to Heaven, but he has also learned to tune the instrument -- truly a happy event.



• Daughter and I started piano lessons last week with a lovely, charming, patient but enthusiastic woman. Daughter is smitten, and practices every day without reminders.



• Middle son has begun to pace himself on the king kong ball.



• Oldest son and I tested for 1st degree black belt rank over the weekend -- and passed!

And on the knitting front:

• The back of Josephine is nearly complete, and my gage in the almost-stockinette stitch is looking wonderfully even.



• I am down to the toe decrease on the 2nd Jaywalker -- likely complete tomorrow night.



• The stubborn Iris has been ripped out and stowed until I am ready to deal with her again. (I wonder if she would really rather be a shawl?)



• And...I have discovered what Autumn wants to be.

Initial swatches of Autumn:

And the final swatch is where Autumn revealed herself at last:

She will become a short sleeve pull-over, with that lovely lace rib at the hem, along the the square neckline, and on the sleeve hems. Obviously it's machine knit -- I bought the yarn for machine knitting -- multi-color yarns need stockinette, and machines do stockinette best. Sometimes I do the edges by hand, but I did these on the machine and I think they look lovely, for once.