I love socks!

Long time no see, eh? Hopefully after I get my computer functioning properly and whatnot, I'll be able to get online more often and update better. This should be a good post because I'm in Florida and am able to take my time on the computer, I can connect my camera.. etc.

So, I made my very first pair of socks last week! Karen asked if I had planned on making anything for Caroline's birthday, and I thought it'd be a perfect time to learn to make socks.

We had a little birthday party for her tonight at my brother's house. Like any 2-year-old would, she opened a package that had socks in it and moved right on to the next one. The next one happened to be Jenni's sister's gift -- also clothing. Caroline pulled everything out of the box and tossed it on the floor behind her, looking for a toy. When she didn't find one, she moved right along.. again. Fortunately for my ego (and what could easily be the end of my sock-making career), Caroline later became enamored with the socks. They fit, first off!! Or at least, they were close to fitting. They were only a little bit big and slouchy around the instep, but she'll grow into them. And anytime she walked into the living room and saw someone else holding them, she'd rip them out of their hands and say, "Mine!"

Isn't it funny that, in true aunt fashion, Jenni's sister and I were the only ones who gave her that heinous gift of *gasp* clothing! All the grandparents and friends and uncles got her toys or fun learning devices. But, the aunts.. clothes. Now I just need to grab her cheeks and say, "My how you've grown!" and I'll fit the mold to a tee.

Anywho.. here's a picture of the socks on her. My camera takes forever to take a picture, so she's already moving in this picture, but I'll bring Mom's camera in here and post a good picture I got when I get the chance.

They're done in Lion's Brand Magic Stripes in Bright Spring Pattern. It was on clearance at AC Moore, and for my first sock project, I certainly wasn't going to splurge. I used Ann Bud's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns as a bit of a starting point, and it's just in stockinette with about a 3/4 inch ribbing at the top. I do believe my first pair of socks was a success..

Let's see.. what else?

I finished my felted bag. I'll post pictures when I get back to NC.

Karen found me some Pink Lemonade! It's so cute! I started knitting a dishcloth in stockinette with it, but I'm gonna frog it and do a more entertaining pattern.

I'm also making the Woozy Cloth from smariek's blog in a purple and yellow kitchen cotton.. I forgot the name of that colorway.

Karen and I dyed yarn last week! We used the Kool-Aid method, and I think it made the color so rich. That is where there was color.. I wasn't as thorough with mine as I should have been, and there's a good bit of white still. I think I'll start either a pair of socks or the Fetching wrist warmers sometime next week.

Last but not least, I'm working on the Simple Shrug from the ballband of Caron's Simply Soft Shadows in Mardi Gray. It's a fun pattern, though I think it'll look dumb on me, so it'll need to be a gift. I had a good 7 inches or so done on it, then I decided to frog it and redo it in the round.

Oh, and then there's always the perpetual blanket.. :-)

AND, the most exciting news of all........ Karen and I got an apartment! We signed a lease on Wednesday, and I'll start moving all my jank in next week! I'll post some pictures when we get all moved in!