Sick, sick, sick :(

The stomach bug has hit my house. All the boys have had it and I thought it was over. Well, one started again last night at dinner and then I started around 2 am this morning. I haven't even felt well enough to knit. Luckily, I am almost done with my gift knitting and will hopefully have some pics up soon.

Sock pal package received!

I have been anxiously awaiting the arival of my socks, which I expected last week but figured the owls were slowed down by the snowy weather. Well, today while hanging Christmas lights outside, I saw the package on the ground, on the other side of my porch. It was pretty soggy. I have no idea of how long it had been down there, but luckily everything inside was just fine. I love, love, love the socks! They are very comfortable and soft and simply perfect for this Gryffindor! I love everything included in the package, including a set of dpns with a special holder that says what size they are. I have never seen those and I was wondering how I was going to keep my needles organized. Thanks again for everything!

Here are the completed socks!

I finally got one of the pictures loaded! Here are the completed socks! I didn't get a pic of the rest of the goodies before I sent them. I just hope that my partner loves them.

Trying to meet the deadline

[URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/7038/053nz3.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I had been trying to meet the deadline for my first sock swap (and first pair of socks). Here is a picture of my almost completed second sock and I worked in the school pick up line last month.

ETA: I haven't been able to get my pictures to load since I had to switch to a lower speed internet, so I tried it with image shack and it obviously didn't work either. Any suggestions?

A pretty good first attempt

Well, I completed my first sock . . . all but the grafting of the toe. For the most part, I think it turned out pretty good. Its definately wearable, but I think that I am not going to send this one and try again. My sister has said that she would love to have this sock (along with its mate :) )

The problems: I should have made the cuff a lot bigger. I don't think its even 1/2 an inch.
Then, I messed up some on the pattern. You can see it in the picture below in the yellow section. It forms a straight line for a few rows. I should have fixed it then, but I kept hoping it would blend in and I still have this aversion to ripping out with such small stitches. I never can get them back on the needles. Now that its done, I'm not happy with it at all.
Here is the heel . . . which isn't a problem at all. It is "Eye of Partridge". Its the first time I have tried this and I love how it turned out. Can you do this for the entire sock?

I am participating in my first sock swap, which is a huge deal for someone who can't knit socks. Its Harry Potter themed and I just couldn't resist. I figure I will just have to bite the bullet, buckle down and learn to knit socks. I plan on knitting my little fingers off until I get it right and produce a pair of socks that my pal will be proud to wear.
I started shopping for yarn as soon as I got my pal, Gabrielle Lovegoods, and found out that she was a Ravenclaw and wanted socks that were HP themed and not in house colors. I chose some Lorna's Laces in the color way Starry Night. The colors are based on Monet's painting, Starry Night, but I felt like the colors and the name worked well with the HP theme. The yarn is beautiful and the colors remind me of something Dumbledore would wear. I hope Gabrielle likes them.
This is where I am as of tonight. This is after multiple attempts and casting on over and over again. Different problems snag me up each time and the stitches and needles are so small, that I have a hugely difficult time ripping back to the mistake and then moving on. I end up ripping it all out and starting over. Any suggestions?
Here is the detail work :) I am proud of myself for trying something other than basic stockinette. I know it probably doesn't look like a big deal to most, but to me its a lot. I love how it is turning out. The pattern is Dublin Bay Socks, which is a free patern that I found on Ravelry. I think it kind of looks like stars . . . maybe I'm reaching a little on that one.

Wish me luck with this project. I will try to keep you posted.

Vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC

We spent a week at Myrtle Beach. It was the first time that my boys have seen the ocean. I couldn't have asked for a better vacation.