No holes barred

This sock just keeps getting better and better! I turned the heel this afternoon. I think I managed to match it up to the first one... can't seem to find part of my notes. :P I had a much easier time picking up stitches from the flap this go 'round. Used my new 2.5mm Crystal Palace needles. The point on them is fabulous and made it so much easier! The smaller size didn't hurt either. With a little experimental fiddling in the gusset area I was able to complete my first heel with NO HOLES! No gaps, no holes. I'm thrilled. I've had a bit of trouble with that on all the previous socks.
I've also discovered why the feet of my socks are tighter than expected and I tend to get hand and arm pain more frequently once I get well into a sock. I've been starting out on 5 DPNs but going down to 4 once all the heel stitches are picked up. Apparently that has been altering my gauge and stressing my hands. I think that going back up to 5 will solve the problem.

Another great thing that happened today was my trip to the bookstore. I took my brother over to Hilton Head to pick up a book he ordered. I hadn't expected to be able to get anything myself. Just before we left it occurred to me that I had a book to return. I got this book on thyroid imbalances a few weeks back and while it's loaded with useful information, I simple cannot read it. The writing style just makes me go crosseyed. Can't hold my interest at all. It's not overly technical or even dry. I'm not sure why but I just can't get through it so I took it with me.

Once we got there I realized it was a more expensive book than I thought so I had a little more money to play with. Since I no longer have the receipt, I had to exchange it for something else. Of course I was hoping for a good knitting book of some sort. The selection there isn't the best though. It's a small Barnes & Noble and not very well stocked in most areas. Plus it's always so much easier to find beginner how-to books and fast, easy patterns but it can be difficult to find good intermediate or advanced books around here at all.
I've been wanting to get a stitch dictionary pretty badly. I'm hoping for a couple of the Barbara Walker treasuries for Christmas. So I considered the vogue Stitchonary but it's more than I wanted to spend and I the first green yarn they use burns my retinas. :P Can't bear it.
Considered Sensational Knitted Socks but again, it was more than my other book and while I really liked the content, it should at least be spiral-bound for $25! Geez.

Found the Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns. I dug back past the first two bent up copies and happened across a lone copy with a 30% off sticker! That's 40% with my card. Seeing as the book is only $15 to begin with, I had enough left over for a magazine. :)

That plus the fact that our trip took only about half the time I expected and included Backyard Burger made me a pretty happy camper.