CGOA Conference: Hooks & Happiness

I have been advised many times that often a first impression stays with you.  That you should always put your best foot forward, and so on.  Fortunately for me, I believe in second chances.

When I first met Christy at the Conference, I was not the happiest of crocheters.  My mind was in near panic mode of trying to figure out overnight accommodations for a family of four (see journal entry from Tuesday for details.)  I so wanted to take time and chat with her & Carol a bit, but I had to resolve the lodging issue first.  Apparently, I made impressions on others who were also in the lobby because I had received comments about the coloring in my face/the clarity of my complexion later on.  I'm guessing that my face on Tuesday was bright red due to how upset I was with the hotel.

Well, imagine my delight on getting to hang out with Christy a bit on Thursday morning when we were in Nancy Nehring's "Create Your Own Crochet Hook" class!  Christy has a great sense of humor -- she even struck a fun pose for me when I went to check out her really, really, REALLY bright crochet work!  She was one of the first to not only finish her crochet hook but to also decorate it!  Isn't that fantastic?!!  Christy, it was an absolute pleasure to be in that class with you!!  :)

And speaking of crochet hooks, I took mine on a Maiden Voyage yesterday.  I crocheted three hats, pictured below.  Two as Chemo Caps, and one to donate this fall to our local Salvation Army.  The lime-green hat was crocheted with a beautiful silk & merino blend by Plymouth (from my yarn stash).

The purple hat was created with Lion Brand's "Microspun" which is notorious for splitting.  (I had it left over from a swatch I created for one of Lily Chin's classes I took.)  I want to go on record here stating that it behaved quite nicely on my new hook!  As a finished project, it has such an incredible softness to it; I'm sure someone needing it due to the effects of cancer will enjoy that feature!

The last hat I created I used almost a full skein of Moda-dea's "Metro" that was featured in one of my goodie bags from the Conference (I got two bags: one for attending Professional Day, and one for attending the Conference.)  I'm not seeing a reference to it on their website, so it may be brand new to their yarn line.  It worked up very quick with my new hook, which I'm guessing is around a size "L" -- I haven't officially measured it yet.  Margaret Hubert gave me hers, so it looks like I best get busy working up another hat.  Believe it or not, Christmas & the winter season are only 159 days away!

But before I dash away to go play with my new hook some more, I want to state that I believe the conflict with the hotel's billing has been resolved.  It wasn't a pretty fight, but it was one in which the hotel management finally agreed with me that they shouldn't have charged me for the Internet service. They have removed the $600 charge from my bill.

It's all about happy endings, isn't it?  :)