Doodling With Yarn

It's been an interesting few days since I last entry.  First there's this top secret thing -- I can't reveal any hints until the details are settled, but it should prove to be a fun experience.

Second, I love when my students can teach me something!  I had a great class Thursday night; they're all progressing beautifully.  This class was a little extra special because, as most of you know, I love crochet hooks.  Especially those hand-carved with attention to the slightest detail!  When I teach my crochet classes I usually use one of my beloved wooden hooks, and this was true weeks prior during the first session.  On that first day my students were in love; they wanted a hook just like mine!  The store owner took down the hook creator's information and said she'd do what she could to ensure she had some by time the next class took place. They were thrilled.

Just hours upon my arrival to the store, Linda of Grafton Fibers arrived; hand-delivering a beautiful assortment of crochet hooks for my students -- and {insert greedy Homer-like lip smacking sound effects here} for me too -- directly from Vermont!  Now that's what I call customer service!   Check out my new beauty featured in today's photo!

Since Thursday, I've been enjoying playing with my new hook, and having fun doodling with yarn, if you will -- a self-striping yarn -- in a colorway that is out of my "comfort range."  Doodling with yarn as I call it, is a great way to learn what a given fiber can do without the cost & time invested in having to complete an entire project.  In today's photo are two such doodles.  One is a little hat -- an experiment to see how the yarn would look worked up with simple stitches when worked in the round.  The second item is a slightly textured stitch worked in flat rows which I think helps the colors richly blend into each other. (you can click onto the picture for a closer look-see.)  What do you think?  Have you ever doodled with yarn and was thankful you did?