Amber becomes a "Happy Hooker"

About 4 weeks ago, I gave up my resistance to crochet, bought Debbie Stoller's new book, The Happy Hooker (and here's the link to the NPR story), and became an instant convert. I LOVE crochet! I know there is a long-standing feud between crochet and knitting (knitting is hip and cool, crochet is dorky), but I don't really see the point in comparing them in order to shine one or the other in a negative light. And now that I've learned the basic elements of crochet, I am quite proud delighted to say that I'm
a happy hooker (read Stoller's book to hear which came first, the prostitute or the crafter). My new-found exuberance for this fiber art should be apparent by the numerous pictures of my very first crochet project, the Cold Shoulders Capelet, from The Happy Hooker. I went against my own advice and chose a project with mohair. Mohair complicates beginners hands by making the stitches harder to see clearly. I always caution new knitters against using novelty yarns of any kind for their first projects for this reason, and here I found myself loving this project so much, I just couldn't resist. While it slowed me down at first, I soon got the hang of it. I'm glad I went with this project, as it's fast become one of my favorite hand-made items. More crochet (and knitting) to come later.