Pretty Yarn and a new Crochet Hook

I've been doing lots of freeform crochet lately. None of it (thus far) is destined to become a finished project - just practicing. Something I began to notice during my practice was that my hand and arm would get really tired and often hurt after crocheting. Since I have arthritis in my neck which affects my right arm and crafting ability (I can no longer do bead embroidery - holding that tiny needle just about KILLS me!) the pain was not unexpected. An ergonomic crochet hook was fast becoming a necessity!

My search for the right hook lead me to my local indie yarn shop - Yarn Soup - owned by my friend Sara. She let me try out a couple different hooks and I found one I liked - a 3.5mm Addi hook! I think it will work great for me and make crocheting WAY more comfortable. I also found some beautiful yarn being sold in luscious color collections. I bought two "Beautiful Soup" collections from Wonderland Yarns: Pot No. 2 and Pot No. 8. Not only did I find exactly the new hook I needed and some incredible yarn to create with, it also felt pretty dang awesome to support a small local shop. Please always try to shop small and local - the extra cost is SOOOO worth it. Cities and towns with small independently owned shops are simply nicer places to live.

Here are some pics of my treasures - can't wait to get started!

On the river

We took what may be our last boat trip of the season last week. We missed alot of time on the river this year. Heavy rains throughout the upper Midwest caused the river to rise and made boating (especially in our little putt-putt boat) dangerous. We weren't sure we'd get out there again but I'm glad we did!

Dark but beautiful skies on the way down river

Fall colors in full swing!

A few treasures found along the bank

Our little putt-putt boat

We call this place "Shantytown" - I would love to live on a boat here someday

The Julien Dubuque bridge connecting Iowa and Illinois

Riverfront - Dubuque, Iowa