The Coolest Thing

Today, while spending what seemed to be endless hours at a swim meet in which my older son was competing (no, really: 4+hours of meet, 3 minutes of actual swimming), I was fortunate enough to need a crochet hook that I didn't have.  I had started an entrelac wrap in Mistero (color, grays to white #026, based on a pattern for Di Ve's Teseo Entrelac Stole, for which I can't find a pattern link) and found out after the base triangles were done that my cast on was way too tight.  Rrrrrip!  My solution to this was to use a provisional cast on and the only one I could remember at the moment required beginning with a crochet chain.  I know you can do this with fingers or even a knitting needle, but, let's face it: a crochet hook is well, made for this.  It's the whole "use the right tool for the job" argument. 

So, I say that I was fortunate for not being properly equipped, because I happened to spy a woman crocheting a few rows down from me in the bleachers.  "Aha!", I said to myself, "Perhaps she has more than one hook with her--after all, I have my whole set of Addi Clicks with me."  So I went over and asked her. 

And this is the really, really cool part: she did not in fact have a hook large enough to accomodate the yarn I was using, but it opened the door to a really fun conversation.  We talked about knitting, our kids, swimming, you name it.  We exchanged contact information and plan on meeting up tomorrow during the last leg of the swimming competition.  How is that not the coolest thing ever?? I love people who play with yarn.

While I must admit that my past experience with Fiber Junkies of almost any ilk (knitters, crocheters, weavers, dyers, spinners, etc.) has firmly established, in my opinion, that fellow Junkies are open and welcoming to each other, this encounter confirmed it.  Furthermore, it firmly cemented my belief that it doesn't matter where you go in this world that it's easy to meet people and befriend them.  All you have to do is be open to the other person and greet them with respect and a smile and you will generally receive the same in return.  My bet is that those hours at the pool tomorrow will not be long enough.