Swirly stitches!

In between holiday gifts I'm working on and the huge pile of tack I'm cleaning for clients, I haven't got much to show you this week. I am keeping busy making things, though! Here's something I can share:

I've discovered a yarn goldmine that thrills my thrifty little heart-- the local shop sells one pound bags of "mill ends" for $8. Mill ends are factory leftovers, so there's not much choice if you're looking for something particular, but I tend to go in with an open mind and have found some really nice stuff! My happiest find was a worsted-weight fiber in shades of blue, teal, and purple. I got five skeins in my one pound bag, and when I got it home and did a burn test, I found I was right -- it was wool! (Possibly a blend with another natural fiber. There was no melting, and it self-extinguished quickly.)  Soft and light, it was just what I had been looking for to make myself a little lap blanket.

I've been working the whole thing in half-double crochet, and I really like the swirly look -- it makes me think of ripples in water, or waves, or the aurora borealis.

The flash washed it out a little bit, but I wanted you all to be able to see the swirling stitches. Since this one is for me, I only work on it now and then between other (more important) gift projects. I was hoping it would be about four feet square when I got done, but I've just started my third skein and it's only about twenty inches wide. I'm definitely going to need another bag of that yarn. I hope I can find another one in the bins. If not, what will I do?? Probably fill in the middle with something that matches and then finish the end with another band of this wool, I guess. But I hope I don't have to!