I Crochet Through the Wrong Loops on Purpose

I said it. I do it on purpose. I hate fishing around on the starter chain forever, so I go through the easy loops to go faster. So sue me.
For any knitter/crocheter, the Christmas season is now at hand. It's only October, but you know that making scarves, hats and mittens for everyone you know is a daunting task that takes several months to complete. I now have three different Christmas projects in the making and two started that have nothing at all to do with Christmas. I just really liked that yarn that was on sale and I couldn't sit and stare at my stash without feeling guilty.
Every year I deal with the same issue of what to make everyone. Am I one among a million knitters who hates searching for patterns? I like to make them up as I go. And I've fallen in love with the concept of rag knitting. I believe there will be multiple gifts this year made out of fabric cut into strips.
Damn yarn stores for their sales. And damn craft stores with classes offering ugly projects for beginning knitters. The only solution to this problem is to open my own knitting store where no one will ever walk out with yarn they hate simply because it's fifty percent off. Wait a second. Who the hell do I think I'm kidding? We are knitters. That day when we can resist an impulse sale purchase is far off.
I really should be working on this scarf. I believe it has great potential. I haven't done a zig zag pattern in ages, so the end result is sure to be something for further observation. I never said it will be pretty, but it will be interesting.