Finger Knit Coaster

Some time earlier this year, I taught some little girls to finger knit and we all made lovely finger knit necklaces. I brought my necklace home, but a fuzzy purple necklace didn't really go with my wardrobe. Still, I hung on to it. Then, the other day, I decided it would make a lovely coaster. I used some extra stretchy sock yarn (I am almost done with my second sock.) to crochet over the finger knit chunky yarn and made this lovely little coaster. It is just right for my mug of tea.

Clay Crochet Hooks

 I had seen adorable crochet hooks made with bake clay online and picked up a couple of these on sale in the US. My favorite clay-covered crochet hooks were red with white dots so red and white were the logical choices for colors.

 I used a bamboo handle crochet hook to judge how far up the crochet hook the clay should go. My work area is lined with wax paper to avoid mess and color transfer and I had a packet of wet wipes nearby to clean my hands between color changes. Here you can see two piles of clay dots. The smaller ones were the best, but oh-so-hard to get just right.

 I lined a 9x13 baking tray with aluminum foil because you probably shouldn't have the clay in direct contact with things you plan to use for food later. The directions on the package were a bit sparse and I judged the "per inch" part to refer to the length. Since I sort of scorched my hooks, I'm thinking it was actually referring to thickness.

But, even with a few scorch marks, my hooks came out lovely and are so much easier to work with now that they have built-up handles. Two packages of clay made eight crochet hook handles in case you want to try it. Also, I rolled the clay into handle size first and then inserted the hook rather than wrapping the clay around the hook. I also kept the flattened piece on each hook free of clay just like it was on the bamboo hook. The tutorials I found online all seemed to cover this up, but I think it is important to leave it as is for comfort's sake.

Plastic Canvas Circle

 I've had this large plastic canvas circle for a while and I thought it might make a nice hot pad to set things on. I used a single round of color on the outer edge. The next five rounds were the teal, then four rounds of pink, three rounds of violet, two rounds of green, one round of orange, two rounds of rose, three rounds of grape, four rounds of lavender and then the center is yellow.

The different number of rounds for each color helps guide the eyes toward the center. So, far, it makes a great hot mat. That is, when the cat isn't sitting on it.

A Doodled Page

I hate sitting still. Usually, I keep some form of needlework in my bag, but I also carry this small doodle book and a pen. Sometimes I add to a doodle I started before or I may start a new one. Other times, I sketch something or make a pattern sketch.

It's an easy way to pass the time and you never quite know what you are going to end up with. The flower sprouting from a leaf is my favorite part of this particular doodle. A surprise.

Book Review: Crafting a Colorful Home

 When I saw that Kristin Nicholas had written another book, I couldn't wait until it came out. I have loved her colorful style for a number of years now and Crafting a Colorful Home is no disappointment.

The entire book is filled with color from a wide variety of craft styles such as knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting, and embroidering. Her home exhibits a warm, cozy vibe that is cheerful and vibrant at the same time. It is just the place I'd like to spend a cold winter's day, curled up with a book or some knitting.

Unlike most decorating books and magazines that show pictures that look as if no one has ever lived there and where children and pets would have to be barred, Kristin's home has a welcoming lived-in feeling that invites all to come in and soak in the joy.

There are no projects in this book that I do not want to try. There are some that while I would not make the same project in the same colors, I would definitely use colors I like instead to accomplish the same thing.

Even people less inclined to use every color in the rainbow in their homes and on their walls can find projects of interests here. But, if you love color and yet have beige walls because you aren't quite sure how to use it, then you need this book.

I can't stop flipping through the pages for a feast of color. It is definitely my favorite craft book ever. Be sure to check out her blog.