Hooked

In addition to the beautiful yet unfinished jewelry box and some stunning sapphires to put in it, I also got crochet hooks for Christmas. Not just any crochet hooks. Hand turned hardwood hooks from Brains Barn in New Jersey by Brian Bergmann.

Here they are in the not-remotely-worthy new case that I made for them.


This one is an I and is made from black walnut.


This one is a K and is made from rosewood.


This is the J and is what has to be the blackest ebony I've ever seen. None of my knitting needles are anywhere near this dark.


I finally made myself a crochet hook case. It feels very inferior.


I used all three of them today, just playing around with some scrap yarn after I reorganized my stash. They're amazing. It really does make such a difference working with nice equipment and materials. These hooks have ruined me for all others. Even my black walnut Brittany hook pales in comparison. I told Ryan he's all set for the next couple of years worth of gifts...I need D through H and maybe an L!

A Little Something I Whipped Up

For a while now, I've been looking for something to hold my ebony Lantern Moon Sox Stix. These wonderful little five inch long double pointed needles are perfect for socks (which I'll get around to making some day) and they're just darn pretty. They've been in the cute little plaid organza bags they originally came in since I bought them (well, they've been out a few times when I've attempted to knit in the round with size 0 needles, but other than that...). All six sets were in the luggage that didn't arrive with me in Pittsburgh. That was scary.



Now they have a home.



Don't they look all warm and cozy nestled in their new little case? Very snuggly.



I think I may have hit on something. I've been off my game when it comes to creating new stuff lately. Not that this is a far cry from the crochet hook case really, but there was some different dimensions at play here. I think it worked out pretty well. I used fabric I don't really like too much, though, and might have to make a prettier one now that I have it down (nailed it on the first try, by the way!).



This success leads me back to the ill-fated circular needle case. I have half a prototype in an absolutely horrendous combination of scrap fabric. It works in theory, but I have to put a real one together. This one, I think, is going to be almost labor-intensive enough to be not worth making a lot of them.



Much easier to make are the originals, the cases for the twelve inch single points. Mine is below. I don't know how many I actually made before I decided on the fabric to make my own. These aren't like the bags. You only really need one. Unless, of course, you have a complete set of ten, twelve, and fourteen inch needles. Maybe I'll just work on that.



Hmmm...There's a couple missing...Fancy that!



One of these days, I'll pick fabric and make myself a crochet hook case. That will give me an excuse to rustle up more Brittany black walnut hooks.

Old bags

This is the very first reversible bag. Back in Las Vegas. Back before I was smart enough to leave the opening in the side of the handle. Back before I could pin and cut the pattern without looking. It currently holds the Harry Potter scarf. More on that later. I promise. Wait for it.


These are some of the first (and second...and maybe even third) batch of bags. The second and third batches were marked by eleven hour stretches of sewing. Really. I forgot to eat lunch. And dinner. This is why I don't even get started sometimes.


I have forty or so cut out and in various stages of completion. Mostly in the very incomplete stage, but at least they're cut out. The kids at school had a field day with the scrap fabric.


There are also a couple of knitting needle and crochet hook cases. I need to make more of these. A lot more of these.


Victoria (of Victoria's Yarn Shop in beautiful Girard, PA) wants more for Christmas. I'll get right on that. In my spare time. No problem.