cosy up to crochet

now that i've rediscovered the joys of crochet again, i find myself trawling through old and new pattern books looking for the next project. when the right pattern jumps out at me, i can't wait to get started straight away. one of my new years resolutions for 2012 was to always do a tension swatch before starting a biggish project, as i'm usually substituting yarn from my stash.

attention swatch

when i saw the crochet hook cosy in The Chicks with Sticks Guide to Crochet, i knew i needed it. imagine all my hooks in one spot ready to swatch at any time! i grabbed some 12ply from my stash and got started (on a swatch of course). i fiddled with the pattern to fit my yarn, striped away happily and got ready to felt. aaargh...how could i forget the first rule of felting?? rule 1: always use non-machine washable wool. after an hour in the machine it was obvious my yarn was not feltable. i decided it was still lovely, so i used some vintage sheet fabric to make a lining and pockets to fit all my hooks.

hook cosy loveliness

i popped all the hooks i own into the pockets, and... i love it! there was room for a pencil to jot down tension and some needles for sewing up. the cosy takes up hardly any room when rolled up and now i've got everything in my handbag to start crocheting whenever i can get my hands on some yarn.

cosy on a roll

now, where were those crochet pattern books...?