Crocheted Stones

The crocheted coasters I made last year for The Mr.'s gift exchange in Japan were a hit.

The fact that it was a handcrafted gift was a big deal. At least that's what The Mr. told me.

The bar has been raised, so another handmade item was requested for this year's swap.

I flipped through some of my Crochet Today magazines looking for a project that would be fitting for such an occasion.

As soon as I spied these crocheted stones, I knew I had a winner.

There were three versions in all.

How could I choose just one?

I couldn't. So I made all three.

Although, even one would have made a nice paper weight, no?

I used white crochet thread, size 10.

The hook was minuscule: a size 8 steel hook.

Make sure you have some good light at your disposal. Otherwise, you just might go blind.

Seriously.

I didn't find these patterns especially complicated. They are rated "intermediate" or 3 out of 4 on the difficulty scale.

I think this is due to the size of the thread and hook. It's not a beginner project, that's certain. But if you have even tension and you count your stitches accurately, then you should be fine.

I found the hardest part was fitting them over the rock. The covers are basically a mesh that has more give than you think.

But there is a lot of tugging, pulling, and stretching involved.

Of course I put these off to the last minute.

Good thing they work up quick. I made 2 1/2 in one evening. That's a lot of speedy crochet.

But I did it.

They are now in the hands of another.

Hopefully they are adding a little flair to the space in which they now reside...wherever that may be.