When is Enough Enough?

This is the current state of my crocheted bookmark project. On March 1st I'm going to be putting on a display of them in a glass display cabinet at our local library. I don't know how many I'll need to make a good display. I'm sure I have enough crocheted but none are prepped for display. The only 'dressed' ones I have are bedraggled from the way they've been stored or used--ribbons wrinkled or creased, edges curled.

I have 20 some fresh off the crochet hook that still need tails tucked and blocking before they can be dressed. Half of them have six tails apiece the others two. Then there are forty some that have their tails tucked but about half of them still need to be blocked before they can be outfitted with ribbons and beads.




This is what the last completed one looked like when finished. But it's not available for the display as it was given as a gift soon after that picture was taken.




Yesterday I got to add six new colors to my collection. One of them, the light blue one, is also a different kind of thread from the traditional mercerized cotton, it is also cotton but has a different feel--less slick, a bit like flannel. It's called bamboo and I've seen them listed in the catalogs online and wondered what the difference was. I'm not sure how it will work for the bookmarks but if it doesn't, it will make a nice light-weight scarf.

The other five colors I got were traditional size 10 mercerized: yellow, burgundy, antique white, lavender and copper.

I have learned that I need to grab as many of the colors in stock at the stores that I don't already have that I can afford that day because to order online would nearly double the cost per spool by shipping costs. And so far I haven't found a store that will order a color/kind for me. Most of the stores I've tried--the big name franchised craft stores and box stores don't stock more than half a dozen kind/colors at a time. And that means there might be 3 or 4 size 10 mercerized and two will be white and black. The most common colors after white and black are red and blue.

There might be a couple spools in size 3 or 5 called fashion or sports weight as they're used for apparel like hats and scarfs. And there might be a white or black (never both at the same time) in size 20 or 30 weight. I'm anxious to expand my collection of 20 or 30 weight. The finished bookmark is lacier and more delicate. Currently I only have it in one pastel variegated and one white. I also have white in tatting weight of 50 and 100. I also have a black and gray variegated and a green and white variegated in tatting weight. All of these came from either Ed's grandmother's sewing or my mother's.

I've learned they do seem to change the variety seasonally.

In the size 10 I am still looking for bright pink, bright turquoise, gray, peach or pale orange, bright orange, chocolate brown and just about any variegated in brights or pastels. There are others I wouldn't mind having but those are the highest priority. If I had to choose my top three: bright turquoise (about the shade of Blue Mews kitty in the pic at top), gray and a variegated usually called Mexicana.

I'm thinking I might have better luck growing my collection by looking on Craig's list or a local want ads or flea market for someone trying to sell their remnants. My bookmarks are really good projects for using scraps. My own collection began with what was in Ed's grandma's sewing basket when she passed in 2006.

But if my collection gets any bigger right now I'm not sure where I'd put the newcomers.


I got the six new ones squeezed into the drawer but only by keeping four spools in the silver gift bag that holds up to four which I use to keep whatever is on the hook or about to be portable. The bag still held the black, white, bright green and light green from when I last worked over a week ago. Since the picture was taken though I switched them over and the bag now holds the burgundy, antique white, copper and lavender.



Here's the silver bag in a pic taken last summer shortly before my six month stay at my Mom's ended..

Can you believe my netbook fits in that bag even with four spools in it? It's not a very secure way to carry it but I did a couple of times.

I'm itching to pick up the crochet hook again. I had no choice but to set it aside nearly two weeks ago after I used bad judgment by crocheting more than 16 hours out of one 24 hour day. I think I made 13 that day. The following day I could barely type for the pain in my right wrist, thumb and elbow. Silly, silly me. I sometimes don't know when enough is enough.

Besides being afraid I'd go overboard again, I'm also aware of all those tails yet to be tucked on the ones I made last month. And there's the prepping for the display.

Then there is the Book Drum project that finishes up the last day of February.

Then there are several library books and DVD coming due in the next two weeks.

And my room is a disaster. I'm still not completely unpacked from my most recent visit to Mom's. I've been home since January 24!

There always seems to be some piece of a project that is missing an element--like tonight, I had to hunt for the USB cord for my camera.

So it really doesn't appear that I have time to crochet just now.

But maybe just one?