First off, I have to say its nice to be back....I wasnt able to add anything for awhile because I had a system meltdown. But things are pretty much back to normal.
Second, here is my contribution to the first part of the CFL August Challenge. I was first going to do a book cover but after doing about a dozen rows of that, I realized it was going to be TOO thick and if I did it in thread, it would take me an eternity! So as I was sitting in my chair working on a cryptogram (I love cryptograms!) and staring at my pencil, it came to me.
This pencil cover was made with a double strand of #10 cotton and a #9 steel hook. Six sc stitches worked in rounds till it was long enough and a sl st at the end. I cut the end about a yard long, and, using a tapestry needle, looped it through the last stitch several times so I had 3 loops, then I cut the excess off and cut the loops apart at the bottom. I braided the ends, knotted it and then pulled apart the strands of thread to create a tassle. You could dress it up with a charm or beads instead. Took me about a half an hour and I like the feel of it as I work on my cryptograms :)
Crochet Away!