Friday, March 28, 2014

Final Touch

March is both National Craft Month and National Crochet Month. In honor of both, I am writing about a lesson I learned that pertains to both. And maybe a lot of other stuff, too. It’s all about the small stuff. The little details that make something special.

It really came home to me when I found a couple of hand towels at Cost Plus. They were just plain linen that was hemmed along the sides and bottom. But then someone had hand done a blanket stitch around the edges. The last touch was what made me immediately want one (well, really two - that was all they had) – a small crochet flower with a crochet leaf behind it had been added to one corner. That little extra decoration made the towels seem precious.

Recently, I have found that I really like knitting wash clothes. It’s a small project that is great to take with and simple enough that I can talk or watch TV while working on them. They are nice to use and make a nice gift. But they seem a little plain. So, when I was making one as a gift, I wanted to add something on that would make it special, like the hand towels. I love crocheted flowers and have made them in assorted sizes, but making one for the wash cloth, along with a leaf, was a bit of a challenge. But it seemed like just the touch I was looking for. I played around with different yarns and hook sizes and even how to attach them to the finished project.

I wasn’t happy with the first end result and made a whole new wash cloth and a new version of the leaf and flower with a better way of attaching them. I was content with that one. I coupled it with a bar of naturally rose scented soap from Whole Foods, packed it up in a draw string bag I found at Michael’s and sent it off, feeling that it seemed special.

It’s easy to want to be done with a project and think about settling with just a basic fastening off and weaving in the ends, but with just a little more time, it can go from the ordinary to keepsake. Think about adding some beads, or heart shaped silver buttons, or edging, fringe, or even just a tassel.

I know that’s my plan from now on.

6 comments:

Planner said...

Your wash cloth is beautiful! You're so right--embellishments can make all the difference. I will keep that in mind when finishing my projects.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Very pretty! You're creative in so many ways, Betty.

Betty Hechtman said...

Thank you, Linda!

Betty Hechtman said...

Planner, I'm glad I could pass on the inspiration.

Rebecca said...

Very pretty, the flower adds so much to the design. I enjoy knitting washcloths too. They are great knitting projects while watching television.

Betty Hechtman said...

Rebecca, nice to know you like making washcloths too.