It's freeEEeezing here, which mostly scuttles our 2-hour, nightly walks.  I like to be able to talk without having my scarf muffling me and I think having feeling in my fingers is important, so during the worst of the winter weather, we usually stay inside and watch movies.  But I was getting a little stir-crazy the other night, so I suggested a walk to the bookstore to hang out until they closed.  You know, 'cause I live la vida loca.

Anyhoo, I was paging through all the crochet magazines because I never give up hope that someday (someday!) there will be something (anything!) cute enough or cool enough to make and I saw this ...

Wood grain* pillows!  Are you kidding me?!  My heart literally started racing.  I know wood grain all the rage right now and half of you are groaning ... well, I know half of me is groaning ... but the whole idea of crochet wood grain is brilliant.  Brilliant!  They were designed by Allison from Pepperberry Crochet

This is exactly the kind of project that is perfect for crochet:  stripes of color; free-form shapes incorporated in a larger design; rows of differing sized stitches; the potential for "making it up as you go"; and there is even the possibility for some 3-D stuff, like branches.

The article mentions that you could make a tote instead of a pillow ... yes!  YES!  Thank you for that suggestion from the bottom of my heart.  This article is the holy grail for which I have been searching for almost 17 years in crochet magazines ... the holy grail being a project that actually excites me**.

I can't wait to try it out!  I'm not going to do it exactly like her pattern, but there are some great ideas about varying your stitches in the original.  This project is going to the top of the list ... right after all the other stuff that's at the top of the list. ;)

* I REFUSE to use the F B words.  They bug me.  And if you use them, I'll pretend that you're saying "wood grain."

** I've seen projects that I might make or that I think might look good (maybe), but nothing that had me wishing I had yarn and a hook with me at the book store so I could start swatching.  Never.  Case in point, I kinda like this sweater (from the same magazine) but I'm 100% sure it'd look barfy on me and it's not even anything that I'd even try on at the store.  But still, something makes me think it *might* be nice.  Maybe, but probably not.  Perhaps the sweater just looks appealing in contrast to all the other stuff in the magazine.  I totally don't want to single out this particular issue or this particular magazine.  All the crochet (and knit, truth be told) magazines I encounter are mostly fug.  Like 99% fug.  Too much fug.

I think part of the problem is not using the right tool for the job.  There are things that crochet is good for and there are things that knit is good for and there are things that embroidery is good for and there are things that macrame is good for (owls!) and there are things that weaving is good for, etc. They are not interchangeable.  They each have strengths and weaknesses.

I love chocolate chip cookies like you wouldn't believe, but I wouldn't try to build a car out of them.  See what I mean?  Crochet and knit magazines are full of projects that are the equivalent of showing me how to build a car out of chocolate chip cookies.  

OK, they are only half cookie-cars.  The other half is just plain ugly. ha!