Book Sale is on! Do you love new knitting and crochet books? I love them. I find so much inspiration in books, whether they be collections of sweaters and accessories, books on new (or old) techniques, or books about…nonsense. I love making nonsense! By that, I mean mostly impractical items to keep or give away but that are pretty much guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of people who see them. When I found in Twinkie Chan’s newest book, “Crochet Abode a la Mode”, I started making just that. It might be my favorite craft book ever, and so far, I’ve made four projects from it. Check them out!

My Giant Donut Floor Pouf out of Mighty Stitch Super Bulky Yarn in Cream and Mint, with all different colored sprinkles. It took a lot of yarn, but was a quicker crochet project than I expected! I stuffed it with about 3 bags of polyester stuffing, and gave it to a good friend for his birthday, along with a real donut with sprinkles, and a strong cup of coffee. Job done.

For another friend’s birthday, I made the Birthday Cake Toilet Paper Cozy with Mighty Stitch Bulky Yarn. The pattern was so quick and fun, and I’ll be making so many more cakes in the future! I hope to become known as the person who gives out toilet paper covers on special occasions :).

For my kids, I made a Banana Split Throw Pillow from Mighty Stitch Bulky Yarn. I loved making this – all the parts were fun to create separately, and sewing it together was a blast (why don’t I feel like that about seaming sweaters?). My kids love to lean on it and read books before going to sleep.

Finally, I made these Breakfast Dishcloths out of Dishie Yarn, as a housewarming gift for another friend. I love the egg and the coffee cup, but the waffle dishcloth is my favorite. When a great stitch lends itself to an adorable design, I leap in the air with happiness. Twinkie Chan’s newest book had me doing that a lot. I’d say it’s my favorite crochet book of all time!

Are you the kind of person that finds a book they love and makes pattern after pattern out of it, or are you the type that buys lots of books, to gather inspiration from a number of sources? As you can see, I’m the former, and with book sale on (and all books 40% off) I’m looking for my newest book of nonsense to make me, and those around me happy. I think I might have found it – right here!