On the Edge

For a few years now I have been collecting little tea/cocktail napkins.  Here are a few samples....

I wanted to try making my own, similar to the little tulip one you see above.  I love the crochet edging!  I recently purchased a Sharp Crochet Hook, after reading a review on a blog post I had seen here, and thought this would be a good project on which to try it out.  I also discovered that Cuckoo was given a hook and was asked to write a review about it on her blog.  We coordinated our findings and you can read about her experience with the hook over here.

The hook is very sharp and tiny, made to poke through your material, so you can start a foundation of single crochets on your fabric.  Brilliant idea!  It is recommended that you use size 3 crochet thread.  Once the single crochets are completed, switch to a size E hook, and add your next rows of picot, shells, or whatever.  Just like those pretty crochet edged pillowcases!
 However, I tried it through two layers of cotton, and found it hard to get a nice, even pace going.   My stitches were a bit uneven, but I think this can be remedied with some practice. The picture below is the good side.  The other side which I'm not showing you, was poo.

The hook was so sharp, that it grabbed some of the cotton fibers on the way back through the hole. This led to little threads poking out, and the fabric bunching up.  I found that it helped to push the hook in further, making the hole bigger, so it slides back out easier.
Phew.
Well, this is as far as I got.  Cuckoo actually went on to the next row with hers, so she wins.
I may go back and finish these little napkins when my post-operative hormones have evened out and I have more patience.  Anyone who enjoys making crochet edgings would probably like to add a Sharp Crochet Hook to their hook collection.  It seems to work out especially well on flannel baby blankets.

 In the meantime, I cut the rest of my napkin fabric into 9.5 inch squares. Then I sewed two different prints wrong sides together, leaving the edges raw.  I threw them in the washer and dryer and let them fray.

 Done.