Second sachet finished

I was able to finish one more decoration tonight. Here's two pouches, ready for stuffing - I finished the one on the right. I'll finish off the second one later tonight.

At this point, they were put together the same as I described previously.











I made one change with the stuffing. I found some cotton fluff - the kind that is found in pill bottles - and used it for the vanilla oil. It held the oil quite well. After adding a few drops, I rolled it up, then tucked it on top of the cloves before adding more polyfill, then the cinnamon sticks.



This time, I use actual crochet cotton. Specifically, No. 20 Mercerized Crochet Cotton, brand name Daisy, in Ecru. I managed to acquire about 6 or 7 skeins of it (400 yards each) at the Reuse Centre - a skookum find! This stuff is pretty expensive. The ball in the picture was wrapped to be centre pulling, to avoid tangles.

In closing up the sachet pouch, I did three rows of button hole stitch. The first row was done very tightly, with a stitch in between the cinnamon sticks to hold front and back together. The second and third rows were done more loosely, skipping stitches as needed to make it uniform, and so I could fit in the crochet hook. This cotton is quite a bit finer than the embroidery thread I used in the last one.






Using a 1.5mm hook, I did a sc row into the button hole stitch row. (1.5mm isn't the smallest hook I own, but it is the smallest hook I've ever used. It definitely takes getting used to!!) Then I turned it and did a row of 3 dc into one sc of the previous row, then 1 sc in the next stitch, continuing the pattern the across and ending in a group of 3dc.

The third row, after turning, was made up of 1 ch, skip one dc, 3 dc in second dc of 3 dc group, 1 ch, then 1 sc into the sc of the previous row, all the way across.







Then, because I must be some sort of masochist, I added a row using a single strand of the metallic thread. I worked the red up the sides of the lacy area, including the button hole stitch rows, in sc across to the other end. Because the thread was so fine, I put 2 sc into each stitch of the previous row, except for the sc, which just got one sc into it.

Because I wasn't sure how long of a thread I'd need, I used strands pre-cut to stitching length. The hardest part of this was having to add new threads in - twice. It's the most difficult material I've ever crocheted with.

When that was done, I went back to the Ecru, fastening it to the back where front and back panels separated around the cinnamon sticks, made a chain for hanging, then attached it to the other side of the sticks










All done!