The problem with craft magazines is that I can’t think of not keeping them. You never know when you might need that beanie, baby blanket, gift tag pattern. It’s so nice to look through your back issues, mug of tea to hand. However I know there’s a real danger of a future magazine avalanche. When a friend’s Mother sorted her craft room I was the happy recipient of all sorts of mags from the 1960s, 70s and maybe beyond. I can well imagine getting to the same point of couriering them somewhere….anywhere but here, unless I begin subscribing to digital copies…

But the great thing is that at the moment I’ve got a lovely stash to spend time flicking through to find a mini project to satisfy my itchy fingers. When Mollie Makes issue 21 came out last year I loved the look of the owl mitts and mug cosy, but was all about crochet at the time. On Saturday I spent some time flicking through old issues to find a mini project to satisfy those itchy fingers, and ended up whipping up the owl mug cosy designed by Estonian knitter and designer Tanya Antonova.

I can see a purl stitch where there should have been a knit, but other than that am pleased with my second ever time cabling.

I tried these little wooden beads, they are from a bracelet a colleague bought me from her trip to Pakistan. Sadly it broke after lots of wear and was too complex a design to repair, but I scrambled and retrieved all the beads to keep in a tin. They look fine as eyes but didn’t look right when sewn on, perhaps it would be useful to buy some ‘invisible thread’.

I opted instead for slanty woolly embroidered eyes. They are rather piercing in their own way, though admittedly not half as good as the magazine’s beady version.

I crocheted the piece together, not leaving a hole for the handle as it didn’t actually fit any of the mugs in the house! I wondered if my tension was way off, though had used the recommended chunky wool (leftover from the chunky seashell scarf) and size 5 needles but you never know. In moments of doubt Google can really be your friend – I found others who had found the same and decided the mugs in Estonia must be significantly smaller than here. I’ve stitched him up and thought I could either wear him as a wrist warmer (eyes were rolled at this) or make a sweet little jar cosy.

What mini projects are keeping you busy?