Three more and Crochet It Ain't So (Auction is over, thanks everyone!)

Auction's over!  High bidders please consider using paypal by clicking on the box marked "make a donation" in the left margin of this blog page.  Thanks again to all bidders!  Another auction will be along shortly, please visit often.

Featured Artist

I like to get to know my customers, and I tell you what; there are some really amazingly talented folks out there.  And here we have Sheri!  What a talented artist, Sheri!  You should go visit her blog http://blog.crochetitaintso.com/ and see the amazing things she comes up with.  Uh well, her most recent post is a little mutual admiration thing (heh) but you can scroll down from there and see the work product of a very clever and talented mind. 

I asked her to do a little thing about her work and here's what came back:

I'm Sheri, and I have a small crochet blog/shop called Crochet It Ain't So! I love nerdy things, crochet, and puns (obviously), so my blog (and shop, when I have time to update it) is full of those three things, for the most part. I really love doing custom orders, which is probably why my Etsy is usually so empty, and I love to make things that reference movies, video games or other "fandom." Recently, I made most of the accessories for a Captain America costume to wear to a convention.

I'm 27, and I've been crocheting since college, so about 8 years now. I was taught by a fellow student - I'm also a photographer, and I wound up photographing her wedding! Since I also take pictures, I wind up photographing EVERYTHING I create, which can drive my boyfriend nuts since he either winds
up being my model or my tripod.
Several years ago, I created a Tetris Afghan, which was featured on a few websites about video games (Kotaku and Joystiq), and then I auctioned it off for my favorite charity, Child's Play (childsplaycharity.org). Since then, I've donated another afghan to the auction, and several other items (from afghans to amigurumi) for a smaller auction that also donates to Child's Play.
I tend to make large items, such as 8-bit afghans. I love working on them because I can just make a ton of squares while doing other things, such as watching TV. It makes "wasting time" feel like I'm getting something accomplished. I also like making themed scarves and other accessories. I'm currently working on a rainbow granny square afghan (with my Jimbo hook), and I just love it so far!

Since this is going on Jimbo's blog, I also want to say that I now have THREE Jimbo hooks and I love love love them all! You can see me working with them on my blog, I post pictures all the time while I'm working.

Pretty kewel, eh?  You should see her costumes!  Makes me proud to have my hooks in the hands of such a talented artist!

Ok, on to the auction!

EBONY AND IVORY.... AND TWO MONGOS UP FOR BIDS

Something different this time, eh?

I think you can guess which of these three is the Ebony and Ivory hook.  Actually "Ebony and Ivory" is only half true.  It IS real honest go goodness Ebony... the wood that delights in dulling my tools.  You don't want to build a canoe of Ebony.  In fact if you're out fishing and crocheting between hauling in lunkers, and this hook somehow slips overboard?  Well you best hope that it finds it's way into the appreciative arms of a crocheting octopus because this hook won't float.  No, it's the "Ivory" part that is misleading.  Real Ivory is rightfully illegal to sell.  So what we have here is faux ivory.  Pretty dang close though.  It's Tagua Nut, and totally ok to sell.  What's interesting about this particular nut is the core.  See the bottom picture?  I'm thinking that this is a really old nut; one that was used by a caveman/woman as a canvas for painting the likeness of a prehistoric deer head.  That's what I'm thinking and I'm sticking with it.

This hook is the culmination of a frustrating trial and error adventure for ole Jimbo.  It's the third effort, and the one that finally paid off.  Mistakes in design led to earlier versions' demise.  You see, to get a strong joint between an ultra tight grain wood like ebony and an ultra smooth material like Tagua Nut in what appears to be a surface to surface joint isn't an easy thing to do.  So what you don't see is a snug mortise and tenon joint to increase glue surface area.  And it worked!  The result is an amazing hook. 

Technically, Ebony and Ivory is a 5mm H size that's a glassy smooth, free standing, 7 inches long. 

And now, moving on to the Mongos.

These are BIG hooks, made for BIG projects.  I did a little test drive with a strip of cotton fabric.  Nice.  The heads on these two hooks are a little more tapered in the lip area to facilitate ease of re-entry, when you're pulling a loop through your work.  They should work well to make ultra open work using really bulky yarns, or nice well defined stitches when using fabric strips (as with rug making).

The lighter colored and spalted Bramble Wood from that dangerously spikey bush up on the ranch that thinks it's a perfusionist (draws blood).  Beautiful and very hard wood, though, and worth a few drops of blood.  You can get an idea of size in the picture next to the quarter.  Sizewise it's 29.4mm and 9 1/4 inches long.  I left a bit of the foot natural, in tribute to the warrior in the ole bramble bush. 

The other Mongo is made of Sapale.  Sapale looks like Mahogany, but isn't quite so open grained and as such makes nice hooks.  Light weight, strong, and handsome, Sapale. 22.5mm and 8 1/2 inches long.

All three of these hooks will stand on their own feet if you want them to.

And the auction part?  Ok lets run this one a bit shorter, since there are only three hooks involved.  How about closing bids at 10pm Pacific time this Thursday night (March 21).  Please increase bids by $5.00 minimum and be patient with me as I'm not always at the keyboard to post bids precisely as they come in.... but they will be posted, and any ties will be settled by the time the bids arrive, in favor of the earliest bid received.  Oh and you can email me your bids at:

jimbocrochetwhittler@yahoo.com

Thanks!!  

Jimbo

Bids:

Ebony and Ivory H:
Michele's in with $30
Ashley goes $35
Claire bids $60
Michele bumps it to $65

Mongo Bramble 29.4mm:
Michele goes $30
Doug's here with $40

Mongo Sapale  22.5mm:
Ashley with $35
Doug goes Mongo..$40