Earth Day Watermelon Trivet and Graduation Day Trivet

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

I've finished a couple of wiggly trivets designed by Susan Lowman and thought I'd post them here today.

The first is the Watermelon Hot Pad which was published in Crochet World magazine in June of 2008. (Please click on the photos to enlarge them).

This second pattern for Graduation Day was also published in Crochet World magazine in June of 2009.

I love Susan Lowman's designs! She has a Ravelry page with her projects and designs  here - susan lowman

Let's see, I've also started a new Bohemian Sisters challenge brought on by my sister Cindy.

She has challenged the B.S.ers to make a sort of Mini-Me doll in the style of Salley Maver's dolls.

So, this last weekend I began this project.

I tried to dye the wooden beads for the head by staining them with tea. (I at first thought I could just rub them with tea bags, but after that failed I had to soak them in tea for about half an hour and then let them dry.

Next, I painted the faces with whatever I had in my closet. Paint, nail polish, sharpie marker. (Good grief!)
This project was a lot harder than I anticipated. (And I haven't even begun to make the clothes or body yet!)

Finally I put a coat of varnish on them and let them dry overnight in the garage.

Here they are all strung on pipe cleaners. I did all the beads I had because I knew most would look terrible and I will just pick the best of the bunch for my Mini-Me doll.
One bead size is 1/4" and the other is 1"
I need to look through my yarn stash to find some that looks like my hair. This will not be easy as it has many different colors. I don't have any acorn trees around to steal the caps off for the doll's hat. I may have to make something myself.

Let's see. Oh yes. I also bought a Knook crochet hook kit and have been learning how to use it. Very slow going.
I'm trying to make a vest like the Herrschner's pattern I made called the Ultra-Easy Vest. (It's posted in my Ravelry page here
But I'm Knooking it. I've done the long wraparound piece at the bottom and the two sides which will be the front of the vest. But my string is all fraying and snaggy now so I'm thinking of doing the back by tunisian crochet with my cabled afghan crochet hook.
I'll take a few pictures later so you can see what I'm talking about.