When my new bookcase first arrived, I focused on getting the books I had precariously stacked all over my bed onto the shelves. But now that most of the books have been placed on their “forever homes,” I have focused my attention on what I think of as “bookcase decor,” or all of the things around it that will create a certain ambiance and give it a particular flair.

I want something that embodies serenity, adventure, surprise, and delight which, while in many instances can be competing rather than cooperating goals, are all well suited to what I think of as the “art form” of granny crochet.

And it was with these four goals in mind, that in mind that I moved on from the thirteenth to the fourteenth round of a future granny rectangle rug with a deep teal next to a bright-ish yellow. To my mind, the shift exemplified two of the qualities I wanted to highlight—adventure and surprise:

The contrast of the deep teal with the yellow created a visual “pop” that I enjoyed, but from there, I moved on to a more “still waters run deep” experience with a very red purple followed by a muted green. Then, I finished up with a quieter color “pop” using a muted gold:

I found the effect mesmerizing, and with seventeen rounds completed—and I don’t know how many more to go—I decided to get a feel for how much work I had left to do to finish this rug by putting it in front of the bookcase in question:

Seeing it in place, I can see I should dive into my bin of yarns and find something in the turquoise family to add to the rug, and better connect it to the piece of furniture that inspired it, and when I find my perfect next color to add to this bookcase decor, I will continue forward, one stitch at a time.