For the most part I spent today getting caught up on much needed sleep and seemingly neverending household chores, but late in the morning when the opportunity to work on a crochet project presented itself, I dived right in, hook first:

I focused my efforts on a pet mat I began eight days ago. I had paired a strand of yarn scraps (tied together with square knots) with a strand of Red Heart Super Saver hot red. I had gotten this far:

When I resumed work on this piece today, I had every intention of making a pet mat up until I finished the twelfth round. Here is a view of the front:

and here is a view of the back:

I am particularly fond of the scrap yarn aesthetic, and I became even more enamored of it when I paired the scrap with the hot red and used the smaller hook (6.5 mm). I loved the vibrancy and the visibility of the stitches, and as I began work on that fateful thirteenth round, I decided that instead of a pet mat, I would make a basket, and I got this far with my efforts before sunset:

I think the firmer fabric that resulted from using the 6.5 mm hook is why this project wanted to be a basket rather than a pet mat.

Next time I set out to make a pet mat, I will use a 8.0 mm hook so that the drape of the fabric is a better match for the intended project.