One of my favorite shows on television right now is NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

I adore the character of Leslie Knope, deputy director and unapologetic cheerleader for the department of Parks and Recreation for the City of Pawnee, Indiana.

To my mind, the character of Leslie Knope embraces the same unrestrained enthusiasm for the Parks and Recreation Department of her city that I have for crochet.

In the episode that aired on February 11, 2010, the show opens with Leslie hostessing a February 13th celebration she calls “Galentine’s Day.” Each guest is given a bag of gifts that Leslie had made. The item in the goody bag that caught my attention was what Leslie describes as “crocheted flower pens.” While I never caught a glimpse of the elusive pens, I decided that I definitely needed some, and yesterday, I moved one step closer to my goal.

Sometime last week, I found a Daffodil Pencil pattern at the Lion Brand Yarn website. I had a fresh package of Ticonderoga Pencils nearby which while they are not technically pens, are, according to the packaging they come in, “The World’s Best Pencil.” I decided that “The World’s Best Pencil” (which comes in Henry Ford Model-T Black) could use a bit of decoration, and so I tried my hand at a crocheted flower pencil.

Instead of using the Lion Brand Yarn Cotton called for in the pattern, I used Red Heart Super Saver bright yellow with the recommended 3.5mm hook for the daffodil, and Red Heart Super Saver spring green for the stem.

Here is the result:

Feeling very satisfied at how the first effort had gone, I got out my book 100 Flowers to Knit & Crochet by Lesley Stanfield in search of another flower that would work to decorate the end of a pencil. I settled on the viola, and again armed with Red Heart Super Saver yarn and a 3.5mm hook, I came up with this:

One thing I did differently from the stated directions in the Lion Brand Yarn pattern was that I used a slip stitch for the stem rather than a single crochet. The result is a ridge that helps you to better grip the pencil. I think that a single crochet ridge might be a bit more prominent than I would find comfortable.

At some point, I hope to fill my pencil holder with an entire bouquet of crocheted flower pens and pencils: