When I got up yesterday, I had every intention of checking off everything on a long list of household chores, the most time consuming of which was to vacuum all the pet hair that currently decorates my house, but then I went to Ravelry and began searching the pattern database for the most perfect crochet cardigan ever, and I fell into another project.

Not wanting to prematurely eliminate any worthy cardigan candidates from my search, I limited the search in only two ways: I excluded knit projects and used only one word in the search itself: sweater.

Up popped several thousand hits, and as I sorted through them, I came across Jenna Wingate’s pattern for a “Scrap-Buster Hat,” about which, in the designer’s notes, she poses the following question:

A pattern/tutorial for using up those scraps to make FUNky hats for the whole family! Nearly 10,000 PINS! Have you made one yet?!?!

Truth be told, I had not, but the hat was equal parts engaging and compelling, it was cold outside, and I had no willpower to resist, so I didn’t.

After carefully reading through Ms. Wingate’s tutorial/pattern for her genius scrap-buster hat, I got out my 5.5 mm hook, some Red Heart Super Saver yarn

The hat is worked from the bottom up and before I went to bed last night, I had finished the pink band that forms the foundation, and this morning, I finished work on the strips:

After another hour, I had the strands for braiding arranged to my satisfaction:

and minutes later, I had the aforementioned strands braided:

As I still had daylight, I quickly got to work on the pink Kindle cozy I had been making for my mom’s Kindle.

Yesterday, before I got sucked into the Ravelry pattern database vortex, I had begun adding some decorative elements to the cozy, namely sewing on a variety of pink buttons. I had finished with that yesterday, but still needed to crochet the sides of the cozy.

Using a joining technique adds a modest gusset while joining, I joined/gusseted one side and then the other.

Here is a video I made that demonstrates the technique used to do this:

After adding a flap and a loop to secure the flap in a closed position, the cozy was ready for a final fitting:

Here is how it appeared from the back with the flap firmly secured:

and here is how it appeared from the front, tricked out with assorted pink and red buttons:

I don’t know exactly what tomorrow will bring, but I just might have to get to that vacuuming I managed to put off.