As I stated previously, I’d purchased The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet and, in the very back of the book, there is a gallery of items created by the book’s contributors…

Which is where I saw something like this:

Melody MacDuffee’s Kaleidoscope necklace

I had to have it.  Those beads are absolutely beautiful!  I HAD TO MAKE THIS NECKLACE!!!  But sadly, there was no pattern listed with it 🙁  ~Oh no!~  But, of course, being in a wicked frenzy to purchase all the ZOMGTOTALLYAWESOME crochet books I could find, I was *compelled* to stalk Google for the artist’s name and ~voila~: Melody MacDuffee – (do NOT miss her gallery), so I ran lickety-split** to buy her Crochet Overlay Jewelry book, hoping that the beads would be part of the patterns within. AND THEY ARE!!!  Along with several other really impressive pieces. I’d never tried this method of crochet, but the instructions were clear and easy to follow.

Just a couple of comments about the designs: all are crocheted with something called “top-stitching thread”.  I have no idea what that means.  Apparently, it’s the size of two strands of standard sewing thread, but no shop that I went to had ever heard the term.  Also, most designs in the book are made using a .75mm steel crochet hook. Let me repeat: a .75mm steel crochet hook.

To give you an idea:

Tiniest crochet hook EVAR

Matchbook just for size (I have a huge collection of matchbooks – who doesn’t?) – I’m not even entirely sure that there’s a HOOK at the end of that hook.

I’m not saying this was impossible; clearly, it wasn’t.  I’m just saying I needed MUCH BIGGER EYES.

**(unrelated aside: I had to Google to see if lickety-split was hyphenated and, basically, Google taught me that the term IS hyphenated.  Also, it means to go very fast, and OH HEY!  It’s also used for porn.  So, yes, I ran fast.  No, I didn’t stop for porn.  This time.)