I’ve taken a little break from the baby’s cardigan to start a… I know! I know! I said I’d be committed to starting and finishing one project before I go running off with another. I know! But I have a good reason. No, really, I do!

My friend Gaynor, who runs Head in the Clouds Handbags, made me a beautiful nappy bag. A week later, I had to tell her there was a problem with it… it was showing up my handbag something fierce, and I needed to buy a new handbag off her to go with my new nappy bag. We went round to her house and she got all her stock out for me to choose from. I found one I liked, but it wasn’t quite right. I took it anyway, but also described the bag I ideally had in mind. Gaynor disappeared for a minute, and then walked in the room holding a bag that was almost exactly as I described. She explained that it was her own bag, but she’d only used it a few times and I was welcome to it. And she wouldn’t let me pay for it! I asked if it was difficult to add a clasp to it and, before I knew it, my 9-month-pregnant friend was at her sewing machine, picking apart and re-stitching a bag that I wasn’t even going to pay for! I hadn’t meant to put her to so much trouble and I felt terrible, so I wanted to make something to say thank you. Hence, I am breaking from the cardigan for just a little while to make something for her. I think it’s a valid reason.

Gaynor’s got a really distinctive style — very cool, very feminine — and her clothes and accessories are always just so, down to the smallest detail. I thought a feminine choker would be something she’d quite like. I decided to make one with a few knitted flowers cascading from a basic band. I’ve styled the flowers on Nicky Epstein’s scarf on the cover of Vogue Knitting’s 25th Anniversary issue. I realised the band would work better if it were crocheted …except that I don’t know how to crochet. Time to teach myself then!

I looked up crochet instructions on the Lion website and spent an evening getting to grips with it. It was difficult! I was using a small crochet hook (3mm) and an unforgiving yarn (Rowan’s Linen Drape) but, after attempt after attempt, I finally mastered double crochet and made a plain 3-stitch band.

I’ve made two out of three flowers to go on it. I’m going to have them off-center, falling vertically from the band. I can’t believe how easy and quick they were to make! I have half a mind to adorn everything with these flowers! I’m already planning flower-covered hats for my daughters, a flowery hair clip for me… But there’s the lust again, running away with me. I’ve already broken with my good intentions by starting this choker: I must keep things under control. I’ll do the choker, and then go back to the baby’s cardigan. When I’m done with that, then I can let the knitlust lead me on to a new project. But not until then.