Kristi Cook was hooked with crocheting in her teens.
“My sister was 14 and she taught me how to do it when I was 16. I took it and ran with it,” said Cook, who uses that skill to create more than just fiber-based items.
With a crochet hook, wires and beads, the Beech Island, S.C. resident also crafts jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
“Not a lot of people do it that way,” she said.
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Cook started her Honestly Sweet business when she returned to Beech Island after living a fast-paced existence in Greenville. Her small hometown allowed her to return to a simple life where her creativity could reign, she said.
She can “make anything that has a pattern” with a hook and skein of yarn. She’s also been called upon to complete items for others.
People will call and tell her about a blanket their grandmother was crocheting before she passed away and wonder if Cook can finish the project. When they do, she considers it a high honor, she said.
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Cook started making jewelry the same way she makes blankets, clothing and dolls after reading about the technique in a magazine.
She likes to use fun buttons especially when making children’s jewelry. Each piece is unique; she never replicates any of her items. And while she doesn’t know who is going to purchase a particular piece, she always knows the right person will get the item, she said.
She sometimes uses colored wire and various types of stone to make a piece.
Some of the bracelets can be used for aromatherapy by placing essential oils on them.
Not only does she make and sell her items at craft fairs or markets, Cook teaches classes at Stone Roastery in North Augusta and at Boondock Farms in Jackson, S.C. She usually starts her students with a project they can finish easily.
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In all the time she’s taught crocheting she said she’s only had one person who couldn’t do it. The woman had arthritis in her hands that prevented her from doing the repetitive motion, she said.
Learn more about Cook’s jewelry and classes at honestlysweetgifts.com. She’s on Instagram @honestlysweetgifts_ or Facebook at facebook.com/honestlysweetgifts.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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