Doris Day Mat

In the early part of 2006 I fell in love with the Doris Daymat designed by Faith Landsman for Deb Stoller's Happy Hooker Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet book. For the better part of 2006 I searched high and low for the Bevis Rope Medium Duty Jute Twine the design called for. I had absolutely no luck tracking it down and the twine I did find I thought was really too thin for the job. The other day I decided what the heck, I have some Ace Gardening Twine, Twisted Jute Light Load--how about giving that a try? So I did. I couldn't make it look like Faith's, her's is all curly and scrunchy looking but this twine just didn't do it for me. Faith's design is pictured below, the picture is from the Happy Hooker book:

After thinking it through and working with what I could find, I opted to do the mat itself in a half double crochet. It makes it ridgey and kind of open. Since our soil and I use the word soil loosely is mostly sand when you wipe your feet I'm guessing the sand will go right through, I can shake out the mat and sweep the concrete and keeping the porch looking nice won't be too hard. I used Faith's pattern for the edging and for the flowers. Mine is pictured below, I need to add two more flowers and really secure the ones I already have on there. This picture was taken when I was doing a test run to see how it was going to lay, feel on bare feet and I give it two thumbs up. Let's pretend I've already blocked it ok?

It definitely needs another flower in the bottom right corner there.

Here's the view coming up from the sidewalk. Not too shabby. I love this mat. I loved it from the first time I saw it. It had me at hello, ok? (yes I know there's one grey pot mixed in with the terracottaesque ones, whoops!)

The people at Ace Hardware kept asking me what or who I was tying down, hahaha, they thought they were so funny. Then when I told them I was crocheting a mat for my front door they all stepped back from me a few feet. People just don't "get" it do they? After my third trip for more twine(I used 7 balls of the green) the cashier lady asked me if I would bring it in and show it to her when I got it finished. I told I'd bring it in one day next week.