even by looking at a picture you can almost feel the softness of each piece. Her elegant peach throw and the laciness of her blue afghan could be set in a Victorian parlor and not look out of place.

To get an idea of how difficult it is to work crochet in miniature, take some plain cotton sewing thread and try to tie a knot at the end using one hand. It takes quite a bit of finger manipulation before you are able accomplish a finished knot, or throw your hands up in frustration. But for Michelle the actual stitching comes easily.

"The hardest part of crocheting the afghans is picking out a pattern that will work in 1:12 scale. I've sometimes tried out a square that just turns out too big to work in miniature. I've found that a square of four or five rounds works best with 0.75mm hook and the tatting thread that I use. The first few squares are a learning process, but I usually know what I'm doing by the end of the first row of the afghan. The easiest part of the afghans is crocheting them. I find that picking out a square to crochet and then picking out colors tends to take more thought on my part than putting it together."

A teacher by trade, Michelle learned to crochet at her mother's side by learning the basics then branching out.