Nothing is for sale because if it was it would be like, $500 and I won’t sell anything for that much until I’m famous and inevitably ridiculous. If $500 is nothing to you, please hit me up. I’m selling.
I started crocheting in April 2025 and thanks to a sufficient amount of free time, I finally feel like I’m starting to get better. In many ways I still feel like a beginner, but I will continue to choose peace over intricate crochet patterns. I also didn’t take pictures of everything I made, and some of it was given as gifts so I may never see them again. Probably for the best.
This is mostly in chronological order:
Lavender Bandana 9/10
RIP to the eyebrow piercing. This was a great first project and it’s actually an ‘iris stitch.’ I followed a pattern for a scarf but just in a small square as I was trying to get the hang of doing stitches. Although the stitch pattern doesn’t show very well with this yarn and it is a little wonky, it still managed to be pretty cute.
Cursed WSU Scarf 4/10
Unfortunately the tension on this was terrible and tight because I didn’t have the right hook size at the time. Also accidentally WSU-themed, can’t say why that didn’t come to mind when I got the yarn. I was also sick at the time and to its credit, this did give me something to do. Not terrible, but I’ve already frogged it and re-made it into a much cooler thing.
Monk Sun Hat 10/10
Please this is just so cute. I followed a Youtube tutorial for this and struggled to follow it but I freestyled a bit and found some victory in the end. Monk hated wearing it but it’s a miracle he got it on in the first place. 10/10
Granny Square Bag 9/10
This was born out of a desire to use up some of this yarn and to practice making granny squares. Definitely accomplished both of those things. It’s a small tote and it can’t hold much without stretching, but it is adorable and I love it. Really simple to make and there’s a million free patterns for this type of bag. Great beginner project.
Dusk Bag 5/10
This is the ‘Dusk Bag’ pattern from Loosends. It’s a t-shirt yarn pattern which I bought larger hooks for and was fun because it works up so quickly, but terrible because I had to remake it 3 times. Basically I made the bag, but the yarn I used ended up bleeding dye pretty bad, so I soaked it and washed it several times and then remade it, but it was too stretchy so I mixed in a sturdier yarn and remade it again. The t-shirt yarn was also difficult to work with in such tight stitches. My most arduous project, but I did get a nice outcome. Pissed me off so bad I actually took a break from crocheting after this.
Funky Earthy Scarf 8/10
I made this as a gift and then kept it for myself. Does that make me selfish? I’m glad I kept it, even though some of the craftsmanship is questionable because I used this to learn new stitches. But I like the colors and I think it’s fun. I may gift it in the future. If you ever receive a crochet gift from me just know that you are part of a select few group of people and I would lay down on my sword for you.
Colorful Lampshade 10/10
This was necessary because I got this lamp for $5 from Facebook Marketplace for my nightstand which inexplicably has an intense, bright bulb that would scorch my eyes every time I turned it on. I freestyled this lampshade and it works incredibly well and has improved my quality of life. Also it looks like a little. mushroom cap. Amazing.
Red Skinny Scarf 10/10
I made this one as a gift, gifted it, and then made another one for myself because I thought it was so cute. The price of getting a gift from me is that I’m twinning because inevitably I also want one. This worked up pretty quickly and was fun to make with this strange ‘thick n thin’ thrift store yarn. I did make another scarf that was colorblocked with this red plus gray and black. It was beautiful, and I didn’t take any pictures before gifting it. goodbye scarf.
Autumn Breeze Bandana 9/10
I followed the ‘autumn breeze bandana’ pattern from HayHayCrochet to make this. Very easy and fun, I sized it down a little because I thought I looked too ‘Little House on the Prairie’ with it at regular size. Still this one is great, even if I do not wear bandana hair accessories that much.
Spiral BalaClava 7/10
I used the balaclava pattern from HayHayCrochet for the construction, and a youtube tutorial to make the spiral granny squares. The picture on the left is before adding the final neck ribbing. This one was fun to make but I didn’t like the finished fit, especially on the neck, and it looked like a helmet. I don’t see myself wearing it often, but it is cute and silly so I can’t be too mad.
Cat HATS 11/10
Can’t lie, after I made my first one of these bad boys is when I really felt like I hit my stride. These are so awesome and fun to wear. And incredibly easy to make. The white one, which I made first, makes me feel like Max from ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and simultaneously Finn from Adventure Time. I made the orange one later just to have a matching orange cat. Bonus pic of the funky earthy scarf.
Cream Scarves 10/10
Thank you to my beautiful models!! I made these as early xmas gifts for my mom and sister. I used a simple ‘triangle scarf’ pattern and a caron cake self-striping yarn to make the one on the right. The one on the left is freestyled and mostly made up of suzette stitches. Both scarves gave me a hard time while making them, but in the end I was pleased with how they turned out. And everyone loves their gifts, which is really all that matters.
Flower Coasters 11/10
Seriously shout out to my girl HayHayCrochet because I love her free patterns. But this one… it shifted something in me…. I couldn’t stop… Listen, I needed coasters and I happened to have a bunch of small amounts of colorful cotton yarn I had no idea what to do with. The universe aligned perfectly. It probably takes me less than an hour to crank one of these out. I’ve made at least double what’s pictured above–yes, several gifted, but many just for me. I love these so bad.
Banana Hammock 10/10
I could’ve called it a ‘produce hammock’ but then I would have missed the low hanging fruit. HA get it? I followed a youtube tutorial for this and it was very easy, although I did purchase wall hooks so I felt a stronger investment in the outcome. Honestly, I was tired of having my bananas bruised from the wire bowl and I needed to make space in there for other produce. I use it every day and I’m thrilled about it.
Round Beanies 9/10
Jonah feature because I made the hat for him after he did me a solid. That is another way to obtain a crochet piece from me. These are easy and fun to make but they just don’t have the chutzpah of the cat hats so I reach for them less. I hope to experiment more soon with patterns and colorwork on these types of hats though. I love wearing hats in the wintertime.
Fingerless Gloves 10/10
I’ve been loving the style of fingerless gloves lately. I’ve made 3 pairs of these now, 2 were gifted. This is modified from HayHayCrochet’s pattern. I just sized the pattern down a bit because I used a bigger hook and also have smaller hands. I love how these turned out, they keep my hands surprisingly warm, and they were quick to whip up as an emergency christmas gift.
Moss Stitch Scarf 10/10
Remember that old nasty red & gray scarf? This is her now. I added pink, charcoal, and taupe and made it into a moss-stitch pattern. I love the fringe and this has quickly become my most-worn scarf. Can’t wait to make more scarves like this. And what a beautiful full circle moment to highlight how receptive this craft is to change and improvement! I’m so glad to be getting better.
For as many pictures as I included, there’s a handful of abandoned or otherwise lost WIPs that I decided to give up on. There’s half of a sweater panel, another shirt panel, a few random shapes I made while practicing my magic ring. So many times have I felt discouraged by my inability to execute something, or frustrated by a project that I’ve decided I hate after doing 80% of the work. I’ve stepped back from crochet here and there because is this not supposed to be my hobby? My pastime that brings me the joy of creation? And when I take a break, the yarn is always there, waiting for me to come back. And now I’m grateful to have stuck with it.
There is something especially fulfilling to me about the hobbies that lead to the creation of something tangible. Not just words, or some other abstract art, but something that exists in the world–that I actually carry with me. Perhaps it’s also something that’s practical, keeps me warm, and says “I’m a whimsical person who enjoys handmade crochet goods.”
If you’re thinking about starting a fiber arts journey, my advice is this: Build confidence with the basics, start small, and make things you enjoy! There’s so many free tutorials on youtube that are beginner-friendly and easy-to-follow.
Never give up, take time to find hobbies you love, and reject the digital vortex by making something with your hands!
Leave a Reply to jade wu Cancel reply