2024 In Review

This past year has been a blur. It started with a bumpy ride for me, as my personal life had a pretty severe shakeup. Then, to help a friend with a longtime desire she had to venture back into ceramics, I spent a few months focusing on wheel throwing. This was a true turning point for me, as our pottery wheel instructor (Juliette Davis of Yada Yada Pottery) asked me to join her studio as a crochet instructor. The rest of my year has been defined by that simple act, and I couldn't be more thrilled.

I have grown so much this year. Branching into teaching has taught me so much, in turn. I have learned how to photograph my work. I have been able to test patterns, something I have wanted to do for a while now. I am even freehanding things and learning how to write my own patterns. I feel like I have successfully made so many more things this year than I have any other year. And I have come so close to completing, not just one, but two crochet certifications!

In this post, I want to reflect on last year, and then I want to spend a little time looking ahead to next year.

Finished Projects in 2024

I believe that I started keeping track of my finished pieces around July of this past year. I had to move fairly suddenly between June and July, and when I finally settled, I put up a dry erase board in my new workspace. This is where I have kept track of my "Finished", "In Progress", and "Wishlist" work.

Here are some things that have made it into the "Finished" column. Wherever there are patterns available, I have done my best to link to them!

• A flower plush with beads, inspired by many Sunshine crochet patterns found online

• The Siren Top by Maana Crafts, version 1 in Emma's Yarn and Southern Skeins 100% cotton

• The Siren Top by Maana Crafts, version 2 in YarnBee Soft and Sleek DK 100% acrylic and a blend of cotton/metallic thread for the edging

• A granny stitch hexagon cardigan, inspired by the popular Hexi Cardigan trend

• A freehanded granny stitch bag

• The Celestial Sleeves Bolero by Lizard and Hook in Malabrigo Rios

• The Outside the Blocks hexagon cardigan by Heidi Nieling, and matching skirt

  • The skirt was freehanded based on the stitch that Heidi used!

• The Clement Scarf, my first official pattern!

  • This beginner level pattern is available for purchase here, and is the project my students work on for the last week of their From the Ground Up class.

• The Eldritch Shell Cardigan by The Enchanted Knot, version 1 in YarnArt Moonlight Flowers cotton with metallic thread

• The Eldritch Shell Cardigan by The Enchanted Knot, version 2 in Lion Brand Coboo

• A freehanded floor pouf/footrest in recycled macrame cord

• A bohemian style mandala wall hanging, using an original pattern, featuring beads and fringe from my stash

• Mini pumpkins, using inspiration from other peoples' pumpkin patterns

• The Portobello Road Scarf by Titti Stenke in YarnBee Yarntopia 100% acrylic

  • This is still on my wishlist, and I may use the rest of my YarnArt yarn to make the second one

• A slouchy elf beanie with a brim, made by following two different patterns from The Entangled Fae, in Lion Brand Heartland 100% acrylic

• Two additional Slouchy Elf Beanies from The Entangled Fae, in Lion Brand Heartland 100% acrylic

• The Red Velvet Rose shawl from Expression Fiber Arts, made in Bernat Lattice yarn

  • Do not recommend using Bernat Lattice as a size 4 yarn. It is better to consider this a blanket yarn.

• The Floral Forager Sunhat by Earthtricks, version 1 in Lion Brand Heartland 100% acrylic

• The Floral Forager Sunhat by Earthtricks, version 2 in a blend of various wools and acrylics I had in my stash

• The Spring Dreams shawl from Poetic Crochet by Sara Kay Hartmann in Big Twist Boho mohair blend yarn

• The Ellie Shrug by Part Pixy in an alpaca blend yarn

• The Transformation capelet by Crochet Kitten in Emma's Yarn superwash merino (Feb 2023 colorway)

• The Ilithyia Shawlette by Dena Stelly in Emma's Yarn 100% Cotton DK

  • I had fun doing this in a Fibonacci sequence for the striping!

• The Wild Thing shawl by Maana Crafts in Hobbii Winter Glow acrylic blend

  • I actually cannot remember if I finished this one at the beginning of this year or the end of last. Winter Glow is a great yarn as long as you don't need to frog your project!

• A freehanded granny stitch shirt, inspired from a delightful sweater I saw someone on Instagram make (I wish I could remember who!!)

Not everything in this list has a photograph here, and some things don't have photographs at all! I actually sold a couple of my pieces around Christmastime without ever taking photos of them, so they will live only in my memory and be cherished in their new homes.

That's so much! I almost can't believe how much I have made this year. While I'm stitching, it feels like it takes forever, but then I look back at a list like this and I'm astonished! This isn't even counting the pieces I finished for my classes either, and I feel like this is validation for why I have been feeling a bit worn out!

Plans for 2025

While 2024 was huge for me, I have plans to make 2025 at least as successful and fun, if not more so! Here are some of the things I want to do.

• Spend more time on sewing and knitting skills whenever possible

• Improve my classes for those taking them in-person

• Create digital classes for anyone who would prefer to learn online at their own pace

• Continue working on my crochet skills by making lots of new things

• Continue doing pattern tests whenever I have the time

• Feature some of my favorite artists on my blog

• Host more local meetups and grow our community

• Support our local donations services for cancer patients and those in need of warmth and kindness

I will be doing my best to use the "Current Events" section of my website much more than I have been! Keep an eye out there for upcoming events, and subscribe to my mailing list if you would like updates sent to you directly!

To every one of you, I hope you have had a wonderful year this year and that you enter 2025 with high hopes and love and support in your life. I look forward to sharing my journey with you and hearing about yours as well! Until next time!