2024 - A Year In Crochet

Ah, 2024. The year I stopped blogging because I just couldn’t be arsed. But I do need to be arsed to do my annual crochet roundup because I like being able to look back on the things that I make. I am generally always amazed at myself for the things that I make, and this year is no different. This year has seen a lot of “why the fk not” makes, things I’ve done purely because they are silly and make me smile. According to the list on my phone I have started 57 items this year, but have 7 unfinished as the year closes. But still, 50 items isn’t bad, just less than one a week. Considering that most things take over a week to complete, that’s a pretty high success rate. A couple of the unfinished items should be done by the end of January, and I have lots of ideas already for more makes this coming year.

Quatt Craft Club turned a whole two years old in December! It took me literal months to pluck up the courage to talk to Steph at the village hall about setting up a club, over two years ago. We are going from strength to strength and regularly get over 25 people, and fill the car park. I am amazed every month that a) people turn up, and b) people keep coming back. I was SO certain that there’d be maybe 5 or 6 people and we’d just need one table. Nope. Every month we use all the tables, fill the hall, eat a lot of cake, drink a lot of tea. THANK YOU. It is so fulfilling and humbling and grounding to be around such a wonderful group of creatives. To be around people who truly “get” you, people you have conversations with about trivial things to do with crafting, people who don’t judge how much cake you eat, people who share similar interests and who encourage you to do other things. THANK YOU. Such a good hub. Anyway, we meet on the first Friday of every month at Quatt Village Hall, and it is all FREE. Tell your friends. 10am!

So, lets begin the 2024 summary. As ever, links are provided under the item, and multiples of the same thing have been lumped into one section.

You can read my previous blogs for crochet by clicking the numbers below [should open in a new window].

2023 / 2022 / 2021 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018

And if you use Ravelry, I have been updating my project page, on there you can see most of the things I’ve ever made. There’s lots! Find me here [click] 

 

1.       Freddie Mercury

Freddie has made up 22% of this years makes – 13 individual dolls in total!

Pattern: https://mojimojidesign.com/2015/05/20/ready-freddie-go/

 

2.       Oompah Loompah

I have made 6 Oompah this year, all for Etsy sales.

Pattern: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1048137994/pattern-orange-candy-employee-amigurumi

 

3.       Mini Oompah

Just because I can, and because I have been learning how to make teeny tiny things. I used a 1.25mm hook.

Pattern: As above

 

4.       Chicken Run

I was bought the pattern book for christmas 2023 and I promptly set about making chickens! They live on a shelf in the lounge. I am particularly proud of Babs; there is something very comical about a crochet chicken doing some knitting. The knitted square was made for me by a lady at craft club and it is just perfect.

Pattern: From the book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chicken-Run-Im-peck-able-EGGS-traordinary-characters/dp/1800922035

 

5.       Praying Mantis

This was on my list to get finished this year, and I have. It is SO GOOD. She lives on the mantel shelf. I have desires to make a giant plushy version but I have no idea where it will live. I’ll think about that problem later. After I’ve made a giant plushy version.

Pattern: From the book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crocheted-Bees-Butterflies-Vanessa-Mooncie/dp/1784946354

 

6.       Red Chunky Jumper

No pattern, basically a rectangle for the front and back, and then tubes for the arms. I alternated DC and Tr stitch, I think it is called “lemon peel” but whatever, it looks good. A nice texture. I think I’ve only worn it out of the house once. It was going to have a hood but laziness struck.

Pattern: None

Yarn: Yarnsmiths Create Super Chunky from Wool Warehouse

 

7.       Cotton Cloths

Not a year goes by when I don’t make cotton cloths. They are so useful and can be machine washed and tumble dried, so helps to reduce plastic use, and also reduces the amount of kitchen roll that gets thrown away. Also v useful as washcloths for the bathroom. David has one as part of his kayak kit to clean his glasses. I keep one in the car to clean my lights. So useful.

Pattern: None

Apparently I haven't taken any photos, so just imagine a crocheted square, about 15cm x 15cm.

 

8.       Festive Trees

I bought the cones last christmas and finally started to use them maybe September time this year. No pattern as I just winged it to fit the mould, but I did random bobbly stitches.

Pattern: None

Moulds: Maybe these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modelling-Christmas-Decoration-polystyrene-Durability/dp/B09H4JCRDY

 

9.       Mini Manta Rays

My quest to learn more micro crochet with ever smaller hooks continues. I used a 1mm hook (!) for these, I couldn’t actually see the hook tip so mostly did it by feel.

Pattern: From the book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Micro-Crochet-Motifs-creations/dp/1446308391

 

10.   Micro Crochet Skull

See above! I am going to make a garland of skulls in different colours. Maybe I should add it to Etsy.

Pattern: From the above book

 

11.   Fimo Hooks

No strictly crochet but came about from a random discussion on the craft club chat group, and within the hour I had a set of Fimo hooks. I used my antique steel hooks in small sizes, 1.5mm and smaller. I simply softened some clay (took ages as it is old) and then made longer handles. I used liquid poly clay as a glue but I perhaps could’ve not bothered with this. I am going to make more fimo hooks this year as I have a lot of antique steel hooks, but also some v small aluminium hooks that I bend when using them because I have Death Grip™

 

12.   Granny Square Jumpers x3

The blue yarn I bought absolutely YEARS ago to make something for David and then never did. So I took the yarn cakes to craft club to sell but no one bought them, so I decided to use them. And then I bought more yarn to make more jumpers, and now I have three!

Pattern: None

Etsy: They are available if you want to order one, see here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/salopiancrafts/?section_id=51260609

 

13.   Cat Blankets

These were Etsy orders for the same lady

Pattern: None, I just made a granny square. 

 

14.   Diamond Waffle Stitch Blanket

The beast!! I started this in April 2023 and finished it in November 2024. I didn’t work on it during the summer as it was too hot to sit underneath. It contains 19 balls of yarn, so weighs around 1.9kg.

Pattern: https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/diamond-crochet-stitch-tutorial-5113949

 

15.   Snowflake Decorations

I had a fancy. I used metal curtain rail rings and crocheted around them, and then made the little snowflakes which are stitched in place.

Pattern: Snowflake - https://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-snowflake.html

 

16.   Blanket Repairs

A lovely lady at craft club asked me to fix her blanket in return for her fixing some stuff for me. I crocheted four tiny flowers and stitched them on to cover the holes.

Pattern: From the book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Micro-Crochet-Motifs-creations/dp/1446308391

No pics though, maybe I shall find one and add it later.

 

17.   Pumpkins

I make pumpkins every year, and every year I don’t like them, so no pics.

 

18.   Ankle Warmers

A recent addition to my wardrobe. I decided I needed something to wear under my jeans but over my socks to prevent draughts going up my leggies. They are SO TOASTY. Possibly the best thing I’ve ever made.

I made two pairs of these. Maybe I should put these in Etsy? They are 100% wool.

 

19.   A Bauble

This was going to be this years post christmas fascination, but I made one and decided it was too fiddly. So I shall rethink that.

Pattern: None for the cover. Attic24 snowflake (see above) for the decoration.

Bauble mould: Maybe these - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Christmas-Baubles-Iridescent-Ornaments-Hanging/dp/B0BGHZK4P3   

 

And there we have it, 50 things condensed into a list of 19. I have recently been sorting out the house and decluttering, and I found a list of things I aimed to make in 2023. I am pleased to report two years later that from a list of 36 planned makes, I actually made 9. So I shall plan a list of things to make in 2025, but safely in the knowledge that I may not make any of them. Wahoo!

Spring Break

David and I have just had a week or so off work. Think it came to ten days including the weekends, so we’ve done pretty well considering we only used four days of annual leave each. Good ol’ bank holidays. I didn’t get them in my last job. It almost makes up for being full time and not having Fridays off. Almost.

I started the week off by going to a gig – I went to see The Gaslight Anthem (again) and they were goooooooood. So good. I forget how utterly cathartic it is to scream your little lungs out to songs that you love. Definitely was much needed. Wish I could do it every week.

I have spent a lot of time crocheting; I had a flurry of Freddie orders and I had also decided to try and make a mini oompa loompa using a 1.25mm hook. I’ve done most of it but I can’t bring myself to finish it. Ho hum. I have since had another Freddie order so I need to get that started.

The first of the hairy footed flower bees have arrived, I was beginning to think they weren’t going to appear this year but they have done. There’s been a couple of females around too, investigating holes in the wall to nest.

It’s been a good allotment week, I think I have been up there four times. One day was very super autumnal with cold and rain, I had to wear my woolly hat! And then the other times have been lovely spring sunshine, t shirt weather, GLORIOUS. I have harvested a load of carrots and a couple of leeks, planted potatoes, unbuilt and rebuilt a raised bed, and today I have put up a pair of arches with some help from a friend. I also managed to get around to emptying, tidying, sorting, cleaning, and refilling my shed, so I can actually get in it now! Wahoo!

The garden has also had some attention, with loads more seeds scattered and more things planted. If they all grow it’ll be well lush. GURT LUSH. I need to go back and sort out the remaining two flower beds but instead of doing that, I dug a new one under the apple tree, which has now been seeded up with root veg and mixed flowers.

I refound my turmeric roots, they have started to grow! So I have potted them up in compost and hopefully they will grow lots. I’ve never had turmeric before, so I am treating it like ginger.

There is a jenny wren building a nest in the hawthorn hedge, I got really close to it, watching it as I was sitting on the bench and it flew right past me with some moss in its beak and then sat and watched me. I hope it doesn’t abandon the nest but it is close to the gate and path so it might well reconsider.

We went out for dindins with Davids parents and on the way home had a pothole related incident which resulted in David being towed home and the tyre being absolutely shredded. It’s been an expensive week for one reason or another. Good job I didn’t buy any firewood this month, although I probably should’ve done.

Back to work tomorrow, utterly, absolutely NOT looking forward to a 6am alarm!

December 2023

Sitting here on what would’ve been Nan Whitlocks 106^th birthday, I’m really struggling to think back to what happened last month. I know my short term memory is shite, but c’mon… It's a good job I take photos of nearly everything!

 

Crochet

Craft Club was a good’un with lots of snacks and seasonal décor. It was our one year birthday!

This month, I made, fixed, finished, or started:

·       A dragonfly wall décor piece

·       Made a crest for the hoopoe, sewed half of it on, hated it, cut it off

·       Patched my socks [again]

·       Patched his socks [again]

·       Made a new pompom for my hat

·       Made a Freddie Mercury doll

·       Made an oompah loompah doll

·       Fixed my grey fox jumper

·       Did some more on the pink blanket

·       Made tiny silver snowflakes

·       Made one into a brooch

·       Made tiny silver holly leaves

·       Made two into a brooch

·       Added more hair to the big doll

·       Made a sparkly purple cover for my junk journal

·       Started a blanket for David

·       Made a tiny santa hat

·       Fixed a hole in my beige fox jumper

·       Started the wings for the hoopoe

·       Remade the crest for the hoopoe and stiffened it

·       Started a jiggly puff

I was gifted two vouchers for Wool Warehouse and I have spent them on loads of balls of cotton, as I was also gifted a pattern book for CHICKEN RUN! So now I can make loads of chickens.

 

Cat Life

He had a poorly tumtum for a few days but that’s passed. I think he quite enjoyed a few days of turkey though.

 

Allotment

I had half a day at the plot, I pulled a load of carrots, parsnip, and a couple of leeks. I need to start the plan for this year.

 

Exercise

December is not a month for exercising.

 

Physical Health

See above!

 

Mental Health

Always takes a dive at this time of year for many reasons. Better than last year though. Still not great.

 

Work

I am five months in! Sometimes feels like I have been there A LOT longer, but also painfully aware that I am new. I think I am making an impact. Positive or negative, who knows?

 

Money

Using Esty as a pocket money venture was a good idea, I find I have been grateful for that extra little bit on the side for mid-month grocery shopping.

 

Garden

Not done much. Didn’t get around to digging out the rest of the parsnips. Didn’t get around to making fat balls for the birds – I usually do it as their christmas present. Then it was going to be a new years present. Now it might become an ‘end of January’ present.

 

Other Stuff

I had two weeks off for christmas which was laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavly. Before christmas break I put in my requests for annual leave all the way to February 2025.

Some men came round and jetted all the pipes and drains, a good job too because it turns out there was a blockage and two manholes were fit to burst with turds. They’ve discovered that our soakaway either doesn’t exist or has collapsed, so now the Trust need to get it reinstated. Big job. But as a direct result of the men coming and getting rid of turds, the toilet now flushes properly, so yay!

I found a butterfly in the lounge so I relocated it to the cave before the cat ate it.

It was the Bridgnorth charity tractor fun! Way bigger than last year. I think they raised nearly twice as much money too.

I’m trying to learn how to let my natural curls be curly without being frizzy. Limited success so far, but I’m getting there.

Not turds, fyi.