That sounds like it should be part of the Twelve Days of Christmas, but it’s not. Just after Thanksgiving I shipped off a dozen red scarves and met the only goal that I set for myself this year. This didn’t mean that I didn’t create any additional items, I knew that this would be a busy year with moving, packing, and settling into my new home. Instead, I tried to use as much yarn that I have from my working stash as possible.
If anyone has a large collection of yarn, yarn makes great packing material and works well to cushion items, especially if you would have to pack it anyway.
Last weekend, I dropped off 72 hat and scarf sets for a hat and scarf drive at an area church. Sixty-three of those were made in 2024, nine were from last year. There are still a few solo hats that I can drop into boxes that I see, since my local coffee shop generally has a box to collection donations for winter gear for people in the community.
After I dropped off the six dozen sets, of course I started working on some other projects. One of my new projects uses multiple yarns which will take more time and isn’t very portable without everything getting tangled. Also, no one is getting a handmade gift for Christmas this year, and it’s relaxing and freeing.
There are a couple of scarves that I want to try again next year. My goal is to improve my craft and not have to rely on the pattern if I have yarn and hooks with me and the pattern isn’t around. No specific numeric goals for the New Year yet, except a dozen red scarves. I’ll see how I feel after getting through Christmas and more home improvement projects.
Merry Christmas!
Happy Crocheting!
I’ve been happily crocheting along continuing on my year of free crocheting, deciding to do whatever I want with few goals and it’s been blissful. The most enjoyable part is just trying out or combining different yarns that I already have. The stash down is still on, and for the most part, I haven’t bought much new yarn. It’s been fun! That’s the most important part, I am enjoying what I do.
Pom poms are okay I have nothing against them it’s just whether or not I feel like making one or not. I don’t always feel like it. Generally, once I weave in the ends, it’s finished. If I decide to add a topper – there are a few more steps. Making the winding the yarn for the pom pom, cutting it, securing the strands then attaching it. Not much, but more than weaving in ends – especially if the project uses one yarn. I’ll add a pom pom to the top if I think the yarn that I use will make a good pom pom. Some yarns don’t do well or I don’t think they would they might come apart especially if they’re two a twisted yarn which might not work so well.
But I have been working on red scarves earlier than usual and so far I have five completed and a another is one of my current WIPs (work in progress).To date I’ve completed 25 sets, five red scarves, four hats and have rediscovered yarn that I had forgotten from my stash. This is giving me an opportunity to use up yarns that I like or didn’t dislike enough to purge or give away but dislike enough that I probably won’t purchase again. I’ve also been playing with color a bit more which is a way of stretching two smaller amounts of yarn that I have. Crochet liberation!
As I close out the third month of my free form maker year and using up yarn in my stash (well, mostly), I have been trying new things. I have this yarn that I purchased it is a bulky weight not too too bulky but still too bulky to use a 6 ½ mm hook. So, I tried using a 7 mm which was frustrating to use, then I choose a random wooden hook that I have with no size on it. I think I bought it at a thrift store because I don’t recall using it on a project before but it looks like it’s been used, but still in good shape. I started using that hook and since it’s the first time using it, my tension is okay but I like how it’s working out with the project.
I’ve made quite a few sets, only two red scarves so far this year but the goal is 12 which can be completed easily by the end of the year. I’m definitely making a big dent in the yarn that I have and using up my stash. To date, my sole purchase from Temu has been yarn. I purchased enough to make three or four scarves a few months ago. I made a scarf with it and liked the yarn. However, there were several knots in the small skein which put me off from using it. Generally, I’m not the type to rewind skeins of yarn but the knots irritated me enough to impede my flow and make me not want to use the yarn. I rewound two skeins, untying the knots when I came across them, then rejoined the ends using the Russian join. Ahhh! I was back in business and enjoyed the yarn once again.
When I have little bits left over, I have been adding to my mystery ball, soon I may have enough to make a set or at least an interesting, fun scarf. The plan is to combine the mystery ball with black or a dark gray for an interwoven look.
The final tally for 2023 was: