WIPs & Whimsy: My Latest Crochet and Knitting Adventures

Hello and welcome to Stitches for Calm.

This week, I am working on several WIPs, as most yarn lovers do. One of the WIPs I have had to frog, the object, which had turned out to be too small. I forgot to take a picture of it before I frogged the project. Life has been a lot; my PTSD had completely taken over my biology, which led me to needing a biology reset, which is what my Psychologist called it. I am grateful for her figuring out what I needed, and I am thankful there was help for me.

Has crafting ever helped you through a difficult time? If you feel comfortable, I’d love to hear your own stories about how knitting, crocheting, or any creative hobby has offered you comfort or a sense of calm. Sharing these experiences can help others feel less alone, and I hope this space can be a support to all of us.

I am now back to my better self, and life is great once again. Because I have been readjusted, I have been able to crochet and knit creatively and truly enjoy my craft once again.

1.) My first project is the socks I am working on for my husband.

This is the project I had to frog. The first sock is great, but the second one I was working on turned out to be an inch too small in circumference. Isn’t that weird? The first sock came out great, but my second one decided it wasn’t ready to be a sock, so it just shrank itself while I was working on it. That’s the story I am going with anyway.

Since I am new to knitting socks, I chose the Patons Kroy sock yarn, which you can find at Michaels or on Yarnspirations.com.

The pattern is from Summer Lee’s book, The Sock Project. This is the first time I have knit socks; they seemed intimidating to me for quite a long time. Earlier this year, I decided it was time to take a leap and try to make socks. I knew my husband would appreciate handmade socks from me, and I also knew that if I just got started knitting socks, they would no longer intimidate me. I was very excited when the first sock turned out great. Because of that, I know I can knit socks. I am very grateful the first one worked out because if it had given me problems, I probably would not have tried to make a second sock.

The pattern I am working with is called the basic sock No. 1. Summer Lee has written the pattern in a very easy-to-read style. Nothing was confusing or frustrating for me to understand along the way.

After I finish the pair I am knitting for my husband, I am excited to work on a pair of short socks for myself. I will try the most basic short-sock pattern I can find in the book.

2.) The self-created crochet top in baby blue cotton yarn

Years ago, during some part of COVID, I bought my first luxury yarn.

The brand is Juniper Moon Farms Yarn, POD 100% cotton sport weight yarn, that has been discontinued.

I have tried to knit and crochet with this yarn many times, but the projects never excited me when they were done. Since the picture featured here, I have frogged the project because it felt too loose for me. I have already started over with a new pattern, and I am enjoying the process, the look, and the structure of this project. I hope this will be the last time I mess with this yarn. I am getting tired of not being happy with the end result I get from it.

If I like this WIP at the end, it is either going to be a boatneck top, a cropped cardigan, or a tank top. I’d love some recommendations—do you know of a good shop to buy creative buttons? If I choose to make the cropped cardigan, I want fun, creative buttons for it. If you have a favorite local or online place for unique buttons, please share it in the comments! I think the pattern I am creating is too fun for a plain tank top; we will see.

3.) A shell top from Yarnspirations

I bought Friends Wheel cotton and acrylic yarn from Hobbii last summer. I gained a dress size, so I would need to buy more yarn before I started a project with this yarn. Last week, I finally bought more of the Friends Wheel yarn in brown to go with the cream and green yarn I had bought previously.

I am knitting with this yarn. It is easy to crochet with after you work a couple of rows, but the knitting comes out beautifully. You can find the pattern, knit boatneck shell, on the yarnspirations website. Their patterns are completely free, and the skill level for this pattern is easy.

When I first saw the picture for this pattern, I wanted to make it. I am not sure how it will look in my color and yarn choices, but there is only one way to find out. I am having a great time working on it, so that is a huge plus. I am finding Friends Wheel to be a great yarn to use with knitting needles.

At this point, I started the project, but I am considering starting over because I need more practice knitting with such thin yarn. I think my tension could be better than how it looks right now. That does sound like a good plan. Practice is much easier to enjoy when you enjoy the yarn and the pattern.

As I go through my day I find all of my WIPs enjoyable at different times. I never work on one project at a time anymore; I work on the WIP that gives me excitement at the time. My project bag is always full of more than one WIP, so I am ready to work on whatever I want at the time. Lately, I keep wondering: what do you call a yarn lover who juggles lots of projects at once? I think we need a fun and creative term for this! Let’s have some fun—what should we call our community of multi-project makers? Drop your best ideas in the comments, and let’s see if we can invent a new word together.

How many WIPs do you work on at one time?

Thanks for joining me on this creative journey through yarn and stitches! May your own projects bring you as much joy and inspiration as mine do. Until next time, keep your hooks sharp and your needles clicking—happy crafting!

Stay tuned for my next post, where I'll be unboxing a delicious delivery of new yarn from Hobbii! I can't wait to share first impressions, color inspiration, and all the creative possibilities these skeins have sparked. Get ready for some serious yarn eye-candy and project planning ideas!