Patterns, projects and techniques
SO, HERE THE FIRST QUESTION FOR JANUARY, 2010. If you don’t know how the blogtest works, please refer to my blog post of January 2, 2010 for all the rules.
WHAT IS YOUR CROCHET GOAL FOR 2010?
Be sure to post an answer ON THIS BLOG IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. Do not send an email to me or respond elsewhere if you want to be counted as an entry.
And, oh, yeah. The first prize is this sweet little book:
What a sweet little deal!
If your saved crochet patterns are starting to resemble a small digital library and your yarn stash contains enough “future projects” to keep you occupied until approximately 2047, you might need a crochet vision board.
And yes, I absolutely understand the irony of spending craft time making a board about all the other crafts we intend to make.
But hear me out.
A crochet vision board isn’t simply a pretty collage of yarn photographs. It can be a genuinely useful way to decide which crochet projects you actually want to make, which techniques you’d like to learn and — perhaps most importantly — which yarn you already own that deserves to become something.
Instead of scrolling through hundreds of saved crochet patterns every time you feel like starting something new, you create one visual collection of your crochet plans for the next few months or the year ahead.
Think blankets, cardigans, granny squares, amigurumi, Christmas gifts, new stitches, beautiful colour combinations and those slightly ambitious projects you keep telling yourself you’ll tackle “one day.”
Let’s turn one day into an actual plan.
A traditional vision board contains pictures, words and ideas representing things you’d like to achieve.
A crochet vision board simply gives that idea a yarn-loving makeover.
Your board might include:
It can be physical, digital or a combination of both.
Personally, I rather like the physical version. There is something satisfying about seeing all that colourful crochet inspiration sitting above your craft desk — especially when the alternative is having 387 screenshots buried somewhere on your phone.
You really don’t need anything fancy.
For a physical crochet project vision board, try:
A simple cork noticeboard from Amazon works particularly well because projects can be moved, removed and replaced as your crochet plans change.
And they will change.
We are crocheters. A new yarn colour can derail six months of carefully organised plans in approximately three minutes.
Before printing gorgeous photographs of 27 blankets you couldn’t possibly finish, think about what you’d genuinely like to accomplish.
Try dividing your crochet plans into a few categories.
Start with the projects you’ve been thinking about repeatedly.
Maybe it’s:
If amigurumi has been sitting on your “someday” list, browse these 21 crochet amigurumi projects and choose one or two favourites rather than attempting to populate your vision board with an entire crocheted zoo.
Your board doesn’t have to be purely project based.
Add techniques you’d like to learn, such as:
If you’re still building your basic skills, our Crochet for Beginners stitch and project guide is a useful place to start.
Don’t make every goal difficult, either. One challenging project surrounded by several comfortable ones is far more likely to keep you crocheting than a board full of projects that require concentration, counting and complete silence from everyone in the house.
This might be my favourite part.
Instead of choosing individual projects first, try choosing colours you’re drawn to.
Pin up snippets of yarn, paint chips, fabric scraps or printed colour palettes.
You might discover you’re repeatedly choosing:
Soft neutrals: oatmeal, cream, sage and dusty pink.
Retro brights: mustard, orange, avocado, turquoise and brown.
Coastal colours: aqua, navy, sand and white.
Cottage colours: faded rose, lavender, cream and soft green.
Jewel tones: emerald, plum, ruby and deep blue.
Once you’ve spotted a colour direction, finding projects becomes much easier.
It can also stop the classic craft-shop problem where you buy six beautiful balls of yarn individually and arrive home to discover none of them actually want to be friends.
This is where a crochet vision board becomes genuinely useful rather than simply decorative.
Take photographs of yarn you already own.
Especially photograph those yarn purchases that were bought because:
“It was too pretty to leave behind.”
You know the ones.
Print small photographs and add them to your board with a note showing approximately how much yarn you have.
For example:
8 balls cream DK — cardigan
4 balls mustard worsted — cushion?
Mixed sock yarn — scrap project
Leftover cotton — market bag or coasters
Then match your existing yarn to potential projects.
If using up leftovers is high on your list, have a look at these scrap yarn crochet project ideas for inspiration.
Suddenly your crochet vision board becomes part inspiration board and part stash-management system.
Which, frankly, some of us desperately need.
Now you can indulge yourself.
Choose several crochet projects you would absolutely love to make, regardless of whether you’re quite ready for them yet.
Maybe you’ve always wanted to crochet:
For blanket inspiration, something like this Woodland Wonders Crochet Blanket makes a brilliant “stretch project” because it incorporates several textured crochet techniques.
Don’t put ten enormous blankets in this section.
Pick one or two dream crochet projects.
Otherwise it stops being a vision board and becomes evidence against you when someone asks why there are another twelve boxes of yarn arriving.
This is important.
Not every crochet goal should involve 2,000 metres of yarn and several months of your life.
Add quick projects too:
Quick projects keep your crochet motivation going between larger makes.
They’re also wonderful stash-busters and handmade gifts.
I particularly like adding a little “Weekend Crochet” section to the board. These are projects you could realistically start on Friday night and have finished — or at least recognisably underway — before Monday rolls around.
If you crochet gifts for birthdays and Christmas, dedicate one area of your board to recipients.
For example:
Mum: shawl
Grandchild: amigurumi
Teacher gift: crochet mug cosy
Christmas: four ornaments
New baby: blanket
Add deadlines underneath.
This is considerably better than suddenly remembering on December 17 that you’d planned to crochet eight handmade presents.
Ask me how I know.
Crochet kits can also be useful for gift projects because you’re not hunting around for matching yarn and supplies at the last minute. Mary Maxim crochet kits are worth browsing when you want a complete project ready to start rather than assembling everything separately.
Give yourself one goal that involves yarn you already have.
For example:
Crochet 12 projects from my existing stash before buying more yarn.
Or, if we would like to remain within the realms of reality:
Use three skeins before buying another six.
Your challenge could be:
The goal isn’t to make yourself feel guilty about owning yarn.
Yarn collecting and crocheting are, after all, closely related hobbies.
The idea is simply to reconnect some of that beautiful yarn with the reason you bought it in the first place: to make something.
Ah yes.
The WIPs.
Most crocheters have at least one project quietly judging them from a basket.
Take photographs of your unfinished crochet projects and create a small Finish These First section.
Don’t add everything.
Choose perhaps three.
A blanket needing twelve more rows feels far less intimidating when you can actually see how close it is to completion.
And there’s something deeply satisfying about removing a project from the board when it’s finished.
Not everything on your crochet vision board needs to link to a particular project.
Add things that simply make you want to create:
A photograph of autumn leaves might eventually inspire a rust-and-mustard blanket.
A vintage floral wallpaper might become the colour palette for granny squares.
You don’t always need to know why something appeals to you.
Pin it up and see where it takes you.
If a big board feels overwhelming, divide yours into twelve smaller monthly crochet goals.
For example:
January: finish an old WIP
February: crochet something red or pink
March: learn a new stitch
April: make a bag
May: stash-busting project
June: crochet something cosy
July: start a blanket
August: crochet a wearable
September: begin handmade Christmas gifts
October: Halloween crochet
November: Christmas decorations
December: finish gifts and choose next year’s projects
You don’t have to follow it religiously.
This is crochet, not military training.
Move things around when inspiration strikes.
Prefer everything on your phone or tablet?
You can make exactly the same style of board digitally using:
Create sections for projects, colours, yarn stash, techniques and gifts.
Pinterest is particularly dangerous — I mean useful — for this because one crochet blanket inevitably leads to another blanket, which leads to a cardigan, which leads to a granny square tote bag and suddenly it’s midnight.
The important part is to curate rather than continuously save.
Choose the projects that still excite you after you’ve looked at them several times.
Those belong on your actual crochet vision board.
This is probably the most important part.
Your crochet vision board should make you want to pick up your hook.
It shouldn’t make you feel behind.
Crochet is meant to be enjoyable.
If you lose interest in that enormous neutral-coloured blanket you pinned six months ago, take it off.
If you suddenly fall in love with ridiculously colourful crochet flowers, add them.
If your carefully planned beige-and-sage year becomes bright orange granny squares by March, congratulations — you’re a crafter.
Plans change.
Creativity should be allowed to change with them.
If you’re not sure where to begin, try this:
1 Dream Project
Something ambitious that you’d love to accomplish.
2 Wearables
Cardigans, scarves, hats, bags or other crochet accessories.
3 Quick Projects
Projects you can finish when you need an easy win.
1 New Technique
A crochet skill that stretches you slightly.
1 Stash Project
Something made primarily from yarn you already own.
3 Handmade Gifts
Specific projects for specific people.
1 WIP to Finish
Because we both know it’s sitting there.
That’s enough inspiration to keep you interested without turning your craft room wall into a five-year production schedule.
The best crochet vision board isn’t necessarily the prettiest one.
It’s the one you actually use.
Put it somewhere near your yarn or crochet chair. When you’ve finished a project, remove it, date it or add a little tick beside it.
Over time you’ll have a lovely visual record of what you’ve made — and probably a few projects that have stubbornly survived on the board for several years.
Those are allowed too.
Sometimes we need practical projects.
Sometimes we need to learn new things.
And sometimes we simply need a beautiful photograph of an absurdly complicated crochet blanket pinned above our desk so we can continue telling ourselves:
One day. I’m definitely making that.
For 2010, my goals are to do everything in the CALs that I have joined – at least 10 shawls, 10 12×12 inch blocks, at least 1 class a month at HPKCHC, etc.
Oh, and to do at least three skirts for me, while trying not to stress out about my son (who is currently deployed in SW Asia).
Starting the projects is not the problem, finishing them is…oh, and trying to do the majority from my stash.
I just found amigurumi…I’ve been out of crocheting for a while. Last year I crocheted 3 animals for TheToySociety toy drops, this year my goal is to do at least one a month to continue the drops.
Finishing at least one small project a month and FINALLY making something for myself a sweater and a new bedspread. Oh ya and finishing this fine crochet bedspead that I have been working on for TEN YEARS!!! Time to get going on that I think.
My crochet goal is to learn to crochet!
I have the basics down but just can’t seem to make the stitches consistent. So I usually give up and knit instead.
My crochet goal is to use up all the yarn in my stash (which is outta control!!!) and to make and finish at least one project every month. I also want to learn tunisian crochet.
My crochet goal for 2010 is to learn how to read crochet ‘patterns’. I want to learn the lingo well enough to complete projects, right now I just know a few stitches here and there.
I goal is to finish a sweater I started in Feb, 2006 for my DIL. I was about 2/3 done when I had a stroke. I was spared any physical damage but the brain is another thing! I was immediately able to crochet but couldn’t read/understand patterns. I’ve slowly worked my way back and am ready to tackle this again. I want to have it done for her birthday Feb 15. Then I’ll start on other UFOs.
I’ve thought quite a bit about what I want to resolve to do with my crochet. Eventually, I really want to turn my crafting into a legit business (not just the odd contract piece). So, I’m resolving to work on perfecting techniques and finishing–to really give my work that extra “something.”
Actually, this is going to sound weird.My 2 year old grandson is totally in to ROBOTS! MY daughter had just done a painting of one for his room, and I commented that I had to find a pattern to crochet one for him. So that was my immediate goal.
I want to make a teddy bear for my son, who is turning 1 this week. A quality-looking 10″ or so sized one that can be his “Forever Teddy.” If you know where I can find a good pattern, just let me know. Thanks! Happy crocheting!
My goal is to get my nine year old daughter hooked on crochet. Actually…any of my children, but I’ve been softening her up. Now I’ve just got to grasp that hook and show her how much fun it can be.
My crochet goal for 2010 is basically threefold. 1. To finish off the projects that are lying around almost finished. 2. To make more baby outfits for the charity that I belong to. 3. To really make an effort to do some Tunisian crochet and do it properly and finish it.
My crochet goal for 2010 is to complete one amigurumi character a month.
crochet goals: finish daughter black & gray afghan; design &make son’s purple, black & red afghan; make slipper socks for everyone’s Christmas visit; make bed slippers for hubby; Make 2 shawls/month for church charity project; Design & make dresses for large porcelian dolls-showcase items; join CGOA & take master crochet course.
For 2010, I have promised myself that I will stop making things for me that I won’t wear. I find enticing frilly things that I just love, make them, and then am not comfortable wearing them. I will continue taking those ‘unwearables’ apart and making something that I will use with the yarn. I really hate wasting yarn!
My crochet goal in 2010 is to learn how to crochet! I’ve been admiring other people’s beautiful works for a couple of months now, and I think it’s time that I learn it myself!
My crochet goals for 2010 are to finish an afghan by joining a block-a-month group, creating my own patterns, and making things for myself as well as others.
My goal for 2010 is to make more presents for my family crocheting or knitting. Also to make more items for myself.
I will finally get back to crocheting once my wrist has healed. I will finish my daughters afghan that’s 2/3 of the way complete & also continue crocheting the scarfs for the caritas men that my church supports.
My goal this year is to crochet enough items to have for a booth at a yearly craft fair held every November here. Plus, my sister-in-law is pushing me to sell my crocheted items and write down my patterns. Lol, looks like a busy year for me.
I’m 8 months pregnant and so my crochet goal is to make something for baby this year!
I recently moved from Canada to Austria, so my 2010 goal is to learn to read crochet patterns in German to be better able to make use of all the resources here.
Goals… I have some but I am not exactly sure what they are… they are more like vague ideas on where I want my life to go… things like I want to make more time to crochet and paint and design jewelry… but I have to finish all the UFO’s first, then the WIP’s, then get the craft room organized after I figure out what I’m keeping and where I’ll put it…
So I guess my goal is to make some time every day to work toward these things… maybe one day I’ll crochet, one day make jewelry, one day go thru my stash of fabrics… but if I tackle a little every day after a while my goals will be accomplished.
My crochet goal for 2010 is to keep learning new patterns and stitches. I also want to finish a sweater set for my grandnephew who is going to be born around August
My goal is to continue busting my stash by making cat beds for a local rescue group.
My crochet goal is to finish a NY Yankees afghan I just started and to start making patterns that are in the intermediate category and get away from simply single and double crochet projects.
My goal for this year, is to quit work, and crochet for my home. I have so many places in my home begging to be crocheted for. I have started to lay awake at night thinking of things I can crochet for each and every room. I think I have some crochet illness. I’m sure you all must have the same condition.
My main goal right now is to finish my first afghan ever! I haven’t ever made one, it seems like such a huge project but I chose a good one I think. I’m doing the sampler afghan 6401. Yippie! I’m working on the third block now 🙂 It’s only 48 total (only.. heehee)
So I’ll make a blanket and get to practice 48 ways of stitches!
Here’s the pattern I’m doing
http://www.purplekittyyarns.com/afghan-patterns/vol64-no6401
My goals are twofold:
1. Finish my middle son’s afghan-in-progress
2. For new projects, crochet only from stash (with a near-certain falling off the wagon at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival)
My crochet goal this year is to crochet at least 6 items. I work fulltime and have a 7 year old daughter who is into activities and homework so my crochet time is very limited. I have already begun by crocheting a Granny Square Christmas Tree (pic on Crochet Partners), I’m working on a caplet now for my daughter’s fist communion in March and I want to make some things for me. So, for me this is a big goal
My goal is to finish the afghan that I had started for my husband to give to my grandson since my husband passed away on January 6, 2010 and this little guy will never know his papa.
I’ve had a Babette in my queue waiting to be hooked seems like forever. I’ve got the yarn, and have started working on a few squares. Let’s see if 2010 is the year I finally finish an afghan.
I intend to finish the Dale Earnhardt afghan (so much larger than an afghan) that I originally started 3 years ago.
I just started learning crochet at the end of 2009 and when my best friend found out she said she wanted me to crochet her a waistcoat for Christmas 2010. So that is my goal to be able to crochet her waistcoat by this coming Christmas 🙂 Eek!
Hi , my goal is to to teach as much and to as many as possible the dying art of crochet . I also want to distrbute maximum profit to each one of my NGO girls for all the hard work they put in . So guys , please pray that all our exhibitions here in India area a roaring success !!
To feel more in control, proficient, comfortable with it. I still feel like i am stumbling around, or guessing. But with the help of the internet and a few good books with photos i am getting htere!
My goal for 2010 is to use all the Red Heart Super Saver yarn (tubs full) that is not soft enough for hats, scarves, afghans, etc. BEFORE I buy any more yarn! I inherited the yarn from my mother and sister and feel guilty every time I buy other yarn to make a project.
I want to make my daughter a doll afghan — shouldn’t take long!
I would love to learn more than just the basics of crochet.