New Year New Craft Update

Plus my handmade new years eve party look

Hello and happy new year. I crossed the threshold into 2026 with new and old friends in Macomb, Illinois, which felt like a very random place to be for the occasion. I ended up there because one of my bosom friends made during my time at Florida State University went to high school in Macomb, and she and her husband return for the holidays. Part of her campaign to convince me to go to Macomb was selling the relaxing and easeful experience of taking Amtrak from Chicago, and she was right! This was my first Amtrak experience and I loved it. To maximize the vibes on the train I had a book, my Nintendo Switch, and a knitting project, plus I wore a beautiful hand knit sweater. Ultimately I did not read or play any video games, and instead I knit the whole time. Perhaps my only new years resolution is that I am renewing my vow to knitting. More hours knitting every day, more projects and designs finished, and more stacks of cash God willing. I am not so into new years resolutions as I am someone who resolves resolutely every day, plus I still haven’t learned to read neumes or studied philosophy.

Anyway here’s what I’ve been working on lately. I finished these socks.

I was bitching online about the white stripe detracting from an otherwise extremely cute pair of socks and someone messaged me to let me know that the white stripe is there to mark the middle of the ball so that you make two identical socks, as in, you’re not necessarily supposed to knit it. This makes sense, however, I made these socks with a pittance of scraps from my most benevolent scrap dealer, Jessie Maed Designs. Meaning, I had to use every inch of yarn to get a respectable pair of socks. One of my favorite knitters and crafters I’ve been following on the internet for many years, Kate’s Tangled String messaged me saying, “if it were me I’d dye the white stripe with food coloring to a color I like better,” and I was like omg never in a million years would I do that, because, A. I’m lazy, and B. I don’t know how and don’t want to ruin my socks. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her suggestion and now I may have to try it.

In a true fit of passion that only renewing my vow to knitting could inspire, I picked up a dust covered WIP that has sat neglected for probably half a year.

This is my Naiad pullover which was technically a test knit for Jessie Mae which I think was due in September. I hope she’s not mad at me for not finishing the test. I think she was still able to publish a decent pattern without my feedback. This week I got to the point where you join the front and back of the sweater at the underarm and you can begin knitting in the round. This is important symbolically and practically because in the round knitting goes faster than flat knitting and it’s an omen that there is a non-zero percent chance that I will complete this sweater before 2027.

Next I am working on a fun new scrappy cardigan design. This design is heavily inspired by the scrappy marled ombre designs of ParknKnit.

One recurring theme in my work has been garment designs that are knit side to side rather than up and down. It’s a fun way to design and fun way to knit that gives you the ability to play with color vertically with ease. The downside? Front left, front right, back, left sleeve, and right sleeve are all knit flat.. separately, and…. seamed.. so sorry. But. I heard a rumor that only those with impure hearts fail to find the joy in knitting flat and seaming. Also get excited to weave in one thousand ends. I am on my first sleeve, so after this I’ll do the second sleeve, seam everything together, then knit cuffs, hem, and button band, and I’ll do it gleefully.

Normally when I finish a pair of socks I immediately cast on my next pair, I like having a travel sized mindless project at the ready. This time, I decided to deviate and cast on a new hat design.

Similar to the cardigan, this design features an interesting horizontal element to the construction. The hat band starts with a provisional cast on then is knit side to side first, where it is joined into a connected head band with kitchener stitch. Once the hat band is finished, stitches are picked up along the edge of the band and the remainder of the hat is knit normally—As in working your way up towards the crown. I love this way of starting the hat, it allows me to incorporate a continuous braided cable all around the hat, and it gives the hat visual interest to have the color changing yarn being worked in two directions as well as with very different stitch counts, so the color will change slowly on the hat band, and quickly on the body of the hat.

Additionally I have made time for not one but two spinning projects. A few months back I wrote about getting spindle pilled by the romantic old world allure of spindle spinning present at the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival. Would you believe that I am almost finished with the yarn I started in the car ride home from the festival? I have started countless spins on spindles in the past and I think I have finished maybe 1-2 skeins of spindle-spun yarn ever. I am at the plying stage so I only have a little work left until I have a finished ball of yarn. I think this calls for rewarding myself with a new $80 spindle.

I have also reached the plying stage on a 2-ply haunui wool yarn that has been sitting on my spinning wheel for many months. sadly, my spinning wheel broke while plying. I’ve used it for at least 7 years without doing any maintenance so its due for a problem. The issue is that when I got my spinning wheel I made my dad assemble it so I have no idea how it was put together or how to fix it. I have emailed the company and I await a response. In the meantime, I’ve begun dreaming about acquiring an electronic spinning wheel, which is antithetical to my ideal aesthetic for spinning yarn, however I think it would be very practical and potentially allow me to be more productive in the little time I devote to spinning. Someone buy me a Daedalus wheel, TIA.

After a few weeks off, I have a new finished piece of jewelry. I’ve had this idea in mind for several months and the finished result is just how I envisioned it. I love that the two rings are finished with different textures. One of my favorite parts of making and selling jewelry is coming up with the dramatic and fantastical names for my pieces. If anyone has been needing a “Chained Reverberations, aquamarine dual ring” in size 7, now’s your chance.

To finish off this week’s craft update I’ll show you my new years eve party outfit. I wore my own design, the “practical sweater” which I have never had a good opportunity to wear in the one year since I finished knitting it. Everything about making this sweater was unpleasant, and honestly it’s annoying to wear too, but it’s a garment of unsurpassed beauty tbh. It was really fun to wear it to a small town party where almost nobody knows me, I think it made a memorable first impression. Ok bye.