What I Crocheted in 2024
(estimated reading time: 5 min)
I first started crocheting in June 2023, and it quickly became one of the biggest obsessions I’ve had in years. Here is a recap of (almost) everything I finished making in 2024, together with the approximate amount of time and money spent on each project. Links to patterns are included when applicable, and if you want to know the yarn and yardage I used, check out my instagram!
Making everything in this post took a total of ~400 hours and cost ~$1100 ($900 on yarn, $100 on patterns, $120 on other tools). Another 80 hours went into two large projects I haven’t finished yet—hopefully you will see them in my 2025 crochet recap!
Table of Contents
NOTE: money spent is broken down into three numbers: $ spent on yarn, pattern, and other tools.
Plushies
I want to start the post by showcasing the two original designs I made this year, especially the cat borgar, which took quite a bit of trial and error.
More high-effort plushies:
(patterns: top left | top right | bottom left (1) (2) | bottom right)
An expensive one, given its relative simplicity, because I bought two skeins of alpaca yarn for it (and only ended up using a little bit of each):
(pattern)
Other plushies:
(patterns: top left | top mid | top right | bottom mid | bottom right)
I insisted on calling the banana whale “Whanana” but my partner claimed “Bananale” is better—what a shame.
Apparel
I made a lot of apparel this year, and I’m super proud of the two vests below, which I have since worn to important occasions.
These two bags took surprisingly long to make, and I spent a decent chunk of time hand-sewing the inner linings and zippers. They turned out to be worth the effort, though, and I’m using them on a daily basis.
A lot of random stuff:
(patterns: top left | top mid | top right | mid left | center | bottom mid | bottom right)
Misc
Last but not least, some miscellaneous items, including a garlic pillow that looks more like a white pumpkin and weighs 3 lbs:
(patterns: top right)
Random Crochet Advice
I wrote down some tips for beginners in my previous crochet blog post, but now that I have more experience under my belt, I have some more specific advice:
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There are certain techniques that are not strictly necessary for a good crochet project, but can always improve the details, and just take some practice. Here is an incomplete list:
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Instead of using a chain-3 to begin a row or round of double crochet, use a stacked double crochet to get a straighter edge. I’ve also seen people refer to it as stacked single crochet or single stacked double crochet—they all refer to the same thing. Another technique for starting a row or round without a chain that also works when switching yarn is a standing crochet.
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Instead of using a slip stitch to join the end of a round, use an invisible join for a better seam.
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Instead of normal decrease stitches, use an invisible single / half double / double decrease to avoid a lump or gap.
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After switching to a new color, instead of continuing crocheting normally, use an invisible color change for a better seam. This video includes two other color change methods that you can also consider.
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My thoughts on different methods of joining a new strand of yarn:
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For projects that don’t need to withstand a lot of pulling, like plushies/coasters/decorations, I think the basic method of switching yarn and crocheting over (or weaving in) the ends suffices. But I would still be on the safer side and weave the ends by zigzagging.
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For projects that need to withstand some force, such as clothes/bags/scraves/blankets, here’s what I do: (1) double knot the ends after switching yarn, (2) weave both ends by zigzagging through different paths, (3) make the two ends meet at another point and double knot again, and (4) weave a bit more and hide the ends. I also try to weave the end in a direction that will help hide the knot inside a stitch.
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I like using fray check on the knots to make absolutely sure they won’t unravel, but YMMV because (1) fray check is meant for securing fabrics rather than yarn, (2) it will be visible on darker yarn, and (3) it may be scratchy when worn on skin because it’s a hard coating.
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Many people recommend doing a russian join to avoid knotting or weaving ends—it looks neat if you do it correctly, but I was never able to personally.
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Here is another way to join yarn with knots, and you can find others online. Your choice of join really depends on how paranoid you are; for example, I can never trust a knot after cutting off the ends unless I apply a lot of fray check.
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If you treat crochet as a serious hobby, having good book-keeping habits is beneficial. I track the yarn, hook size, and yardage for most projects. For larger projects, I track the yardage of each part (e.g. one leg of a plushie or one sleeve) in order to decide whether I need to start with a new skein to avoid running out in the middle of a part. I also keep notes of the measurements and any modifications I’ve made to a pattern, because you never know if you’ll want to redo or replicate a piece of work.
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There are many crochet-related tools and accessories for different use cases. Some are more necessary than others, and here are my opinions:
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Blocking supplies are a game changer, and they don’t need to be anything fancy—a <$30 one on Amazon will suffice.
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As someone who has spent hundreds of dollars on handmade yarn bowls, you really don’t need one. Does having one make your life easier, though? As a center puller, I need to stop every now and then to pull out more yarn, whether or not the yarn is in a bowl. If you are pulling from the outside, the benefit of a yarn bowl is more noticeable, but maybe a yarn spindle can do a better job. In other scenarios, I can see some sort of organizing tool being more necessary, such as when you are doing colorwork or traveling with a lot of skeins.
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Whenever my friend, whose yarn winder and swift I leech off of, is out of town, I wish I had my own. Still, waiting at the store to get your yarn wound is always an option.
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Why deal with the anxiety of not knowing whether a ball of spare yarn is enough for a project when you can just get a kitchen scale?
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I have used crochet hook grips, but I still prefer ergonomic crochet hooks (I use Prym).
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Finally, my most lukewarm take is that granny squares are overrated.
- On a serious note though, I do not recommend that beginners start with granny-square based projects. They bring in so much busy work, such as frequently changing colors, having to block, and sewing pieces together—all of which dilute the fun of getting the hang of crochet and learning the fundamentals.
2025 Crochet Goals
In my 2023 crochet recap, I wrote that I wanted to finish two large pieces of apparel in 2024. Unfortunately, those two projects are the ones I spent 80 hours on this year but still haven’t finished. Hopefully 2025 will be the year I finally wrap them up.
I bought an awful lot of yarn this year that I’m hoping to work through in 2025. At the same time, I have another very ambitious idea, which will be a tremendous amount of work compared to anything I’ve crocheted so far, so we will see how that goes.
I will be posting all of my projects—crochet or otherwise—on my instagram, and a blog post every now and then. Stay tuned!
Special thanks to TheNumbat for editing, as usual