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January Crochet Wrap-Up: Patterns, Progress & Honest Reviews
- Morgan Swinney
- Feb 2
- 5 min read
How are we already at the end of January?! It was a slow month for me creatively, if I am being honest. I did make my website (hooray!), but my “crojo” just was not there for me this month. I am leaving January with almost one completed project (details in a sec) and three other WIPs. All of them are personal projects, so I promise I have not been slacking on your custom orders, lol. I wanted to do a quick wrap up so you can see what has been going on behind the scenes, as well as how I am liking the patterns and yarns I am using.
I bought some Bernat Fluffee, which, if you have been following me on Instagram, I have raved about before. It is soft, luxurious, a little sheddy, but something I am willing to deal with for the feel of the yarn itself. I bought two skeins of Cream and two skeins of Mineral Red with absolutely no idea what to make. So I did what I always do when I find myself in this situation (which is more often than I would like to admit) and did a Ravelry search filtering by bulky weight yarn projects. That is when I discovered the Chunky Check Pullover by Little May Knots.
As soon as I saw the example photos Ally had of her testers’ sweaters, I knew this was the pattern for this yarn. I always love a made to measure pattern due to its size inclusivity, as you literally make it to your own measurements. I also love a checked design because it looks beautiful but is very easy from a technical perspective. Ally’s pattern is very well written, aesthetically designed, and easy for beginners who can read patterns to follow.
I am about a third of the way done with my first panel and loving how easy it is to work on while listening to a podcast, an audiobook, or in my very niche instance, police body cam videos. These are the types of projects I love as a mom because it is incredibly easy to set it down unexpectedly and come back to it without trying to figure out where you were. It is that straightforward. Although I am not finished with the pattern yet, I would definitely recommend it to beginners and advanced crocheters alike.
This pattern has been on my TBM (to be made) list for a while now. I decided at the beginning of this year that I was going to try to make more stuff for myself, and so far we have had a successful start to this in 2026. This is not a made to measure pattern, but it ranges from size XS to 5XL in U.S. sizing.
It is a simple sunburst granny square overall set, so it is pretty easy and straightforward for beginners, with the ability to customize the overalls to your fit and liking. One of my favorite things about the pattern is that Savannah included tester photos for all sizes, not just the small size. This allows you to see how the pattern will actually look on your body, as well as receive little bits of advice the testers had that were specific to their size.
My personal fave (and coincidentally the size I am making) was Jessica’s from the tester photos. Her photo gave me that “okay, yeah, I need those” feeling.
For this pattern, I opted for Premier Basix Worsted for a few reasons. Number one, it was on sale, lol. Number two, this is more of a novelty piece for me rather than everyday wear. I do not need it to be incredibly durable or, honestly, comfortable. It is a value 100% acrylic yarn, and I do not expect it to be anything more than that. It is a day or night out outfit that I might wear a couple of times, but the “you made that??”s will last a lifetime.
If I were planning to wear it more, I would have opted for a cotton yarn (working on a round up of my fave yarns categorized by fiber!). From lightest to darkest, the colorways I am using are Crepe, Blush, Light Mauve, and Nutmeg. I have made about four squares so far out of sixty four, so there is a lot more to go before this moves out of the WIP pile.
This was the very first crochet pattern I ever purchased (over two years ago!), so it has been on my list for a while now, but it feels very intimidating and honestly, for good reason. I bought the Hygge Crochet Bundle because I wanted this pattern as well as a couple of others, including a coaster set for my sister.
The patterns are very confusing and appear to be untested or not tested very heavily, as there were several mistakes (wrong stitch counts, etc.) that made it difficult to complete the project. For example, in the Garden Fairy Crop Top there is a section that requires you to chain eleven when, in reality, you should chain thirteen in order to have enough chains to complete the stitches she describes.
I am almost finished with the top now, with only more leaves and flower embellishments left to make, and I can honestly say I would not personally recommend the pattern. That said, it is doable.
This is another one of those novelty pieces for me. I think it is so presh, but I am an Adam Sandler mom when it comes to apparel, and this is just not daily wear for me. I made it specifically for Gen Con this year. My husband and I always go, and I thought this would be perfect for a little cosplay action.
Again, I opted for Premier Basix Worsted, this time in the colorways Celery, Sage, Spruce, and Leaf. The flowers are being made out of acrylic scraps from past projects. At the end of the day, I am still happy with the almost finished product, but I would not recommend Hygge patterns for those who are not comfortable making modifications.
My husband requested a balaclava right before we visited FIBRuary this weekend, so it was perfect timing to pick up something bougie and make something luxurious. I ended up picking up two hanks from Laughing Cat Fibers in their Maine Coon Cashmere DK base.
He picked out the colorway “Gumball Nebula,” which is from one of their blacklight reactive lines. It is insanely cool and honestly my favorite colorway I have ever personally worked with. The colors are not muddled together. They all sit on their own. It is seriously stunning, and the yarn itself feels nice and warm.
The pattern is a simple beanie that folds down into a balaclava. It is very well written and simple. Not the most beginner friendly, but it does not claim to be.
Overall, I'm happy with my progress for January, even without the "crojo" I was hoping to enter 2026 with. Here's to a productive and peaceful February. :-)
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