2025 Makes

Making something every day keeps the existential depression at bay.

Back before I had my second child, handcrafting was life. I made stuff, shared about it on my YouTube channel and website because there was nobody to talk to about it in my day-to-day life, and found a community of fellow makers (mostly knitters) to connect with from around the world.

This eventually led to opening an online shop. My thing was natural dyeing, especially wool yarn and playsilks, and I was loving it—and then life changed: we had our second child in 2019, my health mysteriously plummeted, we moved three times within a six-year period, and then I decided to homeschool my kids.

I was busy, to say the least, but I never fully stopped making. It’s just that it was no longer a priority. It couldn’t be. I hoped things would settle down so I could get back to it, but time passed and I had to get real about what I was capable of. This was the season I was in, and that was that.

It was six very long years.

But seasons come and go. My kids are older and more independent now, we’re living in our forever home with no plans to move again (mercifully), and suddenly I’m finding myself not necessarily with more time per se, but with more predictable routines and energy.

Thus, my motivation for creative endeavors has returned. It looks nothing like it used to, but I’m never without a project on my needles these days, and I’m always looking for interesting projects I can do with my kids.

Here’s a recap of everything I made in 2025. It’s not much perhaps, but to me it’s kind of a big deal:

Hoodolas

The Hoodola by Laura Nelkin. A good layering piece that’s portable and easy to take on and off. I have enough yarn left of both colors to make another small project, so I’m considering matching leg warmers or fingerless mitts. TBD.

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Catkin Pullover

The Catkin Pullover by Fox & Folk. I used worsted Targhee dyed naturally with madder and walnut. Love the puff sleeves and simple lace yoke details.

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Handknit Dish Scrubbies

I use these Mini Knit Dish Scrubbies daily in my kitchen, mostly to scrub potatoes. They’re a single-use thing for me, and the ones I made a decade ago have worn thin or mostly disappeared, so it was time to make more.

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Seed Paper & Paper Hearts

A fun project for me and my kids. We made these for Valentine’s Day using old egg cartons, recycled paper, and a sheet of dyed construction paper to add color. We want to try making seed paper again next year, but this time we’ll include more varieties of seeds and flower petals.

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Pillowcases

I unearthed my old stash of quilt squares and made a couple pillowcase covers for two couch cushions that needed replacements. I used naturally dyed squares for one pillow, and old denim jean squares for the other.

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Lakes Pullover

The Lakes Pullover is my current WIP. I’m knitting it for a friend, but plan to make at least one more right after I cast off. I’m hoping to finish this one in January. Fingers crossed.

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That’s it for my projects from 2025. I already have heaps of projects planned for next year—I’ll make a post about that soon. It’s always fun for me to compare what I want to make versus what I actually follow through on. Plus, there’s always something I run across that goes straight to the top of my priority list, and no amount of planning will stop that. Sometimes you have to just follow your mood.