In Progress

A Bag With Flower

The first WIP is going to be a bag with a flower on it, if I ever finish it. More on that in a bit. This project is from Mary Maxim’s Crochet Club of the Month. I like it because you get a small project delivered each month at a low price. For me a bonus is, these projects make use of discontinued yarns which are taking up space in a warehouse and would otherwise go to waste. Many people actually think of this as a bug and not a feature.

I love that this stitch, which a back loop and third loop half double crochet stitch looks like a knit and purl. I’ve seen argument that if you want something to look like it’s knit just learn to knit. Whatever, let people have fun.

And while I love the way it looks, the reason why I may never finish it is because doing this stitch causes nerve pain, the type of nerve pain that feels like an electrical shock every time the nerve is aggravated. I’m feeling this pain on the inside of my wrist every time I work my hook through the third loop. I simply cannot figure out how to hold the fabric in while working it that doesn’t hit a nerve, literally.

The yarn is Bernat Suede-ish which I also enjoy working with, which also seems to be against popular opinion. Once I find a basket pattern I like that can be accomplished with the two brown and one red skein of Suede-ish from this kit, the plan is to frog it and make the basket.

1999 Temperature Blanket

As mentioned in my February round-up, I’m working on two temperature blankets with plans for a third. This temperature blanket is of the year my youngest was born. I’m still astounded by how much colder than seasonal 1999 was. I had completely memory-holed it. I resumed working on it after I finished the Larksfoot blanket and made pretty good progress in the final weeks of March.

2026 Temperature Blanket

Everything between the two purple squares are what I crocheted for this blanket in March 2026. With a couple exceptions, it was a very warm March. So much so, I used 46 per cent less hydro (electricity for my non-Canadian readers) in March 2026 compared to March 2025. Rarely was there a day below 13 C, with 11 days between 13.1 and 16 C. That’s well above seasonal!

The purple centres are the odd day that it snowed. And I’m not really sure it counts because it wasn’t even a full centimetre of snow. We had maybe 5 mm. The navy centre is the first day of spring. And the purple squares mark the beginning of a new month.

Above the blanket through April 3, 2026. We only had 12 days below 7 C and 19 days between 7.1 and 10 C. That is a very warm winter, even for my part of Canada–the Cowichan Valley–which has the warmed temperatures in all of Canada.

Completed

Below are links to everything I finished in March 2026, including the knit and crochet journal that can be yours for the low cost of free!

In the comments below, tell me about everything you made in March 2026!

Like my last scarf, this scarf also uses Bernat Softee Chunky #6 Super Bulky. This scarf is in the colours Glowing Gold and Natural. In fact, this scarf is the mate of my other scarf, in that it’s made for her partner.

Let’s get into the rest of the details!

The Pattern

The pattern is also one from my brain. It’s nothing fancy. It’s a modified checkerboard pattern, each square being three double crochet wide and two double crochet tall. Also, I use a stacked single crochet as the first stitch in every row instead of a chain three.

I used a 8.0 mm crochet hook for the body, with a 9.0 mm for the starting chain. The starting chain in 15. The gauge 10 cm x 10 cm gauge is 11 double crochet wide by 5 double crochet high.

The final pattern is so:

2 x 100-gram skeins* each of Bernat Softee Chunkee Glowing Gold and Natural #6 Super Bulky yarn. 9.0 mm hook for the chain. 8.0 mm hook for the body
Chain 15.
Row 1: 1 single crochet with colour #1 in the back bump of each chain. Turn. (15 stitches).
Row 2: 1 stacked single crochet. 2 double crochet in colour #1. [3 double crochet in colour #2, 3 double crochet in #1]2 times. Turn. (15 stitches)
Row 3: 1 stacked single crochet. 2 double crochet in colour #2. [3 double crochet in colour #1, 3 double crochet in #2]2 times. Turn. (15 stitches).
Row 4 to desired length: Repeat Rows 2 and 3, finishing on Row 2.
Final row: 15 single crochet in colour #1.

*The amount of yarn used is with my gauge and for the length of this project. I used 103 grams of Glowing Gold and 126 grams of Natural. The finished length is 178 cm (70 inches). The finished width is 15 cm (6 inches). Shorter scarves with the same width only require one skein each of desired colours.

The Finished Checkerboard Scarf

The thing I find most interesting about this scarf is, there are more Glowing Gold stitches than Natural and yet, I used more Natural yarn. My tension looks the same for both colours. Fascinating.

The finished product is 88 rows and, as already mentioned, measures 15 cm wide by 178 cm long (6 in by 70 in). It took 4 hours 12 minutes and 32 seconds to stitch. The retail value at B.C.’s minimum wage ($17.85/hr CAD) plus $19.96 CAD for the yarn is $109.71 CAD.

I can’t wait to show you the next project I’m working on which was inspired by working with this yarn when I was making the Granny Square Baby Blanket.

What WIP did you recently complete? Let me know in the comments!

The first modification is yarn brand and colours, while keeping the yarn weight and hook size. Werker recommends Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick #6 Super Bulky in the colours Eggplant, Fisherman Butterscotch, Pumpkin, Raspberry, Glacier and Denim. I used Bernat Softee Chunky #6 Super Bulky in the colours Dark Mauve, Natural, Glowing Gold, Pumpkin, Grey Rose, Seagreen and Faded Denim. The colours aren’t too dissimilar. The biggest diversion from the original pallet is the Grey Rose instead of Raspberry. The Raspberry is very bright–which is not for me–compared to the muted Grey Rose.

The second modification had to do with chains. Werker’s pattern calls for a Chain 2 between each Granny Cluster and a Chain 3 in the corners. Typically, when I make Granny Squares, I don’t do any chains between clusters and do a Chain 2 in the corners; but that is with a #4 Worsted weight yarn. Because I was working with a #6, I decided to do a Chain 1 between clusters while keeping my usual Chain 2 in the corners. I did first attempt Werker’s design and found the gaps between clusters to be way too big for my personal tastes. Because of the weight of this yarn, I think my change to Chain 1 between clusters was appropriate.

Werker’s pattern says the finished project is 122 cm square (48 inches). My finished blanket measures 99 cm square (39 inches). My stitches were close to Werker’s gauge when following her pattern, so the difference in finished size must be the result of fewer chains.

The blanket only took 5 hours 30 minutes and 13 seconds to complete. The cost of the yarn when not on sale is $49.91 CAD ($4.99 CAD per skein and a total of 9 skeins: 3 of Dark Mauve, 1 each of the remaining colours). At B.C.’s minimum wage of $17.85 CAD, the minimum retail cost of this blanket would be $157.01 CAD.

This blanket wasn’t made with anyone in mind, and I currently don’t know anyone who may want it. It would also make for a good lap blanket. If I don’t find a home for it in the next few months, then I’ll put it up for sale here at a reduced price, keeping true to not turning my hobby into a monetized thing. Destashing doesn’t count as monetization.

So that’s that! In the comment below tell me all about your most recent finished WIP!

The yarn is Bernat Softee Chunky in the colour Shadow Ombre. It is a #6 Super Bulky. This is the second time I’ve worked with Softee Chunky–this first time being my V-Stitch blanket–and I love it. The reason why it’s the most perfect match to ever exist is because these colours are my friend’s favourite colours. She loves them so much, they are her hair colours and have been for decades. I asked my friends about their colour preferences for gifts and when she said these colours, I got so excited because I already had this yarn in my stash. It was meant to be!

Enough of the love story. Let’s get into the details.

The Pattern

The pattern is one from my brain. It’s nothing fancy. It’s a modified waffle stitch. Instead of a starting chain of a multiple of three plus two, my waffle stitch is chain with a multiple of three because I use a stacked single crochet in the first stitch instead of a chain three as the final double crochet before turning.

I used a 8.0 mm crochet hook for the body, with a 9.0 mm for the starting chain. My original pattern had a chain of 30, but after finishing 21 rows, I realised it was way too wide for any neck, frogged and started again with a chain 18.

The final pattern is so:

350 metres* #6 Super Bulky yarn. 9.0 mm hook for the chain. 8.0 mm hook for the body
Chain 18.
Row 1: 1 stacked single crochet. 17 double crochet, Turn. (18 stitches).
Row 2: 1 stacked single crochet. [Front post double crochet and two double crochet]5 times. Front post double crochet. Double crochet. Turn. (18 stitches)
Row 3: 1 stacked single crochet. [Double crochet and two front post double crochet]5 times. 2 Double crochet. Turn. (18 stitches).
Row 4 to desired length: Repeat Rows 2 and 3.
Final row: 18 single crochet.
*I used slightly more than 4 skeins at 70 metres per skein.

The Finished Waffle Scarf

Before I get to the finished dimension, let’s talk about the stacked single crochet. I really love the way I do them. It’s not like the other way people do them by starting the second single crochet in the left leg of the first single crochet. I promise I’ll have a tutorial up soon because the way the finished product looks is amazing.

Unlike the usual method of doing a stacked single where the finished stitch looks like two stiches side-by-side or a stitch with a turning chain, with my method, you can’t tell the difference between a regular double crochet and the stacked single. See the below image of the side of the work where every stitch looks the same. It’s a super clean edge.

The finished scarf is super dense and squeezable. It’s probably too warm for the climate we live in on Vancouver Island, but we can be surprised by cold days. And there is a whole entire country to visit where this scarf would be put to good use.

I think I could have gotten away with 15 stitches. It’s slightly too tall for my neck and the receiver is shorter than I am, so it will be even bigger for their neck. Because the finished fabric is so dense, it does not want to bend over on itself. Hopefully a wash will relax the fibres to make it easier to create a folded collar with it.

The finished product is 92 rows and measures 18 cm wide by 153 cm long (7 in by 60 in). It took 4 hours 57 minutes and 06 seconds to stitch. The retail value at B.C.’s minimum wage ($17.85/hr CAD) plus $24.95 CAD for the yarn is $96.35 CAD.

The way this variegated yarn worked up in the waffle pattern perfectly captures the friend who will be receiving it. I’m just so in love with it!

What WIP did you recently complete? Let me know in the comments!

My biggest issues with what’s currently available are not enough spaces for yarn being used in a project and not enough room for note. I fixed both these issues by creating a two-page spread per project with 16 spaces for yarn.

Features include:

• Table of Contents
• Numbered pages
• Pages for 50 Projects
• Two pages per projects
• Spaces for:
  • Project Name and Number
  • Start and End Dates
  • Created For
  • Hook/Needle Size
  • Pattern and Source
  • Gauge
  • Extra Tools
  • 16 Yarn Colours, Brand and Weight, and Number of Skeins Used
• One page for notes with a space for a photo.
• A couple blank pages at the end for whatever you want.

Over on the product page, it includes instructions for printing at Staples. Or just print it off at home and stick it in a binder.

Enjoy!

• 
• 
• 
• 

Pay What You Want Knit and Crochet Journal PDF

Suggested Price: $5.00

See full description for printing details. This printable planner includes:

• Table of Contents
• Numbered pages
• Pages for 50 Projects
• Two pages per projects
• Spaces for:
  • Project Name and Number
  • Start and End Dates
  • Created For
  • Hook/Needle Size
  • Pattern and Source
  • Gauge
  • Extra Tools
  • 16 Yarn Colours, Brand and Weight, and Number of Skeins Used
• One page for notes with a space for a photo.
• A couple blank pages at the end for whatever you want.

Staples will ask if you have copyright permission to print it. You do.  You cannot resell either the digital file or the physical copy.

Name Your Price ($)

Pay What You Want Knit and Crochet Journal PDF quantity

Add to cart

Category: Crochet, Knit

If you are not familiar with a Larksfoot, it’s as if a granny cluster became a little bit fancier. It’s a pretty simple stitch, perfect for when you want something that doesn’t require a lot of thought. Your chain needs to be a multiple of four plus three, and a turning chain.

Let’s quickly recap what I already said about it in my February WIPs post:

• It’s a free pattern from Yarnspirations with some modifications. These modifications include:
  • A 5.0 mm hook instead of a 5.5 mm hook. That is what I needed to get gauge.
  • Red Heart Comfort 454-gram skeins of yarn in three colours instead of two skeins each of the three Bernat Premium yarn colours.
  • Different yarn colours.
  • A starting chain of 148, instead of 145, to create 147 stitches plus one chain for a turning chain.
  • No chain-three as the first double crochet. Simply chain one, turn, and a double crochet in the first stitch/double crochet. I am hugely not a fan of the gap created at the sides of the fabric when a chain three is the first double crochet.
  • The pattern doesn’t say whether to break the yarn after each two-row section or to carry it up the side. I carried it up the side because I’m not weaving in a million ends.

The finished blanket is 134 rows and measures 119 cm by 150 cm (47 in by 59 in), so slightly smaller than what the pattern said it would be. There is a total of 19, 698 stiches, not counting the turning chains.

The time it took to complete the blanket was 32 hours and 31 minutes and 45 seconds which is just a hair more time than it took to stitch my V-Stitch blanket. The yarn was on clearance so that only cost $35.47 CAD. But with labour (33 hours at a minimum wage of $17.85/hr CAD), the minimum retail value of this blanket is $624.52 CAD.

I liked that this project was mindless enough that I could watch something while working on it with just enough variety through colour changes that I didn’t get bored with it after 10 rows.

Next, I am going to wash it and treat it with some Bounty fabric softener to remove that Red Heart feeling* before delivering to the family member for whom it was made.

What WIP did you recently finish? Tell me all about it in the comments below

*Red Heart Comfort is super soft compared to Super Saver but it’s still Red Heart. If you know, you know.

WIP #1: A 1999 Temperature Blanket

The first project going into February 2026 is a temperature blanket for 1999: the year Kid2 (who is now a full-grown adult man, but he’ll still be my kid) was born. For those who don’t know, a temperature blanket is when you create a new row or square or number of stitches for each day of the year with colours that represents the temperature for that day. Typically, you choose 10 colours with one colour per temperature range. There is a great website to help you plan your temperature blanket.

I started this project at the end of January 2026 with the idea that I would have it complete by his birthday in April. That is not going to happen without putting my entire life on hold and without making the RSIs in my hands worse. I realised this after completing the first two rows, which took 12 hours and 18 minutes and 22 seconds, and that does not include the time to join all the squares. More on this in a bit.

Let’s talk about some of the details! After completing the first row of 18 squares with nothing but a traditional granny square, I realised I would get bored quickly with this project without change. So, I created a pattern that is made up of five different types of granny squares, one of which I designed myself because I wasn’t happy with any designs that are currently published and a couple others with patterns that are slightly modified from existing patterns. I will share the overall blanket pattern and the patterns for the square I created and those I modified once this blanket is complete. And I use different join methods to help enhance the pattern and different squares.

Also, I’m not using the traditional colours used for temperature ranges. Kid2 has a colour preference for both colour palette and colour value, which I am using.

Stitching this blanket has reminded me just how unusually cold it was in 1999. Average daytime temperatures during the winter for my part of Vancouver Island is 8° C. In 1999, the average was 4 to 5 ° C. That is a significant difference.

As for materials, I’m using Michael’s Loops & Threads Soft Classic Acrylic with a 5.0 mm hook. With my tension, I’m able to get 30 three-round squares per skein and just over three rows per skein for the colour I use for the fourth round and joining colour.

Back to the timing of this project. I started this project after I finished two other projects in January, while I waited on the yarn for my V-Stitch blanket. If I didn’t have OCD, like actually and not like how people like to throw around the term, I would have easily been able to ignore a self-imposed deadline and stitched at a leisurely pace. But that isn’t how my brain works. To reset the deadline, I had to temporarily walk away from the project so that I didn’t put my life on hold and destroy my hands and switch to a new project without a deadline. I will also be making a temperature blanket for the year Kid1 was born and I will go into it without any deadline to avoid playing Cognitive Olympics with my brain.

WIP #2: A Larksfoot Blanket

This project is a free pattern from Yarnspirations, with a few modifications. The first modification is yarn brand and colours. The second modification is hook size. The third modification is no chain three as first double crochet. And the final modification is stitch count.

This blanket is being made for another family member. While I was at their house, we were looking at the clearance yarn because I wanted to make them a blanket. They are paying for the yarn. They saw the above colours and jumped as it is one of their favourite colour combos. The Yarn is Red Heart Comfort 454-gram skein. I am not naming the colours because they are no longer available. The blanket will use the entire 454-gram skein of each other colour. While Comfort isn’t nearly as scratchy Super Saver, it’s still not the softest of acrylics. I will be treating it with a good wash using fabric softener to fix this before delivering the finished blanket.

I’m using a 5.0-mm hook instead of 5.5.

Final modifications have to do with the stitches. If you are like me and don’t like the gaps created by a chain three as the first double crochet, then changes need to be made. At the end of each row, I chain one for a turning chain, turn and make my first double crochet in the first stitch. You could also do stacked single crochet if you wanted for your first double crochet. To make a Larksfoot project, you need a stitch count that is a multiple of four plus three: three double crochet and chain one plus final set of three double crochet. To get the desire width of the blanket, my starting chain was 147: 36 groups of four plus three double crochet.

I love a Larksfoot stitch. It reminds me of a of the thing we use in Space Invaders to shoot the aliens.

I have just over an hour each evening to work on this blanket while I watch TV and cuddle with the dogs before we put them to bed. I’m hopeful I’ll be finished this project before the end of the month, at which time I’ll give more details about finished size, number of rows, and how much time it took to stitch.

WIP 3#: A 2026 Temperature Blanket

This blanket has undergone quite the journey since January. This is version number three!

The first version, I attempted a continuous granny square with 28 stitches per day. The problem with that is, it’s not mindless. You have to count your stitches as you go and use stitch markers when there is more than one day with the same colour. This isn’t the Touching Grass vibe I’m going for, so I frogged it.

Then for the second version, I began the square for each day method. I used the same yarn as I did the first version: Red Heart Super Saver because I already had it on hand. The Super Saver was not purchased for this particular project. This yarn is not something you want against your skin without a few washes with fabric softener. If you know, you know. Also, the plan for the second version was to use the same granny square for the entire project. And then I discovered Loops & Threads, which is cheaper than Red Heart by a lot, when I was planning Kid2’s blanket. And then I started to use Loops & Threads and was all, ‘This level of comfort exists in a budget yarn?!” And even though I had 30 squares already completed, I yeeted this sucker.

And now we have version number three which is using the same pattern as Kid2’s blanket.

This blanket has really illustrated how much warmer this winter has been, with average temps two to three degrees above normal, and multiple days in the 16° C to 19° C range. Those purple centres are for the only two days this year that it snowed. I went back and forth about whether I should add them since the snow didn’t stick to the road. And if it doesn’t stick, does it even count? This is so very bad. Such extremes. Also, like Kid2’s blanket, I’m not using the tradition colours and I’m using one colour that has a completely different value to highlight days are unusually hot to track these new extremes.

I work on this blanket in bed every night for about 25 minutes while my partner puts the dogs to bed, stitching and joining each square to its row. Once a row is complete, I put WIP #2 on hold while I join the new row to the previous rows during that TV time.

I really enjoy having one living room project and one bedroom project.

You’ll have to wait until 2027 to see this finished project, but I’ll share updated each month in this round ups.

The February 2026 Finished Project

Finally, there is the previously mentioned V Stitch blanket which you can read about by clicking the card below.

Tell me in the comments below about which projects you worked on in February 2026!

Kids need stories that reflect their realities. I’m a Young Adult author who writes the stories adults don’t want to hear; the stories that acknowledge that for some youth, life is a horror movie from which it can feel like there is no escape. I write the stories I needed as a child. Stories that say, “I see you. You’re not broken. The adults in your life fucked up and failed you. Your pain and your feelings are more than understandable. And there is hope and you are loved.”

We live in a world where adults have a sea of stories from which to choose that reflects the full realities of life. We live in a world where children’s stories either gloss over the really painful parts or tells them they are broken and it’s hopeless and why bother.

Now we have Starfleet Academy that is filling a huge gap in the types of stories youth need; stories that reflect the realities of growing up in school shootings and friends dying from COVID and abuse and neglect and the power of adults intervening with a message that says, “I see you. You’re not broken. The way you are reacting is because society failed you. The reaction is normal. It’s not your fault.”

There’s been an episode about how neglect and a failure to see a child results in people-pleasing behaviour. There’s been an episode about the ramifications of trying to impose on someone what you think they need instead of listening to what they say they need. There’s been an episode about how a psyche will break down when faced with horror if a child isn’t brought up in a loving and caring environment; how having a homebase you can trust to come back to is so important. There’s been an episode about what happens when the safety of a classroom is violated.

It’s not a spoiler to talk about the how cadets had to fight for their lives in a classroom. It’s part of the episode description. That episode aired two days after Tumber Ridge. I still can’t think about it without having the air sucked out of body as I cry thinking about the pain the survivors are facing and the ways in which society failed a child to such a degree that it had such devastating results. In that same episode, we learned about a choice the Captain had to make. A day later, the premier of British Columbia David Eby told us the story about a teacher who had to make the same choice in Tumbler Ridge. And I can’t type these words without tears streaming down my face because it is so unimaginable and yet, I’m a parent who absolutely would have made the same choice and just knowing that makes it all so much worse.

In a world with adults who keep saying it’s too soon to talk about school shooting, and friends dying around you because people can’t be arsed to mask, and adults who don’t want to confront their responsibilities when children are abandoned and abused and are not seen and accepted, and publishers shying away from contemporary stories that explore all these horrors with truth and compassion, a show like Starfleet Academy that faces all of it head-on is absolutely the most important show of our time. It absolutely will save the lives of children as they are truly seen for the first time.

If you think otherwise, I suggest you do some self-examination to figure why you hate these stories being told and why you dislike a show children need now more than ever. Maybe fix your hearts, or die, as the great Gordon Cole (David Lynch) once said.

A couple weeks ago, Katee Sackhoff decided to watch Battlestar Galactica for the first time with her husband and it’s positively charming and so much fun! The thing I like the most about her watch-throughs is, she remembers shit that happened on-set all those years ago and tells great stories along with amazing reactions! I’ve watched a few “star of series watches does a rewatch” podcasts and most are just boring recaps of the episodes with no real insight.

Now, you may have run across her watch-throughs on YouTube. They have a lot of view. The reason I’m sharing isn’t to get more view on YouTube but to bring attention to her Patreon which has only 806 paid members at the time of this posting. That’s criminal! So maybe, head on over to her Patreon, throw her a few coins each month and thoroughly enjoy these delightful watch throughs! She just released the video for Season 1 Episode 2.

And here is the YouTube video for the first half of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries.

The Crappy Pattern and Books from Which to Run Away

Last night, I finished this V Stitch blanket with a huge sigh of relief. I thought it would never be finished. There were so many hurdles along the way.

The first hurdle was the crappy pattern which is found in Crochet Patterns & Projects published by Publications International Ltd. Run, don’t walk, away from the series of crochet pattern books published by this publishing house. I’ve purchased two crochet books from them. Every pattern I’ve tried contains errors, or in the case of this pattern they titled “Afghan”, had I followed this pattern, it wouldn’t have even covered my lap when finished. I have a small lap.

I didn’t realise this issue until after I purchased the amount of yarn they recommended and began to crochet. I made the recommended starting chain of 61 stitches and stared in bewilderment at what this tiny width was supposed to cover. The pattern called for a super bulky yarn, making it not appropriate even for a baby. So, I did what was appropriate and extended the chain to 161 stitches–V Stitch patterns require any odd number of stitches over five–which came out to roughly my height–more about finished dimensions later–and continued to follow the pattern as written.

Once I finished the first eight rows and used up two of the eight skeins the pattern writer decided I needed, I measured the height of those finished rows and did some math. Eight rows equals 15 cms (six inches) times four equals 60 cms (24 inches). Yeah, no.

I read the pattern once again. Its completed length is 40 rows (or desired length). Then, it calls for three rows of edging. This presented two more issues. The first, I only had enough yarn on hand for 32 rows. The second, the finished length of this pattern, without the edging, would be a measly 75 cms (36 inches). This is the size of a baby blanket, but in a weight not at all appropriate for a baby, on a pattern titled “Afghan.” When a pattern is titled, “Afghan,” there are expectations about size.

Serves me right for not reading the pattern before buying the yarn it recommended.

The Pivot and the Lost Yarn and Amazing Customer Service

At this point, I did what any crafting geek would do. I did more math and designed my own pattern. After first realising how much extra yarn I’d need to stitch a serviceable blanket, I knew I didn’t want it to be one solid colour. That would make for a very boring project. I knew stripes was the answer. The real question was how to configure those stripes.

After writing the pattern, I had to source the yarn. I purchased the initial nine skeins from Amazon. They didn’t carry the additional colours I wanted in the same brand: Bernat Softee Chunky. This is when I discovered Yarnspirations. Remember, folks. I am just coming back to this hobby after a long absence and had no idea where to find what I needed. I just jumped into it without looking. It was Christmas time which meant Boxing Day sales and I pounced.

I purchased what I needed. Yarnspriation said there would be a delay in fulfilling orders because of the increased holiday shopping and warehouse employees being on holiday. Cool! I can live with that!

While I waited, I started and finished another project. And then I started another project. And then another. And another. It was a lot of waiting. My yarn shipped early January. End of January, after my yarn sat for over a week in the second-to-last sorting station from my house, I contacted Yarnspirations to say, I think the courier lost my order. Within 24 hours. Yarnspirations confirmed with the courier that a huge box of yarn was in fact lost in their sorting facility. This is when Yarnspirations when above and beyond to fix things.

Not only did Yarnspirations refund the lost, they also said:

Should the parcel arrive at a later date, please keep it at no charge for the inconvenience. 

Should you wish to place another order, we would be happy to refund any applicable shipping fees and/or promotional pricing you had on your lost parcel.  Simply advise us of your order number, and we will issue a refund to your original method of payment. 

We hope you find this offer helpful after a disappointing experience.

But that isn’t all! When I placed the original order, there were a bunch of clearance colours for the Bernat Softee Chunky which I jumped on. When I placed my replacement order, those colours were no longer available. Also, some of the colours that I originally purchased were not in-stock and I wasn’t going to wait around any longer to get the yarn I needed to finish this blanket. So, I chose other colours at the same weight and quantity of those no longer available or not in stock and Yarnspirations issued the additional refund as if my order was exactly the same as the first order.

Eleven out of 10 for customer services. I definitely recommend you buy yarn from Yarnspirations.

In the first week of February, the replacement yarn arrived and I got to finishing the blanket.

The Finished Project, What I Learned plus Costs

The finished project is slightly bigger than originally planned, I thought it would be 152×183 cms (60×72 inches). It ended up being somewhere around 163×188 cms (64×74 inches), which is great size for a throw blanket.

I learned to always read the full pattern to see if it proper. No more getting caught in this situation where I have to wait over a month to finish a project because the original pattern is nonsense.

If I were to make this blanket again, I’d also make it slightly differently. I hate a chain three as the first double crochet. It leaves awful gap. For this blanket, I chained two for my turning chain then I did a double crochet in the first stitch instead of skipping to where the first V stitch would go. But it leaves a little bit of extra thickness on the sides, which I’m not fond of. While making this blanket, I learned about stacking single crochets, which I also do differently because I don’t like how the commonly used one looks. I’ll make up a tutorial about the way I do it at some point.

Finally costs! Let’s talk labour! I use Ravelry’s “My Row Counter” app to keep track of how much time it takes me to do a project plus as both a row and stitch counter.

This blanket took me approximately 32 hours to finish. Minimum wage where I live is $17.85/hr CAD. This brings the cost bare minimum cost of labour to $571.20 CAD. Add the cost of yarn at regular price for $115.82. For a grand total of $687.02 CAD.

Doing this math is a great way to help keep me from monetizing this hobby. If someone crochets you a gift, it has value, let me tell you!

Anyway, that is that! Questions? Comment? Ask in the comments below. Also, tell me all about your latest finished analogue project!

For years, I’ve been trying to make room for analogue hobbies. For mental health reasons, especially in these times, it is important to find ways to touch grass, as they say. This year, finally I’ve been successful in resuming an analogue hobby from my past that doesn’t aggravate the arthritis and tendonitis in both hands. Right now, this analogue hobby is crochet. In the future, it may change because I love all the arts and crafts. Like everything I love, I have a strong urge to share. I started to share on my author website, but it never sits right with me when I do so in that specific space.

Then, I remembered I have Geeky Pleasures and people who have asked for it to come back. The way I do my analogue hobbies, like creating patterns when you’re not happy with what exists, like one does, is certainly geeky.

Accountability is another reason that I am bringing Geeky Pleasures back from the dead. It is super important that I resist the urge to monetise this hobby. The urge is strong. Especially as I earn a living from creating art. It is imperative that I do not give in and just enjoy my hobby and share it and maybe others will enjoy it and shares theirs, too.

This version of Geeky Pleasures will be different. It won’t be updated multiple times a day but instead whenever I have a strong urge to share something and social media’s character limits just don’t cut it. It won’t be filled with reviews of books and games and other things sent to me by various PR people. That isn’t to say I won’t share hobby-related books and tools that I find super useful and ones that I think people need to avoid at all costs. I won’t be selling the bow ties, dice bags, phone and tablet cases I once sewed and sold, though I will sell any surplus finished crafts that aren’t meant for personal use or a gift for a friend. That isn’t monetising my hobby but finding a way to not have my house fill up with stuff.

This site won’t be commercial like it was in the past. It’s going back to its very beginning roots of just sharing whatever it is I’m geeking out about in the moment. This means you also need to be prepared for me to also talk from time to time about Star Trek or whatever media I’m consuming that hits me in the gut in some way.

It will have affiliate links to help offset the costs of hosting and maintenance and all those costs. It will have donate buttons for people to “buy me a coffee” if they enjoy what they’ve read.

And the Geeky Pleasure Radio Show will also be coming back! But as a podcast only and not a live radio show like in the before times. This will likely be Fall 2026, but it is coming. It will also be different in some ways but also the same. The part that will be the same is two geeks sitting down and geeking out about something. But instead of geeking out about whatever, this geeking will have a very specific focus. And it’s a gooder. And that’s all I have to say about that right now.

I hope you enter your details down below the donation form to subscribe and get posts directly in your email.

And let me in the comments below about what analogue hobby you’re currently enjoying!

Last night, I finished my third crochet project of the year: an infinity scarf. It was supposed to be my fourth but the pattern for the third project I had started lied about how much yarn I needed. And here we are while I wait for more to arrive. That is a story for when that project is done. Anyway! The infinity scarf!

I’m not sure what to say about this project other than the pattern was also wrong about how much yarn I needed. This time, it told me I needed way more than I actually needed. Yes, it’s better to have more than not enough. However, the pattern came from the same book as the original third project, which is a trend I am not liking.

The scarf is a made using crossed stitched (two trebles then double for the crossed stitch). The pattern suggested using a variegated yarn but the person receiving this scarf wanted these specific values of blue. So, I did strips with two rows of each other, carrying the yarn up the side so that I don’t have a billion cuts to make and ends to sew in. Apparently, I carry my yarn up in a way most people aren’t taught. Watching YouTube videos on the subject creates these horrible long visible pieces of yarn, whereas my method makes it look like the yarn was sewn into the sides.

Maybe I should write a tutorial about how to hide the yarn like this when carrying it up. Because the other method I see is very ugly.

I also deviated from the pattern with how I sewed the two ends of the scarf together. The pattern instructions said to join both ends together with a whipstitch. I don’t like whipstitches. So, I joined both ends using slip stitches by places the hook through the stitch on both ends, treating each stitch as a single loop, yarning over, and pulling through as usual.

I much prefer this look plus it creates a nicer finish on the right side of the scarf.

Anyway, that is this project done! I started another project last night while I wait on my yarn to arrive. I’m attempting an amigurumi for the first time. Let’s see if I finish it or give up in frustration!

Last night, I finished my second crochet project in my year of crochet: a scarf with cabling. Taking on an intermediate project after not crocheting since I was like 10 or 11 was ambitious but I think I slayed it! It wasn’t without its issues, that’s for sure.

The first issue was I received the wrong yarn. I ordered Red Heard Roll with It Melange Theater yarn. What I received was Red Heart Roll with It Melange Catwalk (the image on Amazon does not look like the yarn in question, as you can tell by the finished product). That wouldn’t be the end of the world if I didn’t notice it was wrong until I had already opened the package and began to use it. So much for the ability to exchange. In the end, it worked out because I found a home for it.

The second issue is with the pattern itself. It’s a free pattern on Yarnspirtation. It is well-written. Except for this one note, which may be standard but I wouldn’t know because it’s the first time I’ve done cables: Note: Always remember to skip the stitch behind all FPdc and FPtr stitches.

I understand why you need to skip them because it would add extra stitches. However, it created these gaps on both the wrong and right sides of the scarf as well as issues with the scarf bunching in between the centre cables.

I don’t like it. It’s a snag waiting to happen and causes distortions in the scarf. I decided to do a quick test swatch with a different yarn where I stitched together both the stitch at the top of cable with the corresponding skipped stitch. The results are much better. When I make this scarf again, which won’t be for a while because I have a bunch of other projects in the queue, I’m going to do it my way and see what happens.

My final issue was tension. I haven’t quite yet figured out how to keep my tension even when doing the front post double and treble crochet. The uneven tension created some puckering and gaps here and there. Not the end of the world. But I would like to get better at it. This will come with time and practice.

So, that’s this project. I’m very happy with it, even with all its issues. I’m currently working on a super easy mindless blanket. I can’t wait to share that when done! If you don’t want to miss any of my crochet projects, hit that subscribe button on the bottom right corner and enter your email address.