How to use my crochet?

Recently, in trying to evaluate the purpose of this blog and what direction I wanted to write, I decided to start by evaluating my personal crochet. What do I actually make (rather than what do I wish I could make)? What do I use? And what do I use the most of in my making? This is a compendium of those musings, and description of the ways and purposes of which I use some of the things I make.

Household Items.
- One of the main ways I have used my crochet in the past few years since becoming a mother, is to equip my house with long-lasting, hard-wearing items that add a homey and yet beautiful touch to each room. I am still discovering ways my craft can be used. Practicality has been a must in a lot of my handmade items in order to make the time spent on them worth it. Kitchen towels and washcloths, I will say, have been the quickest and most used item in my house. You can never have enough washcloths. I love my coasters, but they are always whisked away by tiny fingers, and gratefully my furniture has come second or third-hand (which I appreciate for this stage of my life).
Gifts
- This has been one of the most difficult one for me to figure out, but it has not deterred me from gifting my projects. My first gifts were just coffee cozies I made for schoolmates at college. The two things I did during finals, concert season (musicians know), or just stressful weeks were cookie baking and crocheting. Coffee cozies were quick, easy, and needed no pattern to do well. That is one thing I’ve always tried to do, no matter what the project; do it with excellence.
- The reason I say it is one of the most difficult ones for me, is that I know some of the gifts I give will go unused. Whether out of respect for the value of a handmade gift, or lack of practice in using handmade items, I know there are a few people I love who do not use what I choose to give them. However, everyone uses a well made blanket and those few are not excluded. Those few are the ones I have sacrificed some of my personal distaste of the monotony of blanket making for the knowledge that the gift will be used and enjoyed.
Accessories
- One of the most practical things I made for myself was a simple tote bag. It just out of a desire to use up a yarn I least enjoyed owning. I recently found it again as I was organizing, and realized how inspired an idea that was. Since then I have made many more bags and purses for myself and my daughters. My daughters adore storing what stuff they can find in bags, boxes, pots, and jars (just like their mother) and have made full use of those “failed” personal crochet boxes and bags that I did not enjoy using.
- Earrings and jewelry have been a more recent discovery. I love the intricacy and detail I can achieve by making Irish Crochet motifs and my own mini doily patterns to wear and decorate my everyday outfit. I can also make cute sunflowers, beautiful sunflowers, hearts, beaded icicle earrings, anything I can imagine can be made and assembled into earrings in less than a day. I deem these the perfect balance in growing my skill, using the product, and accomplishing it in the time I desire as a mother of 5 very young children.
- Mittens, gloves, hats: I do not count these as ‘wearables’ just as winter accessories. Every year I find we are short on mittens and hats, as the children keep growing and things continue to be lost. Thus, I continue to make these things year after year.
- Keychains can take as long as you want by practicing your micro-crochet or lace crochet skills, or can be a 15 minute project by using DK to worsted yarn. I try to avoid anything above DK as much as possible, because of the bulk it adds to any smaller project. My personal preference leans toward the elegance and professional look a sport-weight, fingering, or crochet thread gives to most projects.
While I have made a cardigan and shawl for myself, and a few sweaters for my children, I do not count wearables as one of the main ways I use my crochet.

Please come join me on Instagram or Pinterest, or subscribe and tell me, how do you most use your crochet? I love hearing others’ stories and how they most use their beloved craft.