Creativity check, May 2026

It's that time again to "check in" with some of my latest creative projects. My motivation and time for (mainly) knitting, (sometimes) crochet, and (occasionally) sewing, ebbs and flows with the seasons and my capacity. But I am always working on at least a few things, and the moment one project is coming to a close, I get the next on-deck, so there is always something I can reach for and work on.

To begin, here are a few projects I've finished since I shared my creative plans for 2o26:

Northern Attitude socks

This yarn came from a Maine- and Noah Kahan-inspired collection from Ruby and Roses. My SIL, Katelyn, and I both enjoy Noah Kahan's music (having seen him perform live in May 2024), and Maine is a very sentimental place for both of us. I visited in my childhood with my family and then, Nicholas and I went with his family back in 2018 (you can read about that trip here: Maine, Part 1: Senses, Maine, Part 2: Places and Things, Maine, Part 3: A better good). And yes, I really am mentioning all of this just because of pair of socks(!) The yarn was speckled and soft and springy, and I gifted the socks for Katelyn for her birthday in March. For more details, please see my ravelry project page.

Mixed rib hat (for me)

After spending much of 2024 knitting this pattern for most of my immediate family members, I finally knit one for myself! Finn chose the yarn for me as my Christmas gift, so of course that's special to me. We had such a chilly spring that even though I finished it on the last day of March, I still wore it a few times in April. I absolutely love the the fit, the fabric, and the knitting experience with this pairing of yarn and (free) pattern. See my ravelry page for more details.

(Yet another) pair of Align mitts

Finn adored his first pair of fingerless gloves, and then one of them disappeared. We looked everywhere for it, but the leading theory is that Arlo probably threw it in the garbage, since he loves to throw everything in the trash. Nevertheless, I knit Finn a second pair for his birthday, this time using leftover Purl Soho Good wool at a very dense gauge and I am thrilled with how well they have worn with next to no pilling, considering that they have been worn an average of 20+ hours a day since he received them! I include more details about the project on my ravelry project page.

SZACHMAT scarf KAL

My friend Molly and I have been working on matching little scarves with special yarn she bought for us in Maine. A special place, I tell you! I finished mine, so I blocked it and took a few photos of me wearing it different ways, and I am thrilled with how it turned out. We'll do a proper little photo session once she finishes hers!

Oh, and I wrote a separate post all about my Roads Sweater, one of my very favorite handknit sweaters, to date.

Springy DK-weight 2x2 ribbed socks

And lastly, I just completed a pair of socks. I love knitting DK weight socks. They're fast to knit and so cozy to wear, and the ribbed texture lends a very good fit. These took me longer than usual to knit, since I've been working on a few larger projects (see below), but I love the subtle speckling and soft yarn so much. I include all the details about how I knit these, using this free pattern as a base, on my ravelry project page.

Simple House slippers

And a final completed project: a pair of Simple House slippers for my brother as a belated birthday gift. I knit this pattern for my Grandma Donna years ago, before I had a ravelry account (so pre-2011). I hadn't knit it since, but that pair of slippers (or thick socks, basically) turned out so cozy, so I knit my brother a pair in Purl Soho Daily Wool Worsted. I followed the free pattern included in the blog post, but I believe there is a pay-for version that has better explanations. For more details, see my Ravelry project page.

Works in progress

I was a bit chaotic in starting several new projects all at once, but I've managed to get my total works-in-progress count down to three, with which I'm more comfortable. Two of the three are much larger projects:

A crochet baby blanket, for my sister- and brother-in-law, who are expecting their first baby in August! I am using a blanket kit from Purl Soho, and using their free Crochet Super Easy Baby Blanket pattern, which is just single crochet. But I love the dense and squishy fabric it creates. Plus, the yarn is machine washable and dry-able.
Gradient vanilla socks. I've been working on these for awhile. They are rather slow-going on US 0 needles, but I'm working on the foot of the second sock, so they'll be done relatively soon. The yarn is very pretty, if not somewhat fuzzy and prone to splitting.
A lettlopi crochet blanket. I finally found a good use for my large collection of Icelnadic wool that my family bought for me on a trip to Iceland years ago. I opted for a crochet blanket in block stitch and I am so happy with how it's looking. I have approximately one million ends to weave in, but every once in awhile, I'll be in the mood where I don't particularly mind that, and I'll sort it out then.

The Lettlopi blanket is set aside for the time being, because the baby blanket has a more pressing "due date," but I love picking it up, now and again and working a few rows on it.

Upcoming project planning

I have many plans for the upcoming months. My focus will be on finishing the gradient socks and the baby blanket first, and then I'll start some other baby-centric projects for the many dear friends who are expecting babies this year. I also want to start a few other projects in the next few months:

A Finest Kind sweater for Nicholas, planning to use Harrisville Designs Highland (coned) in the charcoal color. Ideally, I could knit this sweater and complete it for him to wear sometime in the fall.
A few fun pairs of socks (maybe I'll pull out some of my self-striping yarn?) for Summer Sock Camp 2026! I saw that the Crazy Sock Lady is hosting this make-a-long again after taking a break last summer, and I'm excited to do some sock knitting.
A small scarf of some sort, probably triangular. I am thinking of a knitting a super simple pattern, like the Sigrid Scarf, the EASYPEASY Bandana, or the new Saltwater Bandana pattern (all three are free patterns).

I would love to dip into some sewing, but I'll see what time (and space and my capacity) allow for! And for now, this is plenty to keep my hands occupied and my needles busy.

And lastly, I've had the joy of knitting alongside some dear friends of mine these past few months, always with the pairing of knitting and cozy drinks, of course. Sharing projects (and creativity) with those in my life really, truly brings me so much joy.

As always, thank you for following along with my creative projects!