2025 Round Up

You know how sometimes you think you've done something when in actual fact you haven't? Yeah? Well that's what happened when I went looking for my 2025 knitting round-up post.  I did not find it, because, apparently, I did not do one.

So despite the fact it is already April 2026, I'm going to take a moment and reflect back on my projects from 2025.

I was gifted some gorgeous Rowan Felted Tweed yarn by my parents for Christmas 2024 which I planned to turn into mittens for myself.  That took longer than expected, but was definitely worth the effort. I used a free pattern from DROPS Design. I've gotten a great deal of wear out of these this winter.

One of my first gift knits last year was Nan's No Fuss Shawl, which I posted as a free pattern here .  It was a basic, crescent shaped shawl with just a little simple stitching to keep it from being plain.  The logic here is everyone needs an everyday shawl that isn't so precious that you won't wear it when you're sick, or in bed, or out in the garden, you know?  

Shortly after that, I dug into my stash and found a ball of sock yarn I'd been saving and made another of Justyna Lorkowska's Close to You Shawls.  I love this pattern and have talked about it a lot on my blog.  (I made six of these in total in 2025.) I made more than the three shown at left, but for some reason did not record all of them.  I kept the one on the left, the turquoise colored one (bottom-right) and another shown later on in this post made just before Christmas.  The rest ended up as gifts.

I also made myself a version of my bias scarf (Plum Pudding Scarf) using a skein of Noro Kirameki I had in my stash.  This gorgeous yarn did all the heavy lifting in this project.  All I needed was a simple pattern.  I was so pleased with how it turned out I shared the pattern here.

Still digging into my stash, the next project was all about finding a use for a small quantity of tussah silk yarn I had been gifted some time back.  I had been wanting a generous cowl that might lend itself to use inside a jean jacket in spring and autumn.  The result of that exercise was my Tussah Cowl pattern. I had come across a simple lacey rib stitch pattern and had been wanting to give it a try and this seemed like the right project.  

I am obsessed with this cowl!  It has gotten a lot of use since I finished it.  I wear it in the house instead of shawl during the winter, inside my winter coat and inside my denim jacket too. The lacey rib is a six-stitch /four-row repeat. Despite being a fine yarn, it knit up nicely on 4 mm needles.  If you want to try it, you can find the free pattern here .

Several times in 2025, I attempted to make sweaters for our elderly Chihuahua cross.  The first two attempts early in the year didn't quite work.  They pulled over the head and invariably she would get one of her legs caught up in the collar and before you knew it, she would be wearing it as kilt!  To say the necklines stretched is an understatement.  It would be early 2026 before I finally came up with a design that worked.

I also made myself another cowl, but ultimately ended up unraveling it as I didn't wear it at all once it was finished.  I learned that my taste in cowls was changing from tidy and snug to drapey and more flowing. About the same time, I started making swatches in Istex's Einband but that project ended up on snooze and I never got back to it in 2025.

Whenever I'm in a knitting funk, I usually gravitate to making shawls.  I realized I had never given a triangular shawl a try so I pulled out Holly Chayes's book on Shawl Geometry, and using her triangular shawl recipe as a guide, made myself one. The picture shows the bands of stitching I used in my shawl.

While the yarn I used was gorgeous (MCN Lace by Indigo Dragonfly in the Little Bloodsucking Dancer colorway}, I have discovered, triangular shawls are not my favorite shape to wear.  I haven't unraveled it, but I am reserving the right to recycle the yarn into something I will get more use out of.

March arrived and I was wanting a pair of wrist warmers in an earth tone.  I rummaged through my stash and found some Malabrigo laceweight yarn leftover from another project.  I doubled it up and quickly used the mock cable (aka - Barnacle Rib Stitch) I keep returning to, over and over again.  It is such a simple stitch and I love t he results every time. The four row repeat also functions like potato chips - if I pick up the project at all, I always knit at least four rounds.

There are several free patterns for wrist warmers, some with thumb holes or gussets and some without, featuring this stitch pattern, here on my blog.  Just go to the "Free Knitting Pattern" tab at the top of this page and help yourself.

By the end of March, my attention had shifted to my garden.  In my area, we start most of our plants (especially our annuals) indoors starting in late March/early April.  The next few months were a flurry of activity and my knitting slowed down.  

I did cast on a summer top for myself using a DROPS Design free pattern - Walking on Air Top - but I wasn't thrilled with the finished product.  I don't know if my tension was off or whether it was my choice of size but the neckline and arm holes were huge!  I added applied i-cord but that wasn't enough to fix it.  Because it was knit flat, I wasn't interested in taking it apart and unraveling it.  In the end, I donated it and am hoping someone gets some used out of it.

After the summer top disappointment, I was ready for some whimsy.  I had been given a copy of "The Gnomes of Grimblewood" by by Sarah Schira, for my birthday and was eager to try my hand at making a gnome.  I picked Gnoodles - the smallest gnome in her collection and whipped him up fast.  Then I started improvising. 

I didn't want to give the girl gnomes beards.  Instead, I gave them braids.  I played with hat brims, and aprons too. Before I knew it, I had two more. I knew this book would feature in my Christmas knitting later on.

I indulged in a couple of bag projects this year.  One was an improv knit which I subsequently felted.  Another was straight up knit using some cotton yarn I had on hand.  The last one was my favorite, but this one was crocheted!  Not something I do often.  I found a video on YouTube and was inspired, so I gave it a try.  I was pleased enough with the outcome to make a lining for it with pockets! 

Got to love a good Granny Square project!  The strap was also the gusset of the bag.  I liked this construction and think it helped give the bag some structure.  I mimicked the gusset dimensions in the lining and added a magnetic clasp near the top.  It's a very functional piece.

My two largest Christmas knits this year were a pair of sweaters for family members - one in a fingering weight, the other in a worsted weight. Both took considerable time, for different reasons.  

The fingering weight sweater - Alberta Rose from DROPS Design - was knit on 3.5 mm needles. But it was a circular yoke and a top-down pattern so I really didn't mind.  It just took time.  The picture at the left shows the finished garment on the recipient. Isn't the color just stunning!

The worsted weight sweater - Hot Toddy Sweater by Knitatude - was knit in pieces and had to be assembled. I also made a huge mistake on one sleeve and but didn't notice until I went to sew it in place.  I ended up unraveling and reknitting it. The recipient of this sweater wanted a snugger fit.  I knit the size he wanted, but had reservations throughout the knitting process.  Happily, he has worn it frequently since Christmas.

For Christmas, as usual, I knit an assortment of hats, socks, scarves and slippers, plus a bunch of gnomes.  I did end up knitting one more gnome for myself for Christmas.  He has a real Dr. Seuss flare to him (pictured left)!  

I also made myself a new shawl (another Close to You Shawl!) for Christmas day since everyone else in the house would be wearing something new that I'd made.

I also decided it was time to start working on an asymmetric shawl pattern of my own since I seem so hooked on this style. The resulting prototype was gifted to my dear Jennifer as I thought it suited her well.  It took two balls of DROPS Fabel Yarn (which makes it an economical and easy to care for knit too).  I'm going to try it out in a DROPS Alpaca to see how that works.  If I like how it turns out, I'll share the free pattern here on my blog.

I also did some non-knitting stuff this year.  I did a little sewing.  I also learned to dry plant materials and make infusions and eventually made my own soap and facial oils. That was a great experience and I expect I'll repeat it again this year. (See photo below for examples of my soap making.)

I'm expanding my garden this year to include some perennial vegetables and some heirloom plants that used to be staples in kitchen and cottage gardens years ago.  I will share some of these adventures here as well.  It has been a long winter and while my knitting is always a comfort, I am anxious to get dirt under my fingernails!

Anyway, that's my round up for 2025.  Until next time, happy knitting!