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In the chill and grey of winter, we’re looking at things that warm us up and make us happy. Today’s episode is all about the joy of crochet! First, Sara and Heather talk about the parts of crochet that bring them the most joy. From choosing colors and yarn to finishing a WIP to sharing the final photo on social media, there’s a lot of joy to be found in our hobby.
Next, Producer Sarah chats with Sara about the concept of “sparking joy” from author Marie Kondo’s book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. Producer Sarah suggests the concept of going through your yarn stash and holding each ball of yarn and WIP to see whether those items spark a physical feeling of joy when you touch them. Then they talk about ways to increase the joy in your crocheting.
Finally, Heather sits down with Lisa Chayka of HELLOHappy, a crochet designer whose specialty is fun and happy crochet designs such as the Hanging Sloth Planter, Crossbody Fish Bag, and many others. Where does Lisa find inspiration? How did she start designing? What’s her most popular pattern of all time? Find out the answers to these questions and more in this interview.
Timestamps: 0:00 The Opening with Heather and Sara 5:22 Producer Sarah and Sara chat about getting organized 15:15 Heather Interviews Lisa from HelloHappy 33:05 Credits
The days may be getting longer as we head toward spring, but today is a great day to bring extra light into your life with some joyful crochet patterns to start right away!
Happy Crochet Patterns: Wall Hangings
Rainbow Wall Hanging by Haley Herman
Create a stylish boho wall hanging with this Rainbow Wall Hanging featuring an eye-catching 70s-inspired color palette and perfect fringe.
Butterfly Banner by Haley Herman
Or maybe a cross-stitched butterfly banner is more your style? This pattern combines simple crochet techniques with cross stitching to create a unique piece of home décor.
I can’t think of anything more joyful than crocheted accessories with an animal theme! Here are some animal-themed crochet patterns that also happen to be useful and wearable accessories.
Animal Ears Headband by Ashley Parker
These crochet animal ear headbands are quick, easy and incredibly adorable. A pair can be made in less than 30 minutes and when made with Fable Fur, they are irresistibly soft and realistic looking.
Fuzzy Bunny Beret by HELLOHappy
What could be more fun than a super cute, super warm, bunny ears hat crocheted in Fable Fur? And it will keep your head warm.
Why wear a regular hat when you could wear a whale beret instead? The hat even includes a cute little tail on the back.
Sloth Phone Pouch by HELLOHappy
Make an adorable sloth phone pouch with this crochet pattern! Perfect for wearing out and about OR at home, when wearing pants with lousy pockets, or no pockets at all. This pouch will fit cell phones up to 3.5 inches wide and 6 inches tall, which is almost all phones on the market!
Or perhaps what you really need to bring joy to your wardrobe is an octopus scarf! This is a very simple scarf using only dc and hdc stitches, but wow, what an impact!
Joyful Toys to Crochet
And finally, toys to crochet that will add joy to your life. Toys are inherently joyful, but a handmade toy just has that extra love in it that makes it super special. Check out these amigurumi crochet patterns:
Flikka Flamingo by Ashley Parker
Flikka Flamingo is an adorable baby flamingo that just begs to be cuddled. Simple stitches and shaping, paired with super bulky Fable Fur yarn make this a quick project! (This is probably the most fantastic use of pink Fable Fur we’ve ever seen!)
Taran Tarantula is a sweet and cuddly tarantula that is a big hit with children, being the perfect size to sit on their head, shoulder or even to startle an unsuspecting friend.
Catfish Purrmaid Amigurumi by Brenda K.B. Anderson
It’s just so hard to choose between mermaids and kittens, but now you don’t have to! This super-cuddly catfish purr-maid is practically begging you to hug her, but be careful—once you start, you won’t be able to stop.
These are just a few of the fun crochet patterns we offer on Crochet.com, and we hope you’ve been inspired to start your next joyful crochet project! Let us know what you think (or if you’ve found some other especially joyful patterns you’d like to share) in the comments!
