2022 Year in Knitting/Making

 
 

2022 has been THE year for me and making! I crocheted, I machine knit, I weaved, and of course, I knitted!

In 2022, we finally got a sense of being able to plan again. Plan vacations months or even years out. Plan get togethers and parties and seeing people again. The pandemic has changed a lot of how we connect as humans and also exposed we were lacking in how we connected. We were all in a place mentally where we all have to collectively stay in place, almost still, for the safety and health of everyone, literally everyone. Planning anything felt hopeless. In 2022, it feels like we can at least try to reach out again and plan anything to get us by. Planning more knitting and making seems small but it feels like more is possible now.

In 2022, I didn’t just hand knit. With the inspiration from the Making app, creating seemed fun again in a way I haven’t felt since picking up hand knitting in college again. This is all just a rambling of how I have come back to making things, not as a chore or as a burden but as a way to play and allow my inner child to feel again. Therapy has been good, btw.

Total makes completed in 2022: TWENTY EIGHT (28)

I’ve cut down on designing knitting patterns this year. It wasn’t planned. I’ve also taken a bit of a break on creating content in general. I just want to make things, with or without purpose, on my own time, in my own terms. So if it means my patterns take a bit more time to write, I’m okay with that. I’m still designing, constantly, just not always writing it down or converting it into a knitting pattern right away. I’m giving my creativity some time to breathe and marinate.

8 Pattern Designs: three garments (one currently in test knitting to be released in 2023!), three shawls (one was exclusive to a yarn store, one part of a kit, and one started as a MKAL), one scarf, one hat.

Celestial Sunshine Shawl (was part of a MKAL)

A Fresh Start Toque (designed for Wool & Honey)

And I knit a second sample of a Fresh Start Toque for Wool & Honey.

Pockets Full Cardigan (currently in testing phase, releasing 2023)

I actually tested A BUNCH this year. It was really nice to get back into testing for others. It’s a way for me to step out of my bubble and learn more. It also takes the pressure off me for once as a tester rather than the designer.

5 Tests: two pullovers, two cardigans (one knit and one crochet, my first time testing a crochet pattern!), and one top.

Demilune Top by Sachiko Johnston Burgin. IG: @sachikobee.

Sunray Pleat Pullover by Isabelle Rudolph. IG: @plaidpolly.

2022 was the year of creating and making just for me, whenever I feel inspired or whenever I need a thing. Especially when I have big events I will be attending, I like to make something for it to kind of memorialize the experience.

6 Personal Makes: one home decor weave, a knit bucket hat, a little tee for Letterkenny Live, two tops, and a crochet balaclava and little knit pouches to go with a halloween costume.

Little simple weave on a hand loom.

Risky Business Top by ShanaKay Salmon. IG: @akashayna.

Fearless Bucket Hat by Tori Yu. IG: @toriknitsnyc.

Freestyled crochet balaclava and hand knit pouches for the belt.

Freestyled hand knit AND machine knit v-neck tee.

For the #TinaTseKnitsAlong on IG and on Knit Club, knit another cropped Floating Magnolias Sweater Tee.

Makes for Others: 2022 was definitely the year of machine knitting and making customized, tailor-made sweaters for Fair Enough LLC. I machine knit, sewn, and embroidered 5-ish sweaters for them! I say 5-ish because there was one sweater I unraveled to knit another size due to the yarn available at the time. Always thinking of creative ways to make! These machine knit sweaters are made to size of the wearer using their body measurements. The yarn is from Michigan-grown sheep and spun in at a Michigan mill. You can read all about it this sweater on the Fair Enough LLC website.

Gift Knitting: 3 total, one sweater, one blanket, and one scarfette

A Double Gourd Sweater for the husband!

A little blanket for my sister’s baby shower and now my baby niece, Emmi.

Mama’s Little Scarfette for husband’s grandmother, our Babcia.

Tina Tse