With the rainy season beginning, and the cold dark atmosphere of night settles sooner, there’s much less time to enjoy the outdoors. At least without staying dry and illuminated by the sun. It’s the time for indoor cozy activities, watching movies and bundling up in bed, rewatching Gilmore Girls or chasing nostalgia in Barbie and Monster High movies. My favorite fall time activity is all this, with the addition of crocheting.
It’s so fun, and once I got out of the beginner phase I could put on Netflix rather than a tutorial. Listening to the rain, in a dimly lit bedroom, with my yarn and hook. What stumps me the most isn’t picking a movie or show, or getting comfortable, but what I’m actually going to make. So, as I was exploring my Pinterest, I thought why not share my ideas with you all. Maybe by the end of this, I’ll pick my new project!
1. Scarf
My first idea, and the most obvious, is a scarf. Now the beginner friendly version of this would be a twilly, which is just a skinny scarf. I made one recently, it was incredibly quick and incredibly rewarding. However, if one is looking for more of a challenge there are tons of really cute and fun designs! I stumbled around on Pinterest and found a Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas scarf design. I love that movie, for the Halloween and the Christmas season, and thought what a cute play on patchwork and stitching. I think I’d be a great project for any crocheters with a bundle of scrap yarn in varying colors! It’s really customizable, which I really love about it.
2. Leaf Garland!
Being decorative with crochet is so fun, and really helps set the mood of the season. Garlands are fairly simple projects, perfect for decorating the space you’re going to hide from the rain in! Plus, they really allow for customization. Little pumpkins for pumpkin spice lovers, or various sizes of apples for those partial to apple cider! I’d recommend a simple autumn leaf pattern for beginners. The repetition and 2D shape will really help develop your skills!
3. Spider Web Sweater
Something more on the spooky side is the spiderweb sweater. It’s really more of a throw over. It won’t be very warm on its own, but throw it over a long sleeve or cozy sweater and you got a cute seasonal outfit! I absolutely love the variation in sleeves, a fun long sleeve with a bell or flounce addition really contributes to the Halloween season. Plus, it’s much quicker to make than an actual sweater or cardigan. So beginners, don’t get scared because I used the word sweater. I promise, it’s a very approachable project!
4. Star Headphone Covers
Recently the cushion of my Beats headphones have started to flake off. I was devastated, and too cheap to bother buying replacement cushions. I looked to Pinterest for inspiration and made some covers. Mine are simple, red and plain. But I did stumble across some really fun patterns! One being where the cover itself is the shape of a star, encapsulating your headphones. Turning them into what looks like cute star shaped ear muffs. I think they’re super fun and a creative addition to fall time accessories! If you’re a beginner, it really depends on the headphones you have and what YouTubers have made step by step videos. There were almost no Beats headphone patterns, so I did end up making my own after playing around with a few variations.
5. Cup Holder
Pinterest has so many cute and unique crochet patterns and inspiration, one of which being a cup or water bottle holder. Though when I first saw it my immediate thought was a boba drink holder. As it grows colder, and that craving for boba never goes away, at least for me, a non-coffee drinker, I thought what a cute way to keep my hands from freezing over! A recently opened boba shop that I’m sure many UC Berkeley students are familiar with, Chicha San Chen, has an adorable addition to its packaging that all other boba shops lack. A handle, a handle that my boyfriend distrusts but that I find really rustic and cute. But I’m sure he’d trust a crochet cup holder over the twine and cardboard used. And if you’re anything like him, maybe you’d trust your own work much more. This project is extremely customizable with many patterns out there, so have fun finding them!