Last week, I recapped on last year's quilting; now it is time to reflect on the creative journey in other crafts I accomplished over the past twelve months. I have to admit, in 2025 I set myself some rather big crafting goals, then undertook the process of sharing my achievements on my blog each month. Whether it was ticking off knitting or crochet items from my 25 for 2025 challenge or keeping up with applique, spinning, and redwork embroidery, these regular check‑ins kept me motivated all year long.
Highlights:
- BOW applique flower blocks: my ongoing flower block series was a major project in 2025, with one new flower released every month. For the complete recap of those blocks, check out last week's blog post: Full BOW Flower Block Recap.
- Knitting & Crochet: Worked through a variety of styles and projects as part of the 25 for 2025 list, from lace and colourwork to the epic temperature blanket.
- Spinning: Kept up with my daily spinning and plying habit, creating some fantastic new, unique yarns.
- Embroidery: Made small Redwork ornaments each month - most of which I gave away at Christmas time.
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Toy Making: Built up my growing gnome collection, adding a new one each month to the delight of my granddaughters.
Knitting & Crochet Adventures
This was a big year for yarn - from "25 for 2025" challenge pieces to everyday knits that explored color and texture, I was busy at both needles and hooks.
With 40 cast-ons during 2025 and 3 previous WIPS, I'm proud to say there were only 2 projects frogged and all others finished by the end of the year so I had a clean slate for 2026.
I've updated my "25 for 2025" list to include all the projects in each category. You can see that here: https://arbeedesigns.com/blogs/other-crafts/2025-knitting-recap
And a couple of slideshows for them, however as you'll see, some projects I still need to snap photos of the finished project, and others such the commission work are not included. First gnomes and gnome extras....
Then all my other 2025 knits and crochet projects.
Embroidery & Redwork
Embroidery made a delightful comeback in my creative rotation. Each month, I added another Redwork ornament - small but sweet projects that felt perfect for monthly progress posts.
I gave most of these away for Christmas, keeping only three for myself, and then I realized I missed including one in the 'finished' photos!
I also completed a small embroidery for my mother:
....and a cross-stitch advent.
I definitely intend to include more embroidery this year as I work through a fun stitch book, learning lots of new stitches, some of which I want to include in my quilting.
Spinning - Daily Progress
A personal goal I set was to spin at least 5g of fibre or equivalent each day. Some months were more consistent than others, but overall this became a joyful ritual that added new handspun yarn to my stash and brought a meditative rhythm to my year. Now I need to find projects so I can use these unique yarns.
Toy Making
From mystery gnomes to themed knits, these gnomes brought a playful energy to my crafting year. It was great fun to watch this collection grow, one character at a time and the excitement of my granddaughter's when I checked out my windowsill to see if a new one had appeared. Check out the video above (in the knitting section) if you like.
My gnomes now reside in a new location, getting up to new antics. I won't be making a gnome every month this year but I'm sure from time to time, a new one will wander on in.
Looking Back & Looking Ahead
2025 was a year of joyful making, consistent progress, and creative exploration. I tried new techniques, revisited favorite projects, and pushed my creative boundaries. Sharing these projects with you has been one of the most rewarding parts of the year.
Looking ahead to 2026, I’m excited to continue developing my quilting and pattern designing, experimenting with new techniques and craft ideas, and exploring fresh sources of inspiration, all with a little less pressure - if something doesn't get done, I'm not worried, I'd sooner make this year enjoyable and relaxed. I can’t wait to share these new projects, learning experiences, and creative adventures with you in the coming year - perhaps a little differently, but sharing all the same. Thank you for following along and being part of this journey.
