I've tried so many times over the last handful of years to get back into The Hook Nook, but every time I had a day that felt good, it never came back again for months, if not more than a year later. I eventually got to a point where I was witnessing myself forcing the old square peg into the new round hole. Things don't fit the same after life molds and shapes you. I allowed myself rest of the mind, and exploration of what things felt like and when.
Sometimes this looked like recognizing that I felt like I SHOULD crochet, but not actually having a genuine interest in wanting to do a few stitches. I've periodically forced myself to "get back on track" and, quite honestly, what a disservice to myself that is. I struggled even further when I would inevitably fail at each attempt to revive a dead life which further perpetuated this failure mindset cycle I was in. So, for the last while, I've only picked up my hooks when I'm actually itching to crochet. However, I knew this outlet was something highly beneficial and meaningful to me, so I still have my yarn and hooks on display and at reach so that if and when I wanted to play with them, they were easily available. This was the correct approach I needed to take because through some major ups and downs over the last while, I have officially completed my first full project I've done in a long time - and it's for my baby. <3
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Throughout the creation of this project, I was able to use each crochet session, no matter how long or short, intentionally and I was able to begin the processes of unraveling some knots that have accrued within my mind (pun intended). Sometimes I feel like an archaeologist as I dig deeper and uncover more skeletons that have been buried for far too long. Each additional moment I give to the more difficult memories or realities, the more I can dust off the debris and see all of the intricacies that are hidden underneath the sediment - and ultimately the massive size of some of these findings. It’s been a tough journey, and still is. Though, the more I become friends and acquaintances with these unearthed skeletons, the less scary and overwhelming they’ve become.
Additionally, the more I’ve relinquished control of pains within me, the more capacity I have once again for things that bring me joy. There is less being consumed by worry, dread, anxiety, potential threat, etc. This simple practice has grown exponentially the more consistent I stay with it, even allowing me the want to come back and meet you in this space. I suppose I’m ok with being “seen” again. Maybe that’s what this is - I feel like I’m actually living my life again, not just trudging through mud any longer. Giving myself patience has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to do lately.
Guys, I’ve been struggling. It’s been tough and it’s been dark but it’s also been the most incredible opportunity for personal growth. I’ve started processes of righting wrongs I made while I was hurting or unable to communicate my needs properly. I realize now I’ve been in a perpetual state of fight or flight for a LONG time and training my mind that it’s safe has been kind of a wild ride. In addition to this, I went through pregnancy and birth and postpartum which has its own range of difficulty (I still need to write that whole story down..). In the time we've been together, my husband has encountered enough versions of me to last an entire decade, and he’s still over here being so gentle when I need some nudging and patience.
I understand I’ve mentioned him a lot recently, but the things I’ve encountered and endured and put him through all while he stood behind me and had my back through it all, it’s monumental enough for me to mention multiple times. Each phase of this healing journey, he has been right here with me. He has seen the absolute worst side of me - the side that only shows up when I need the most help. So, yeah, I’m just beyond grateful that I am worthy enough to be loved through all of this mess. One day I’ll write a book and share it all, just not today.
ANYWAY, my first completed project is done and LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS!! I don’t know about you, but HDC in the 3rd loop is one of my favorite textures to create with crochet. (I also used it in the Oliver Beanie, but done just slightly differently than I did for this blanket.) I just love how it can imitate knitted stitches in a way that’s still super mindless and doesn’t require any additional thought. That kind of easy-to-think type of project was exactly what I needed. I started the blanket while I was pregnant with Jack and was in the beginning stages of working through some personal struggles. To recount the theme of dialogue I had with myself when I started the project, and what it became as I slip stitched the last row closed is a beautiful reminder that healing takes time.
This blanket is filled with anxiety, hope, contentment, anger, praise, gratefulness, worry, joy, exhaustion and HEALING. I bought the yarn from my local Hobby Lobby, after JOANN had officially closed their doors (that’s a whole other story for another time) after we had found out that we had a little boy growing in my belly. I’ve always loved the color green - it represents fresh and newness and growth for me. While I was pregnant, I had a lot of physical, mental and spiritual battles to endure and every little opportunity of hope I could give myself, I did. Sometimes that was as simple as choosing the color green instead of black.
Color has been a space of expression for me lately. I’ve noticed that I don’t wear color at all anymore. My hair is black, my clothes are black, even my socks and underwear are black - as a creative and typically joyful person who rocked pink hair for 3.5 years, this was quite a realization. So, preparing for a new baby was a perfect opportunity to practice choosing color because it wasn’t even FOR me.
And I started with my safe color - green.
I also was intentional on the specific yarn I was choosing for the project. I have plenty of yarn on hand from years before that I’ve saved on purpose, but for some reason I needed new yarn for this new project in this new chapter of life. Knowing that it was for my newborn, durability and ability to throw in the washing machine countless times was going to be crucial. So, my best options would be an acrylic or acrylic blend, or cotton. My husband and I are slowly trying to limit the amount of plastics we introduce further for our household, so I decided to grab some I Love This Cotton in the color Olive.
This particular yarn is GREAT as a cotton option because it reminds me of a similar “drape” that We Are Knitters pima cotton provides, but is a slightly heavier yarn and the “silkiness” of the fibers are noticeably different, but not in a negative way. I mean, I picked it for my baby so it’s soft as f*ck, and I’d also choose WAK cotton, but my budget didn’t work for that option at this time. (Yep, everything in this post was paid for by me and not one mention is sponsored or requested or any of the sort. Simply my genuine choices for this project based off my own authentic opinions. I’ll never fluff up a product that I think sucks or wouldn’t spend my own money on, FYI.)
Now that yarn was decided and I had a plethora of brand new skeins awaiting to see what they will become, it was time to decide which hook that I have immediately available would give me the most dopamine, and fit the yarn well. Yes, years ago I came out with my own brand of hooks that were available for a limited time nationally, but that’s a story I’m not ready to talk about just yet. To be honest, using those hooks doesn’t bring dopamine any longer. In fact, they remind me of a number of things I’m not proud of as well as the rise and fall of the best and worst time of my life. So, no, I don’t use those hooks at this time. Do I still have some hook and yarn and books and makes and things stashed away in storage right this second? You betcha. Am I ready to tackle that beast yet? No. No, I’m not. So I won’t.
The one specific hook that has consistently, without fail, given me joy to use each and every time has been Furls Odyssey hooks. If you’ve followed for awhile, you know that Furls and I go way back. In this chapter of renewal and growth, I am going back to my roots in every area that seems fitting to see what new buds of life I can propagate from the remaining withered bits I have left. Over the last handful of years, I have literally given away nearly everything I had accumulated from The Hook Nook in the ten years I had been exploring with it. I still have a box full of letters and cards I’ve gotten from different people (there’s got to be like 200 or more, I’m not good at numbers..) that I recently rummaged through and made myself cry, as well as my two-drawer display case organizer from Furls that I got literally years and years ago that is still filled with my most special hooks I received that also managed to survive the chaos of the last five years. In this organizer, I have one single 5.5mm hook that the label calls to use with the yarn, and it was the pink with gold-plated tip that just ALWAYS made me happy - because, duh.
So, over the course of about eight months, I chipped away stitch-by-stitch at this blanket that I intentionally created with healing and growth intertwined into its destiny before it even existed, and now use for my 4.5 month old son. As I was literally adding the very last two rows of this blanket, I received these two hooks from Furls that they released during their 14th birthday celebration and the green even matches the blanket I’ve been working on. <3 So even though neither size is a 5.5mm, I still had to take some pictures of them with my current WIP. The amount of JOY and PRIDE in how far I’ve come mentally that became physical reality within these knots is a soul-refreshing goodness I can’t replicate with a store-bought blanket.
Now, as my son naps next to me draped in those very same stitches, I get to share the experience with you. Sure, none of it really matters because I’m a random person on this planet, just like you, and I have dark moments, just like you, but I’m just ready and able and willing to share them with you. And, to me, that is enough meaning to make it worth sharing. So, thank you for reading it, if you are, because maybe in the crazy realm of reality, you were meant to read it. Because, honestly, I’ve enjoyed and needed my time to withdraw and can happily stay there. But, as much as I hate it, I know that’s not my story. So, enjoy all the little moments I choose to put on the internet, as well as any insights I’ve discovered for myself. We will discover together what happens in this space in the future as this journey unfolds in my most honest and vulnerable version of self that has existed so far.
Ok, let’s get back to these gorgeous hooks - I haven’t used the Odyssey II hooks yet, nor have I held one next to the Odyssey I. So, I may as well use this space to let you know what I think of them before I talk more about the blanket and get to the ridiculously simple pattern.
Like I mentioned before, I have not used any hook that has given me as much delight as the gold-plated Odyssey I hooks. The level of bougie I felt with each stitch, ESPECIALLY when I got to use “fancy” yarn, pfffff… if I made plans with you outside of the house, chances are I cancelled just so I could keep crocheting. Sorry, not sorry. Obsessed is an understatement. The delicately balanced weight of the Odyssey I, the texture of the luxurious enamel, ugh. So much delicious. I wrote a full review of Furls awhile back that you can check out here.
So, first glance and honest opinion of the Odyssey II in direct comparison of Odyssey I and I have not looked at other review of this product. This is my genuine and true review:
There are distinguishable differences in both texture, weight and tip design comparing Odyssey I and II:
- TEXTURE : When I’m referring to the texture of the crochet hook, I am specifically talking about the feel of it in my hand. Am I always going to use the proper words? No. But I’ll do my best to make as much sense as I can without my ridiculous hand gestures and body movements and sound descriptions for tactile textures. I know, it doesn’t make sense, but it really does if you actually hang out with me.
- Odyssey II feels noticeably “flatter” than Odyssey I. I know, both are literally flat, but, again, it makes sense if you could see my hands. The resin of Odyssey I versus the nylon-finish of the Odyssey II stands out to me. Though both are comfortable, there is a less “luxe” feeling in the nylon. I’m sure that’s something they are already doing their best to replicate with this complete renewal of a classic favorite. It’s almost like it’s “printed” versus “painted” - you know? I’m sure I’m using absolutely terrible descriptions, but I’m doing my best in written format.
- WEIGHT : When I’m referring to the weight of the crochet hook, I am specifically talking about the feel of the weight in my hand. I’m not a scientist, I’m not out here weighing the dang things for you just yet, I’m sure someone else did that already for you.
- Odyssey I again feels superior here, for me. I know that others did not like the “heavier” weight of the hook and preferred the Candy Shop hooks, but, personally, the “heavier” weight feels scrumptious for me. It almost makes the rhythm of each stitch assembly glide effortlessly. The lighter weight of the Odyssey II feels extremely comfortable and is not anywhere near “too light” for my liking. Both are very comfortable to use and those that may have existing issues with their wrists or hand joints or even shoulders may prefer the lighter weight of the new design.
- TIP DESIGN : When I’m referring to the tip design of the crochet hook, I am specifically talking about the shape and construction of the portion that interacts with the yarn.
- The shape of the tips stand out the most to me leaning heavy into a preference for Odyssey II. I “grew up” in my baby crochet days using Susan Bates hooks and prefer the sharp incline of the hook versus the rounded hook shape of the Odyssey I. Though I didn’t typically experience this issue with Odyssey I hooks, I typically hated rounded hooks because I frequently dealt with my yarn falling off the hook, or not being able to grab the yarn as easily and pull through without error. The sharper hook shape does a much better job of grabbing and holding onto the yarn with ease allowing you to move through your stitches quickly and consistently.
Overall, if these two could make a baby with the resin handles and weight of the Odyssey I, with the tip shape of the Odyssey II, then I can’t guarantee I’d ever leave my house ever again and would need to sign up for a yarn subscription or something like that. Yum. But honestly, the redesigned features of the Odyssey II are so minimal in the scheme of things. I am speaking from someone that is being as picky as possible because Odyssey I are held so near and dear to my crochet story. The redesign of this hook is just as comfortable in its overall shape, and I do prefer the new tip.
If you want to give these crochet hooks a shot, or if you want to add to your collection, now is the perfect time to do that. They are currently celebrating their FOURTEENTH birthday with 15-70% off their website with no code needed (insert hand raising emoji here). Click here to check out their birthday landing page with everything organized so easy for you to peruse and add goodies to your cart! This sale is valid through June 30, 2026 only on their website. Tell them I sent ya - just kidding. But do give them a try - big fan over here.
So, now that all of that unnecessary mumbo jumbo I decided to unload on you for no reason at all is done, let’s get to the pattern of this repetitively-delightful blanket project. :)
JACK’S BLANKET CROCHET PATTERN:
MATERIALS :
- Approximately 1200 yds - 23.5 g of I Love This Cotton (size 4 worsted)
- Size I/5.5mm crochet hook (I obviously love my Furls hooks)
- Darning needle
- Scissors
KEY :
- st(s) : stitch(es)
- sl st : slip stitch
- ch : chain
- HDC : half-double crochet
NOTES :
Ch 1 does not count as a stitch through entirety of pattern.
You can make this blanket larger by increasing your initial chain count which will widen your blanket. You can also add extra rows to make an extra-long blanket.
We will be working our HDC stitches in the 3rd loop, also known as the Camel Stitch. Never done this stitch before? Don’t, boo. I got you.
HOW TO DO THE CAMEL STITCH :
The camel stitch is essentially identical to a half-double crochet stitch. To create a camel stitch, you will work half-double crochet stitches as normal, but just in a different area of the previous row’s stitch. Instead of working your stitches through both loops on the top of the stitch (the “V”), you can find the third loop on the “wrong side” of the stitch, just below the “V”. By working into this single loop, it pushes the “V” forward, imitating knit stitches.
You can watch this video by the beautiful and kind Bella Coco to see a visual of how to work this stitch:
GAUGE :
12 sts x 15 rows in HDC = 4” x 4” square
Blanket size per written pattern : 50" x 60"
**If your gauge measurements are smaller than mine, you can try increasing the size of your hook to make your stitches slightly larger. This is an easier solution most of the time. You can also try loosening your tension, but just be sure to stay consistent with that new tension.
**If your gauge measurements are larger than mine, you can try decreasing the size of your hook to make your stitches slightly smaller. The tension comment above applies here as well, just with creating a tighter tension - but no one ever enjoys that.
JACK’S BLANKET CROCHET PATTERN :
Ch 151.
1. Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, HDC across. (150)
2. Ch 1, turn, HDC in the 3rd loop across. (150)
3. Repeat Step 2 until your piece measures 60”, or until desired length.
4. Ch 1, turn, sl st in each st across. (150)
5. Finish off, weave in ends.
Ta da! What do you think?! I’m excited because I got about halfway through the blanket and began thinking of what I wanted to make next, but made sure I finished this project before starting a new one otherwise I’m not sure this one would have ever gotten its ends woven in. Ha! Until next time,
xo,
Jessica
