The Crafty Commuter family is growing!
In Quarter 3 of 2023, we welcomed our beautiful daughter, A, into the world—and what a journey it has been since! The last 18 months have been a whirlwind of nappies, night feeds, first steps, and more joy than we could’ve imagined. Life has been full of change, learning curves, and new routines as I’ve navigated parenting, returned to work, continued my studies, and slowly eased back into running.
As you might guess, crafting took a bit of a backseat during those early months. But it never disappeared entirely—it just transformed. My projects became smaller, easier to put down at short notice, more sentimental. And while you won’t see A featured too often on the blog (privacy is something we hold close), her presence is stitched into nearly every piece I make these days.
You’ll start to notice her influence in the yarn choices, the colours, the tiny wearable pieces designed for exploring little legs and growing minds. In the photo above, A is rocking her Plain Jayne sweater—a pattern I adore for its simple elegance and its ability to let the yarn do the talking. It’s become a staple in my rotation, and a go-to for gifting too.
Now that A is a thriving, energetic toddler, I’ve found little pockets of time to return to my hooks and keyboard. I’ve been slowly writing up the many crochet projects completed in the quiet (and sometimes chaotic) moments of early motherhood—pieces she has worn, played with, and cuddled close. And yes, for those wondering: she absolutely has a matching dinosaur jacket to make a trio of dinosaurs on cousin playdates!
With a now thriving toddler I have been able to reclaim some time to spend writing up the many crochet projects that have been completed in the background of parenthood, that A has enjoyed.
Finding time to craft again hasn’t been about “getting back to normal”. Instead it’s been about discovering a new rhythm. Motherhood shifted my world entirely. Gone are the long, uninterrupted afternoons spent crocheting while binge-watching a series. These days, crafting often happens in 15-minute bursts during nap time, or while A is happily playing beside me with her own “pretend yarn.”
At first, it was hard to accept that I couldn’t do things the way I used to. But over time, I started to appreciate the beauty of slower progress. Finishing a project over several weeks—sometimes months—feels just as satisfying, if not more so. And there’s something incredibly grounding about having a creative constant in the midst of parenting chaos.
“Nap time projects” have become a real thing for my crafting lately. They’re small, manageable WIPs that I can pick up and put down without losing my place (too much). Think baby hats, granny squares, amigurumi, and simple wearables. A few rows here, a sleeve there, it all adds up.
It turns out, creativity doesn’t need hours of silence. It just needs a little space to breathe. So if you’re in a season of small windows and big feelings, know this: a few stitches at a time still counts.
Crafty Commuter 