A Summer Full of Crochet
I always find it a little strange when summer starts coming to an end. It feels like it has only just started, and then suddenly it is September and I am looking back at everything that happened over the past few months.
This summer was a busy one for Cicka Design. There were new patterns, the Creative Crochet Retreat in Sicily, collaborations, workshops, content, and a lot of time spent designing and testing new ideas. Looking back now, I realised that I actually released quite a few different projects over the summer, and most of them came from very different ideas. So before moving completely into the autumn season, I wanted to put them all together in one place and look back at the past few months.
It all started in Sicily
The beginning of summer was closely connected to the Creative Crochet Retreat in Sicily, which took place in June 2026 in Giardini Naxos.
The retreat was organised by Yarns Design and brought together designers, makers and creative people for a few days of crochet, workshops and time together. For me, it was also the starting point for several new Cicka Design patterns.
I came to Sicily with ideas for projects and left with even more ideas than I arrived with. The Terra Bag was one of the main projects I worked on for the retreat. It is made from granny squares and was designed as a practical everyday bag, but with enough detail to make it interesting to crochet.
Then there was the Plumeria Bandana, a lighter and smaller project that was a completely different type of crochet experience. It uses Lana Gatto Silky yarn and is available in three sizes, S, M and L.
I also designed a few smaller projects for the retreat collection: the Sol AirPods Case, Viva Cup Coasters and Star Cup Coasters.
I liked having this mix of projects. Not everything had to be a large project that took days to finish. Some pieces were small, simple and practical, which is something I always enjoy including in my pattern collection.
Together, these projects became a little collection connected to the retreat and to those few days in Sicily.
Coming back home
After Sicily, I went straight back into my usual routine. There is always a difference between having an idea and actually turning that idea into a finished crochet pattern. There are samples to make, things to change, sizes to check, instructions to write and, of course, the part where you make the same thing more times than you originally planned.
One of the projects I worked on after the retreat was the Happy Phone Case.
I have always liked crochet accessories that can be used in everyday life, and a phone case is exactly that kind of project. It is something small enough to make without committing to a huge project, but it can completely change the look of something you use every day.
The Iska Headband followed, bringing me back to a different type of accessory. It was another project that was relatively small but still gave me plenty of room to play with the construction and details.
And then came the Flora Keychain and Charm.
This was probably one of those projects that shows how a small crochet idea can turn into something completely different. It can be used as a keychain, attached to a bag or simply made as a little crochet charm.
By this point, the summer had become a collection of projects of very different sizes and purposes.
A lot happens behind every pattern
When you see a finished crochet pattern online, it is easy to forget how much work happens before it gets there. There are the first sketches and ideas, choosing yarn, making the first sample, taking notes, undoing parts that do not work, trying again and eventually writing everything down in a way that someone else can actually follow.
Some patterns come together quickly. Others take much longer than expected. And then there is everything around the pattern itself: photography, editing, creating content, preparing the listing, making videos and photos for social media, answering questions and sharing the finished design.
This summer was a good reminder of just how many different parts there are to running a small creative business.
Collaborations and the work around crochet
Patterns were only one part of the summer. There were also collaborations with different brands, content projects and opportunities to work with other people in the crochet and creative industry. The Creative Crochet Retreat was a big part of that, especially because it allowed me to meet people I had previously only known through social media.
I also had the opportunity to lead a Crochet Content Creation Workshop with Muud Living, connected to the Terra Bag. It was a slightly different experience from designing a pattern because instead of focusing only on crochet, I was talking about something that has become a big part of my work over the years: creating content around handmade projects.
That combination of crochet and content creation has become a very natural part of what I do with Cicka Design.
Looking back at the summer collection
When I put all the projects together, it is interesting to see how different they are.
The Terra Bag is a larger project made from granny squares.
The Plumeria Bandana is light and wearable.
The Sol AirPods Case, Viva Cup Coasters and Star Cup Coasters are smaller everyday projects.
The Happy Phone Case and Iska Headband are accessories that can be made and used in completely different ways.
And the Flora Keychain and Charm is a small project that can be used as a little extra detail on a bag, keys or whatever you decide to attach it to.
I think that variety is probably what I enjoyed most about this summer. I was not working on the same type of project over and over again. Some were planned around specific collaborations or events, while others simply started with an idea that I wanted to try.
And now, autumn
September always feels like a natural point to slow down for a moment and look at what has already been done before jumping into the next thing.
This summer was definitely productive. I released eight new crochet designs, took part in the Creative Crochet Retreat in Sicily, worked on collaborations, led a workshop and spent a lot of time developing ideas for what comes next.
There is already a new list of projects waiting for me, so I better enjoy small break before going back to my ideation and implementation routine.
But for now, I am happy to leave summer with this little collection of finished projects.
From Sicily to home, from larger bags to tiny charms, it was a season full of crochet and a lot of work behind the scenes.
And now it is time to see what the next season brings.
