Everything You Need To Know About Purls & Top Knots!

Purls & Top Knots is my space to share all the things I make and love with you. From knitting and crocheting to reading and general life updates, I hope to bring you along each and every step of the way.

Knitting

Like many people, I was searching for a new hobby during my free time in 2020. With my college classes turned remote, I found myself bored with the monotony of life with zoom calls and homework assignments.

My first project was the JW Anderson Color-block Patchwork Cardigan, famously worn by Harry Styles.

Like many others online, I wanted a version of this cardigan for myself and felt like making it would add an element of uniqueness and originality. With a goal in mind, I set out to YouTube to teach myself the basics of knitting. It’s worth noting that to date this is still my most complex project yet.

I jumped in head first with little to no plan for execution. Honestly, I think the challenge of it all made me that much more determined to actually complete it. Since then, I have honed my skills as a knitter and have vastly expanded my knowledge from two needles to circular needles and double-pointed needles.

As I continue to grow and advance my skills, I hope you will follow along with me. And maybe we can teach each other a thing or two!

I love the complexity yet simplicity of knitting. The repetitive motions that become mindless after a while. But, I found myself frustrated with the amount of things I was able to create with my limited knowledge. Knitting provided the perfect entry into fiber arts and quickly had me stumbling down the rabbit hole to crochet.

Crochet

It wasn’t till early 2022 that I learned to crochet. With my limited experience in knitting, I felt it would be an easy transition. And for the most part, it was!

I come from a family of crocheters. The skills of crochet have been taught and passed down from my great grandma to my mom to my sister. I’m not sure why I didn’t follow in their footsteps sooner.

For me, crocheting seemed more casual than knitting. I watched for years as my mom would pick up and put down projects easily without losing her place. It also appeared to work up much quicker than anything I was knitting. She would crochet something in a day while it took me weeks with knitting. A big part of this has to do with skill level and speed, but I still find that crocheting can work up quicker depending on the project.

While I haven’t been crocheting for long, I have made a lot of cute hats, coasters, and bookmarks that I would have no idea how to knit. Crocheting has allowed me to make smaller, simpler projects that I can complete quickly and (mostly) stress-free. It has quickly become one of my favorite hobbies!

I can’t wait to bring you along on all the new projects and new things I learn as I dig deeper into the world of crochet.

Reading

In my opinion, there is nothing that goes together quite like yarn projects and reading! That may just be my inner introvert speaking but for me the two go together like Oreos and milk.

I enjoy all forms of books (paperback, hardcover, ebooks, audiobooks) but audiobooks are the perfect thing to listen to while knitting or crocheting! This has quickly become my go-to and I find that a good audiobook makes my projects come together that much quicker.

Romance and fantasy are the genres I tend to gravitate towards. A few years ago I was heavily influenced by BookTok to start reading again and was quickly reminded of my love for fictional characters and their stories! My TBR (to be read) list is a mile long but I continue to add to it each and every day.

I’m always willing to take recommendations and talk about my favorite books so follow along to see what I read next!

Lifestyle

While the three hobbies I’ve already talked about take up most of my time, I am always searching for new ways to be creative and enhance my life in minor ways.

I’ve tried almost everything at least once and would love to take you along on some of my unexpected and short-lived hobbies and current favorites!

Follow along as I continue to learn!

I still have a lot to learn and explore when it comes to knitting, crochet, and reading. Follow along on my Instagram and TikTok to get more consistent content and sign up for my newsletter to catch up on my blog every once in a while. I hope you will join me on this journey as I learn new things, make plenty of mistakes, and have a great time while doing it!