Crochet Stuff I Wanna Try: A Creative Bucket List for Makers Who Can’t Stop Dreaming

There is something deeply satisfying about sitting down with a hook and a ball of yarn and watching something take shape in your hands. Whether you have been crocheting for years or only recently discovered the meditative rhythm of stitches, the creative possibilities never seem to run out. Every time you scroll through a pattern, browse a yarn shop, or stumble onto a new technique, that familiar feeling bubbles up: I want to try that.

This post is a love letter to that feeling. It is a running list of crochet stuff I want to try — patterns, techniques, styles, and projects that have been sitting on my creative bucket list, waiting for their moment. Maybe you will recognize a few of these on your own list, or maybe this will inspire you to add something new. Either way, grab your coffee, get cozy, and let’s talk about all the yarn-filled things we are dreaming about making.

Why a Crochet Bucket List Is Worth Making

Before diving into the actual list, let’s talk about why keeping a crochet wish list matters in the first place. If you are like most crafters, you probably have bookmarked hundreds of patterns, pinned dozens of tutorials, and saved more Instagram posts than you can count — only for most of them to get buried and forgotten.

Writing down (or blogging about) the crochet stuff you want to try does a few things. It turns vague inspiration into concrete intention. It gives you something to reach for when you finish a project and do not know what to start next. And honestly, it is just fun to acknowledge that the yarn world is enormous and that you are genuinely excited about exploring it.

So here is my list, fully written out and enthusiastically endorsed by my ever-growing stash.

Tunisian Crochet

At the very top of my list is Tunisian crochet. I have admired Tunisian projects for years because they have this beautiful, almost woven texture that looks so different from traditional crochet. The fabric is denser, the stitches are more geometric, and the overall effect is genuinely stunning.

The technique itself is a bit of a hybrid between knitting and crochet. You use a longer hook — either a dedicated Tunisian hook or a cable extension — and you work in two passes across the row instead of completing each stitch individually. The first pass loads loops onto the hook, and the second pass works them off. It sounds complicated, but from everything I have read, it clicks pretty quickly once you get the rhythm.

What I specifically want to make in Tunisian: a structured tote bag, a cozy cardigan, and a throw blanket. The smocked Tunisian variations I have seen look particularly incredible — that honeycomb texture is absolutely dreamy.

Overlay Mosaic Crochet

Mosaic crochet has exploded in popularity, and for good reason. The colorwork patterns you can achieve look intricate and geometric, almost like woven tapestry, but the actual technique is far more beginner-friendly than it appears.

Overlay mosaic crochet specifically involves working in rows with two colors, but you only ever use one color per row. The “overlay” part comes from working into stitches from previous rows to create the pattern. The result looks complex, but you never have to carry yarn or change colors mid-row, which makes it far less intimidating than traditional colorwork.

I want to try mosaic crochet for a wall hanging first, then a market bag, and eventually a sweater. I have been drooling over some of the stitch patterns that look like interlocking diamonds and zigzag tiles. The geometric possibilities feel almost endless.

Crochet Garments That Actually Fit

Okay, this one is less of a specific technique and more of a personal challenge. I have been crocheting for a while, but I have mostly stuck to accessories and home goods. Garments have always intimidated me — mainly because of the fitting process and the math involved in resizing patterns.

But I am genuinely ready to try. The crochet fashion world has had a major glow-up over the past several years. Modern crochet garment patterns are better constructed, better documented, and more size-inclusive than ever before. Designers like Drops Design, Tin Can Knits, and independent Ravelry designers are putting out crochet sweaters, cardigans, tops, and dresses that look genuinely wearable and stylish.

My garment bucket list includes a simple linen stitch cardigan, a bralette top for warmer months, a flowy summer dress, and a chunky oversized pullover for the colder season. The key things I want to practice are gauge swatching (properly, not just guessing), reading schematic diagrams, and working seamlessly in the round for yoke constructions.

Amigurumi Creatures

I have done a tiny bit of amigurumi, but I want to go much deeper. For anyone unfamiliar, amigurumi is the Japanese art of crocheting small, stuffed animals and creatures. They tend to be worked in the round with safety eyes and polyfill stuffing, and the results range from simple and cute to incredibly detailed and artistic.

What draws me to amigurumi is the sculpture-like quality of the work. You are essentially building a three-dimensional character from yarn, and the construction process is fascinating. Learning how to add details like tiny limbs, stitched facial features, and wire armatures to make poseable figures sounds like so much fun.

On my amigurumi wish list: a realistic-looking bunny, a set of fantasy mushroom characters, a crochet octopus (which everyone tells me is the perfect beginner amigurumi project), and eventually a full doll with changeable clothes. I have been looking at patterns from Madelenon, PlanetJune, and several independent Etsy designers that I find absolutely irresistible.

Irish Lace Crochet

This one is ambitious, and I know it. Irish lace crochet is a centuries-old tradition that originated in Ireland during the Victorian era and became a way for people to earn income during difficult times. It involves crocheting individual motifs — flowers, leaves, clovers, scrolls — and then joining them together with a fine mesh background to create intricate lace fabric.

The results are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Irish lace pieces are the kind of thing you see in museums or in heirloom wedding veils, and the skill level required is genuinely high. You need a good eye for composition, comfortable experience with fine thread and small hooks, and a lot of patience.

But I want to try it anyway, starting small. A bookmark made from individual motifs. Maybe a collar or a small decorative piece. From there, who knows — maybe a set of lace curtains, or something truly ambitious like a lace shawl with full Irish lace construction.

Tapestry Crochet Bags

Tapestry crochet is a colorwork technique where you carry the unused yarn inside the stitches as you work, creating a thick, structured fabric with a pattern woven right into it. It is commonly used for bags and baskets because the resulting material is very sturdy and holds its shape beautifully.

I have been eyeing tapestry crochet for bags in particular because the patterns can range from simple geometric repeats to incredibly complex pictorial designs. Some of the bags I have seen look like walking pieces of art — bold patterns, traditional folk motifs, nature-inspired imagery. The fact that you are essentially painting with yarn while crocheting is endlessly appealing to me.

I want to start with a simple two-color geometric tote and work my way up to something with a more complex repeat. Eventually I would love to design my own tapestry pattern — I have a vague idea for a bag featuring stylized ferns that I need to sketch out someday.

The Granny Square Revival

Yes, granny squares. I know, they have been around forever, and maybe you are rolling your eyes a little. But hear me out: the modern granny square movement is something else entirely. What people are doing with granny squares today goes so far beyond the classic striped colorblock patterns of the 1970s.

There are hexagonal grannies, solid grannies, lace grannies, sunburst variations, half-square triangles for diagonal layouts, and intricate crochet-along blankets with dozens of unique squares. Designers like The Secret Yarnery, Shelley Husband, and Moogly have pushed the granny square into genuinely exciting creative territory.

What I want to try specifically is a full temperature blanket made from granny squares — one square per day representing the high temperature with a corresponding color. It is a year-long project, which sounds both terrifying and deeply satisfying. I also want to try a wearable granny square cardigan and a bag constructed from a single large granny square folded and seamed.

Free-Form Crochet

Free-form crochet is exactly what it sounds like: crochet with no pattern, no rigid structure, and no rules. You follow your intuition, layer textures and colors, incorporate different stitches and techniques, and create something entirely unique that cannot be replicated.

This one genuinely scares me, because I am very much a follow-the-pattern kind of crafter. The idea of improvising on the hook without a guide feels unnerving. But I have read that free-form crochet is also incredibly liberating once you let go of the need for perfection and predictability.

I want to try making a free-form wall hanging using a mix of techniques: regular crochet, Tunisian, surface slip stitches, broomstick lace, and maybe some woven elements. I am going to use up oddments from my stash, which makes the sustainability angle appealing too. Nothing wasted, everything interpreted.

Bruges Lace Crochet

Bruges lace is another traditional European lace technique, this time from Belgium. Unlike Irish lace, which builds from individual motifs outward, Bruges lace is worked as long, narrow ribbons of tape that are then curled, folded, and joined to form the overall design.

The resulting fabric looks like winding rivers or interlocking ribbons, and it can be used to make table runners, collars, shawls, and even garments. The technique requires spatial thinking — you have to envision how the long tape will coil and connect before you start working it.

I want to try Bruges lace as a collar first, something I can wear as a decorative element over a simple top. The idea of constructing something wearable from a single flowing ribbon of crocheted lace is deeply romantic to me.

Crochet Jewelry

This is one I have been putting off for too long. Fine thread crochet jewelry — earrings, necklaces, cuffs, rings — is a whole world I have barely touched. The work is tiny, detailed, and requires thread in the size 10 or smaller range, plus a very small hook.

I have seen crochet earrings that look like delicate flowers, mandalas, geometric shapes, and abstract forms. Some are stiffened with starch or fabric stiffener so they hold their shape perfectly. Others are reinforced with wire frames.

I want to try a set of simple drop earrings first, then work my way toward something more complex like a statement necklace or a crochet ring with a beaded center. The idea of wearing something I made with my own hands as actual jewelry feels incredibly special.

Temperature-Changing Yarn Projects

Color-changing yarn — specifically thermochromic or color-shifting yarn — is something I want to explore more deeply. These yarns shift hue based on heat, light, or other environmental factors, and the effect in a finished piece is mesmerizing.

I want to make a shawl or wrap using a yarn with a significant color shift throughout the skein, and I want to photograph it in different lighting conditions to capture the transformation. The interplay of color in shifting yarns turns a simple stitch pattern into something almost alive.

A Full Crochet-Along (CAL)

I have participated in pieces of crochet-alongs before, but I have never committed to one from start to finish. A CAL is a community event where a pattern is released in installments over weeks or months, and crafters all work on it simultaneously, sharing their progress online.

There is something so appealing about the communal aspect of a CAL — thousands of people around the world working on the same project, making it their own through yarn and color choices, cheering each other on, sharing tips and photos. I want to pick one and actually commit to it, from the first clue to the final finishing.

Surface Slip Stitch Embellishment

Surface slip stitches are worked directly onto the surface of a finished piece and can add color, texture, and detail in a way that feels almost like embroidery. You can create plaid-like grids, geometric designs, floral motifs, or just add contrasting color lines across a simple background fabric.

I want to try this technique on a plain market bag — something where the base crochet is simple and the surface embellishment does all the decorative work. It seems like a great way to add personality to projects without having to navigate complex stitch patterns.

Final Thoughts on the Never-Ending Crochet List

The beautiful and sometimes overwhelming truth about crochet is that it never gets boring. There is always a new technique to explore, a pattern that challenges your skills just a little more than before, a yarn that makes your hands itch to start something immediately.

My list grows faster than I can work through it, and honestly, I love that about this craft. Every project I finish feels like an accomplishment. Every new skill I learn opens a door to a dozen more possibilities. And every time I see something gorgeous that makes me think “I want to try that,” I know I have found the exact right hobby for who I am.

If you are a fellow crafter with your own ever-expanding list, I would love to hear what is on it. What crochet techniques are you most excited to try? What project has been sitting in your queue for way too long, waiting for you to finally start? Drop it in the comments — and maybe we can inspire each other to finally pick up the hook and try something new.

Happy stitching.