Top 50 Posts from 12 Years of 5 Little Monsters

 It has been 12 years since I started 5 Little Monsters, technically my very first post was at the end of June, but it was pretty much just a post to say, "I'm starting a blog" without really having any more to it than that. The first project post I shared was on July 3, and the first pattern a week or two after that. So it was 12 years ago this month that I first shared my projects and patterns with the internet. I definitely couldn't have imagined at that time what this blog would become for me. 

I started out just wanting to have a place to share the things I was making and to share some of the patterns I was creating. I didn't really think anyone would find them or want them, but it would be a place for me to keep track of them, something better that scribbling my patterns and ideas on whatever random scrap of paper or notebook was nearby, which is what I had been doing before. I was shocked when people started using my patterns. I quickly realized how much I enjoyed designing patterns and kept doing it, and before I knew it I had built this little business doing something I loved. 

I don't know if I can put into words how incredibly grateful I am for all of you who have followed me over the years. Your support has allowed me to help provide for my family, while doing something I enjoy so much, and also having the flexibility to be available to be there for my family whenever I need to. This has meant the world to me as I have dealt with some of the unique needs of my kids and family.

Sometimes I have talked with people about dream jobs, and this wasn't my dream job growing up, but that is only because it didn't exist when I was a kid. But I started my first craft business sewing dresses for little girls when I was, I think, 14 years old. That business was a failure mostly because I ended up giving most of the dresses away instead of charging people for them, I don't really like selling finished items and that is probably where that dislike started. At around 19 or 20 I started selling embroidery patterns in a consignment shop, and they eventually started purchasing them from me wholesale and once again I had a little craft business. I left the country to serve a church mission for a year and a half and that business kind of fizzled out when I left. But I think the desire to both have my own business, and do something crafty and creative, was always there. So in a lot of ways I feel like I am doing my dream job, just in a way that I never imagined. 

This is getting really long winded, but mainly I just want to say thank you for all of your support over the past 12 years, whether you have been here since the beginning or are new here, Thank You! I have pulled the numbers and found the 50 most popular posts of the past 12 years. I decided it would be better to divide them into categories rather than share in order of popularity, so without further ado and in no particular order ...

Here are the top 50 posts from 12 years of 5 Little Monsters:

Hats

The first category I wanted to include on this list is hats. My number 1 most popular pattern by far is a hat, my Bead Stitch Hat, but I had a few hat patterns that ended up in the top 50, as well as several that fell just outside that 50. I love making hats, they are by far my favorite wearable item to crochet, and the one I am most likely to actually wear and use. I have made lots of hats over the years and here are the 7 that made the top 50-

Bead Stitch Hat

My number 1 pattern of all time, also my bestselling PDF. I love the texture on this one, and it inspired several other hat designs as well. 

Unicorn Hat

This is a fun hat, and it will always remind me of when my now teenage daughter was little and obsessed with unicorns. 

Baby Bear Hat

This cute little bear hat comes in 3 baby sizes. 

Crossed Doubles Hat

The Crossed Double Hat is one that was inspired by the Bead Stitch Hat, but the bead stitch is switched out for crossed double crochet stitches. 

String of Beads Baby/Child

The String of Beads Hat is another that was inspired by the Bead Stitch Hat, but this time instead of switching out the bead stitch I played around with the number of half double crochet rounds for a different look. I first posted an adult size, then made the baby and child size and only the baby and child size made the top 50.

Blush Baby Bonnet

This sweet little baby bonnet has a pretty scalloped edging. This is the only baby bonnet style hat I have made but whenever I share it I remember how cute it is and want to design more. 

Child Bead Stitch Hat

For the last hat on the list we have the child size version of this hat. I made the original only in adult size, so I remade it in some child sizes. This is a pattern I actually really want to revisit at some point because since making these hats I have started making all of my hat patterns in the same 5 sizes from baby to adult and I would love to refigure this pattern to include all of my usual sizes. 

Christmas Crafts

The next set of crafts I am including on this list are Christmas Crafts. Most of the crafts on this list are crochet, but there is one that is not, hence the category being Christmas Crafts instead of Christmas Crochet. I love Christmas so Christmas crafts are some of my favorite things to make. 7 of them made the top 50- 

Nativity Set

The first pattern in this category is one of my favorites and the number 2 pattern of all time on my blog. This nativity set has since inspired both additions to this set, including one on this list, and 2 different versions of crocheted nativity sets on my blog. 

Stocking Advent

These little crocheted stockings are such a fun way to count down to Christmas. 

Lacy Angel Ornament

This little angel ornament is the perfect addition to any Christmas Tree. 

3 Wisemen

One of the additions to the original nativity set. These 3 wisemen were made to match the other figures, along with the angel that didn't make the top 50, but she wasn't too much further down. 

Scandinavian Snowflake Pillow

The Scandinavian Snowflake Pillow is a corner to corner pattern that is perfect for Christmas. 

Fleece Tree Skirt

The one non-crochet pattern on the list, this fleece tree skirt is a low sew project that is easy to make and we still put it under our tree every year. 

Penguin Ornament

This little penguin was one of a series of ornaments I made that included a Santa, a Snowman, an Elf, an Angel, and more. 

Dishcloths/Washcloths

Dishcloths or washcloths, I'll be honest I use the terms interchangeably, are one of my favorite ways to try out new stitches so I really like making them. They are also a great project when I am in a bit of a creative slump because they are pretty quick to make and I always feel better and more creatively inspired when I can see something finished. As a result I have a lot of dishcloth patterns on my blog, but here the 7 that made the top 50-

Diagonal Weave Dishcloth

First we have the Diagonal Weave Dishcloth. This stitch pattern looks a lot harder than it is. It uses post stitches to create the diagonal weave texture. 

Sedge Stitch Dishcloth

The sedge stitch is one of my favorite stitches, I love the texture it creates and it is an easy stitch repeat. 

Blossom Washcloth

The Blossom washcloth is a little more open of a stitch than a lot of the other dishcloths I have made, but that makes it feel a little more dainty and feminine which is kind of nice. 

Cotton Face Scrubbies

These face scrubbies are not technically a dishcloth or a washcloth, but I felt like they fit in this category. I made these as part of a stocking stuffer series I did several years ago and I remember being surprised at how popular they were at the time and they have continued to do well, mostly because of how simple they were to make. But maybe that is the exact reason they have been so popular. 

Moss Stitch Dishcloth

The moss stitch is another of my favorite stitches. I love the woven look it creates, and it is such a simple stitch to make. 

Star Dishcloth

This dishcloth is made in a star shape so it is perfect for the 4th of July or Christmas. 

Bobble Stripe Dishcloth

The final dishcloth on this list is the Bobble Stripe Dishcloth. Like the name suggest it has stripes of bobble stitches to create stripes of texture. 

Amigurumi/Toys

This is one of my favorite categories on the list, and it is the biggest category too. I included a couple of things on the list that are not amigurumi per se, but they are toys or related items. 9 of the top 50 projects fell in this category-

Surprise Eggs

First on the list are my Surprise Eggs. These were a fun little project I originally made as part of the same stocking stuffer series as the face scrubbies above, but they are also really great for Easter baskets. 

Dinosaur Softie

I love dinosaurs so this dinosaur softie was a favorite make of mine. I have since made a couple more dinosaurs to go along with it, a triceratops and a parasaurolophus.

Boxy Bear

The Boxy Bear was a pattern I designed for Fairfield World when I was part of their design team for a few years. I made a few other "boxy" animals and characters too, including a halloween set, a fox, an owl, and more. 

Puffy Hearts

I wasn't sure if this was the right category for these puffy hearts but since they are crocheted and stuffed I figured they made sense in the amigurumi category. 

Farm Animal Finger Puppet

This is another I wasn't sure if I should put it in the amigurumi category because it isn't amigurumi, but it is made for kids to play with so that is why I decided to make it the amigurumi/toys category. This was another project that was part of my stocking stuffer series. 

Little Horse

The Little Horse is from my mini amigurumi farm animals crochet along.

Hedwig

This little Snowy Owl can be turned into Hedwig from Harry Potter with a little striped scarf, or just leave the scarf off for a cute snowy owl. 

Baby Doll Set

This Baby Doll Set includes a baby doll, a little Moses basket style bed, a little pillow and a tiny blanket. The patterns were designed for Fairfield World so the actual patterns are on their site. There are links to the doll, and the accessories in the post on my blog. 

Long Leg Clothes

This one is kind of a funny one to me. Another that is technically not an amigurumi pattern, but it goes with an amigurumi pattern. I made 3 different long legged animals, and then I made this set of clothes and accessories to go along with them. I think it is kind of funny that the clothes made the top 50, but not any of the animals. The animals were not too far below though. You can get all of the individual animal patterns on my blog, or they are available in PDF form in an ebook with all three animals and the clothes and accessories. 

Apples

I originally made these apples around back to school time because I thought they would be fun for a teacher, an apple that won't go bad. 

Tiny Black Bear

Another one of my mini amigurumi from a crochet along, this one was from the camping crochet along. 

Little Cow

Like the Little Horse, this Little Cow was from my Farm Animal themed Mini Amigurumi Crochet Along. 

Fall/Pumpkins

Fall is one of my favorite times of year and I love decorating with pumpkins and I also love the textures of yarn and knit or crochet in the fall. I feel like it has a cozy feel that is perfect for fall. As a result I have made lots of different crocheted pumpkins, and 4 of them made the list- 

Bobble Stitch Pumpkins

First we have Bobble Stitch Pumpkins. The texture is really fun on this one with rows of bobble stitches. 

Pumpkin in 2 Sizes

Next is the very first pumpkin pattern I ever made, this one was a really early pattern I think from my first year. It includes 2 sizes of pumpkins, in case the name didn't make that clear. This one is made in more of an amigurumi style with increases and decreases instead of just cinching it like most of the others. 

Ribbed Pumpkin

This is one of the easiest pumpkins to make, it starts with a simple rectangle and turns into a pumpkin with a ribbed texture. I also have a video tutorial of this pattern.

Loom Knit Pumpkin

The last pumpkin in the top 50 is made with a hat loom, so even if you don't know how to crochet you can make this one. 

Blankets

The next categories are pretty small, they each only have a few patterns in the category. This one is Blankets. Most of the blankets you will find on my blog are baby blankets and all 3 that made this list fall in that category. Two are crocheted and they are both patterns from very early on my blog. The other is sewn and is one of my favorites. Here are the 3 blankets that made the top 50-

Triangle and Stripes Blanket

The Triangle and Stripes Blanket was one of my super early patterns, from just a few months after starting my blog. Honestly, this is a pattern I would like to revisit at some point soon and rewrite or edit because it was such an early pattern and could probably use a little work. But that being said, I still really like this pattern and think it makes a pretty blanket. 

Favorite Baby Blanket

This blanket is the one that is sewn. It is a really simple flannel blanket, it is so easy to make and it is one that I loved making and using for my kids. Great for baby showers. 

Kennedy's Flower Garden Blanket

I made this blanket when my niece Kennedy was born, and now I think she is getting ready to go into middle school. It is made of flowers that are attached together to make the blanket, with little green pieces filling some of the spaces.

Bags/Holders

This category is another that might be a bit of a stretch, but I felt like they all kind of go together. All of the things in this category are made to hold something, there is only 3 of them so it is not a large category. 

Crocheted Market Bag

The first one on this list is a Crocheted Market Bag. I used a combination of clusters and v-stitches for this bag, and it then inspired several other market bag patterns that can also be found on my blog. 

Card Holder

This little card holder is perfect for either holding business cards, using as a little card wallet holding debit cards, ids, etc., or use it as a gift card holder. 

Chapstick Holder

This pattern includes 2 different styles of chapstick holders, it is a super quick and easy project that is also very useful. 

Other Projects

The last category on this list are basically just the things that didn't fit in any of the other categories. There are a few crochet projects that didn't fit in any of the other categories, and a couple of non-crochet crafts that also didn't really work in previous categories. 

Bead Stitch Cowl

First we have the Bead Stitch Cowl that was made to match the Bead Stitch Hat.

Mannequin Head

The next one on the list is the very first pattern I ever posted. It was a little mannequin head designed to hold or model hats for pictures. 

Crochet Succulents

Next is a little set of crocheted succulents in small painted jars. 

Hogwarts Scarf Bookmark

This set of bookmarks was made to look like the house scarves in Harry Potter and they are made with embroidery floss.

Doily Bunting

This Doily Bunting was originally made as a project I made for another blog I was on the design team for. It was the first project I made for that and I think it was the first time I made money from blogging. 

Summer Perler Beads

Perler Beads were a favorite creative craft project when my kids were younger. Even now when I pull them out for a project I find them being drawn to them. I have several different Perler Bead design patterns  but this set of summer designs was my first and the most popular.

No-Scratch Baby Mittens

These little baby mitts are a quick and easy sewing project that are great to make for little babies to keep them from scratching themselves. 

It is always kind of fun looking through old projects. Seeing all of the things I have made over the past 12 years, some of them that I had forgotten about, always inspired me with new ideas and reminds me how much I love creating. As I said before, I am so grateful for all of the support I get on the patterns and projects that I share. I can't wait to make and share even more ideas with you in the future.