Inside – Every book I read during February 2025, and what I’m learning about my Crochet Book Blanket as I stitch it.
Yes, I realize that it’s full on MAY when I’m writing this blog post to chat about the FEBRUARY books I read. The blog posts for the March and April books will be fashionably late as well. Without more delay.. Here are my thoughts about the crochet book blanket, the progress report, and the best part – every book I read in February 2025.
How the Reading Journey is Going
In February, I managed to read four books. Admittedly, two of the four books were well known (to me) audiobooks. So, it was easy to not pay attention 100% if the time. The plan was to refresh my memory to physically read the next book in the series – The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Have I cracked open that book? Nope. But that’s on me.
What books am I talking about? The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis; a very beloved story. In the middle of winter, I wanted a cozy story at the end of the day. One with a great story and happier endings. Add in a little crochet, and my nights turned ultra cozy for mid-winter. My kids even enjoyed listening to them at the end of the day!
Honestly, this reading load felt “a little much” at times. My brain struggled to keep the stories straight between listening to one story to physically reading another within the same day. By the end of the month, reading burnout was right around the corner.
What to do? Adjust the reading load for the next month. The 2025 goal remains at 48 books for the crochet book blanket. Nine months are left in the year, and I *could* accomplish that number. BUT, if I don’t, I think I’ll give myself some grace, and keep reading/crocheting into 2026 if needed.
Decision on Granny Square Pattern
Maybe I’m a bit boring, but I decided to use the Hygge Burst Square from NautiKrall for every book. With all the crazy color combinations going on, I wanted some continuity in the blanket. The easiest way to do that is by keeping the square design consistent.
If you want to change up the design – Here are three free patterns designed by Cosy Rosie UK to choose from…
- Granny Spike Stitch Square – click here
- Happy in the Mood Square – click here
- Snowflake Granny Square – click here
Challenges with the Crochet Book Blanket
In February I struggle to find the TIME to crochet, and having the correct yarn ON HAND.
Remember that I wanted to use up my yarn stash? Well, this month revealed that my stash doesn’t have all the colors in the rainbow. Womp. Womp. So, I ran to the yarn store more often in February.
Although not a bad problem, it still ate up crochet time. Officially, my season of life requires me to fight for crochet time… (maybe that’s another topic to dissect later.) At this point, I’d rather crochet than go yarn shopping. Thus, most of my February squares weren’t finished until the end of March.
What I Read in February 2025
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars – This is Book 3 of the Empryean Series, and it is a classic middle child book. Overall, I loved the adventure and the journey, even when I didn’t always agree with where the characters landed. It still left me eager for Book 4!
Physical or Audio | Physical
Granny Square Pattern | Hygge Burst by Nauti Krall Crochet
Color Inspiration | The colors of the book cover. The third round is that cream with a gold strand moving through it. Adds so much fun to granny square!
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars – The rating depends on the audience. As a child, I ADORED these stories. As an adult, I still like them, but I can tell the writing isn’t quite my style anymore. Either way, the world of Narnia is a magical place to get lost for a few hours. Highly recommend if you need a cozy, kid-friendly read.
Physical or Audio | Audio
Granny Square Pattern | Hygge Burst by Nauti Krall Crochet
Color Inspiration | The colors of the audiobook cover – navy blue and gold. I didn’t love that I only used 3 colors for this square. It makes it look more like a sunflower and less like a lion’s mane. However, I don’t want to re-crochet it! At least I’ll know exactly what book this represents!
Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis
Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 Stars – Welp, I don’t love this book as much as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I’d probably rate it a 3.75 ⭐️. It feels like a middle story, similar to Onyx Storm is a middle story. However, I forgot many details in Prince Caspian, and I enjoyed the refresher. Once you dive into the Chronicles of Narnia, you just have to keep going.
Physical or Audio | Audio
Granny Square Pattern | Hygge Burst by Nauti Krall Crochet
Color Inspiration | The colors of the audiobook cover (well, what I thought was the cover colors). I think I was tired of Black, Cream, and Gold.. so I used reds to give it a pop. I don’t want my blanket to be all the same colors on repeat.
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez
Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars – So much to say about this book. Isn’t it always like that with a book you don’t like?? This was my book club’s February pick, so not one I’d pick up on my own. This story was very one sided, predictable, and the main character (Alexis) is a bit flat. She doesn’t treat her new relationship very well, and yet they end up happily ever after in the story. It’s not even a fun, rom-com love story in my opinion.
Physical or Audio | Physical
Granny Square Pattern | Hygge Burst by Nauti Krall Crochet
Color Inspiration | The colors of the book cover. Love that this cover had some BRIGHT colors! But, it still wasn’t worth the read.
Thank you so much for reading this blog post and support High Desert Yarn! I deeply enjoyed writing this piece about books, and I’m so glad I got to share it with you. Whatever you’re doing next, I hope you find joy and adventure around the corner! Happy Creating, Joanna
