“Actually, it’s perfect…”—this sentence caught me while I was crocheting 🧶

My daughter got to really try out her new hat for the first time the other day.
She put it on, felt it for a moment—and then said, quite contentedly, that she thinks it’s really great.

After a short pause, she added:
 “Just on the inside… a cozy fluffy lining like my brother’s hat has would be nice too.”

No complaining, no “do it differently.” More like an honest everyday thought.

 It reminded me how much you often only notice about handmade things once you’re wearing them—not while you’re crocheting them.

 Some things you see right away; others you only feel later.

 👉 Do you know those moments when a project is actually finished—and yet new thoughts still come up? Or do you consciously leave it just the way it is? I’m curious how you handle it 🌿

That’s why I’m adding a nice, soft fleece lining to the inside of the hat

Dear Franziska,

The hat for your daughter turned out really nice. Yes, she’s right. A knitted hat needs fleece on the inside to keep the wind out. That’s why I only sew hats now.

  As for your question: I think every DIYer knows this feeling. Every project can always be improved. That’s why the first version is usually not perfect. But I leave it as is. It’s not bad, after all. But it could be better. That’s why I incorporate those new insights into versions 2 and 3. After all, each one contains love, time, and money.

  Since I’m a perfectionist, I naturally strive for the best possible result. This pursuit of perfection also comes through in my patterns. But when it’s just for my own personal use, I’m satisfied with 90%.

Best regards, Ina

Your hat turned out really beautiful in terms of the design.

I’ve also come to realize that not every style keeps out the cold and wind as well as I’d like. With some hats, I now wear a thin fleece beanie underneath. I just prefer knitted and crocheted hats to sewn ones. And you don’t need the fleece liner every day—that way, I get through the winter just fine.

And as for those thoughts about making it better, prettier, or different—oh yes, I know that feeling too. I made a really beautiful embroidery piece in January 2025. It’s all stitched up and was actually just supposed to go into a picture frame. But now that it’s finished, I’ve been thinking for months about what else I could do with it, how I could finish it off. I haven’t found a solution yet, and it’ll probably keep ending up on my sewing table every month as I try out different ideas.

[Image removed]