The Blog
Summer Blog on another core value, peace, out now!
Grounded In Gratitude
Soooooo it’s DEFINITELY been more than a month since my last blog. BUT — that’s how these things go sometimes, and honestly, the gap has given me a lot to be grateful for. Last time, I talked about adventure. How it’s woven into my crocheting journey, and why I try every day to embrace the adventure of life I’m on. Abby Kay Co is an ever-changing adventure, one that will grow over time and through different seasons of my life. One thing that I don’t want to change though, is my commitment to staying grounded in gratitude.
A Season of Change
In my journey as a professional engineer, I recently shifted roles. This shift has been more challenging than I expected — mentally and emotionally. I had previously been working on a tight-knit team that was high-profile, fast-moving, and one that I was genuinely thriving in. The move to my new role was planned, but the 180 I’ve had to make — in terms of pace, new relationships, and a whole new way of thinking — has been taxing in ways I didn’t fully anticipate.
When faced with a challenge of any kind, we can only control how we respond. Every day I walk into my new work environment, I have a choice. I can choose to be frustrated that the pace isn’t what I prefer, or that I’m not doing work that lights me up the same way. OR I can choose to stay grounded in gratitude. Gratitude for the fact that I even have a job. Gratitude for the new relationships I’m building, the new skills I’m gaining, and the patience that God is teaching me to have. There is so much we wish we could control — but at the end of the day, the only thing truly in our hands is ourselves, and the attitude we choose to bring to our circumstances. I’m choosing gratitude.
The Micro-Engineering Connection
Here’s something kind of cool that came out of this new role, though. In my new position, I spend a lot of time on repetitive tasks — often recreating the same small piece of equipment over and over. With each one, I test throughout the process to check quality, make adjustments, and eventually arrive at a finished product. It’s methodical, detailed, and iterative.
And just the other day it hit me again: this is micro-engineering.
Each small task is its own complete cycle — design, build, test, refine, deliver. And when I zoomed out and looked at the bigger picture, I realized I do the exact same thing when I crochet.
If you read my very first blog post, you might remember that I broke down the crochet process into five phases: Prepare, Design, Create, Iterate, and Deliver. What I didn’t fully appreciate at the time was how that same cycle plays out at every scale. When I’m making a blanket made up of dozens of hexagons (hi, Jenna), each individual hexagon goes through its own mini version of that process. When I’m working through the repeating stitch pattern of a row, that too is its own tiny loop of intention, execution, and evaluation.
Crochet — and engineering — are both fractal in that way. The same process that governs the whole governs each of its parts. Prepare. Design. Create. Iterate. Deliver. Over and over again, from the smallest stitch to the finished piece.
This realization made me love both my craft and my career a little more. Even in a season where work hasn’t felt like my favorite, it handed me a new lens for understanding something I already deeply loved. That feels like a gift worth being grateful for.
Rooted to Grow
2026 has brought an emphasis on the word grounded for me. After moving from my home state to North Carolina, I’ve been building relationships and having experiences that I want to hold on to. And as I look to the future, I want to take these new things and approach every next step with a grounded perspective.
The best analogy for staying grounded has to be trees. Trees can’t grow or produce fruit unless their roots go deep. They don’t reach upward by accident — they reach upward because something below the surface is holding them steady. I think about that a lot when it comes to Abby Kay Co. These blog posts, as silly and small as they might seem, are my roots. Each one keeps me grounded and sets up the practical foundation for the big dreams I have in my head.
Gratitude is one of the most grounding forces I know. It pulls you back to what’s real and what’s good, even when circumstances are hard. It’s what keeps me from spiraling when a project goes wrong, when work is draining, or when I feel like this brand is growing too slowly. And my gratitude stems from my faith in Jesus, and the incomprehensible act of grace He made for us. John 15:5 says “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” No matter my circumstances, I can always be grateful for Jesus’ love and for the way He allows me to spread His light and love.
So here’s what I’m sitting with right now:
I’m grateful for you — for being here and reading this. Truly. Every small acknowledgement of something I’ve created lights another spark in me to keep building, and adds to the hope that this can one day be my full-time work.
I’m grateful for my friends — the ones I’ve known for years and the new ones I’m gathering here in Charlotte — who encourage me to keep showing up for this brand even when they don’t know that’s what they are doing.
I’m grateful for every challenge that forces me to reflect on how I’m staying grounded, and how it prepares me to build a strong future.
Stay grounded friends <3
Blessings always,
Abby Kay
February 2026
Stitches before Sweaters
I actually stole the title of this blog from one of my favorite authors. In his series, The Stormlight Archive, Brandon Sanderson’s heroic characters grow into their magical powers by speaking the first ideal of the Knights Radiant: Life before Death, Strength Before Weakness, Journey before Destination. I was reminded of this phrase by a good friend recently, when they spoke about how their joy comes not from reaching a certain milestone, but from the blessings they receive and the excitement of the journey that they take to get there.
Adventure definitely applies to my crochet life. Any avid fiber artist will tell you that the number of Works in Progress (WIPs) laying around their living quarters at any given point is more than the number of drinking glasses you probably have. Every WIP is an adventure in and of itself. I’ve got 3 major WIPs right now (and a lot more on the backburner) that I want to tell you about.
The first is a beachy, summer button-up shirt for a good friend of mine. I was first tasked with creating this shirt about 2 years ago and I’m still working through it. This adventure has been like river rafting — sometimes I’m floating along on smooth waters, and other times I’m fighting the waves! I’m desperate to reach the destination of finishing this project and send it off to my friend, but I want to find joy in every step, whether I’m floating or fighting. The start of the project was smooth sailing. I got to go to a fun yarn store to pick out just the right colors for this project that match my friend. That’s always one of my favorite parts of creating something for someone I love. I get to choose colors that encompass how I view them and that compliment their style and personality!
The punching waves came a few months into the project because it was SO TEDIOUS. I was NOT enjoying the process and it was making my arm SORE as HECK. So, I took a step back from it for a while (sorry, Chad). After evaluating my progress, I decided I needed to start over. Which sucked. I unraveled (or frogged) the entire thing, and I was almost halfway done. But sometimes taking a step back is a necessary part of the journey and can help you soak in the whole adventure. And now that I’ve started it back up with a better strategy for finishing and a deadline in mind… I’m loving it! Don’t get me wrong, there are still days when I wish I didn’t agree to make this shirt… But, the journey that I’ve already been on in completing this project has been so fun and taught me more than you’d think a crochet project could.
The next crochet adventure I’ve got feels more like a construction project. It’s this beautiful blanket for my best friend that I started about a year ago. I’ve already missed the first deadline I made for myself, and will probably miss the second one too (sorry, Jen Jen). But I love the journey of this project too because its architecture is so different from Chad’s Shirt. It uses a larger hook size, different yarn, different stitches, and even a different mindset. Working on Jenna’s blanket feels like building a house — laying down strong foundations, stacking colorful bricks (or in my case, hexagons), and slowly seeing a structure rise from the plans on paper. I get to track my progress by filling in those little hexagons in my project tracker and calculating my completion percentage, which makes the engineer in me so happy. Watching it come together piece by piece reminds me that construction, like crochet, is all about patience, persistence, and trust in the blueprint.
My newest project feels like the opening of a brand-new map. It’s a sweater pattern test that I’m really excited about! I spent a few minutes at the yarn store agonizing over the right color scheme before finally embracing the colors that I felt represented my own personality the best, since I’m planning on adding the sweater to my own crochet closet. I’ve got a bit of a stricter deadline for this project so I can support the pattern designer, so the journey of this project looks totally different than Chad’s Shirt and Jenna’s Blanket too! But that’s what makes it exciting — every stitch feels like a step into unmarked terrain, and I’m eager to see where this new adventure leads.
Through each step of completing any one of these adventures, I’ve also had faith that the final vision of the piece will come to life. I love that I can combine my love of structure and systems into the free flowing ideal of living an adventurous lifestyle, all through the simple tools of a hook and some string 🙂
Just like Sanderson’s words remind me, the joy really is in the journey before destination — in the stitches, the colors, and the little adventures that make up the bigger one. I encourage you to go out and find those small things that bring you joy, and bring them into your journey to create the adventure of a lifetime!
Thanks for being here to read about and witness my journey through crochet. See you in September!
Blessings always,
Abby Kay
Faith Over Fear
Hey Hey Hey! Thanks for visiting my blog! I’m Abby, and I’m so glad you’re here. As you may know, Abby Kay Co and its development are guided by my 5 Core Values: Faith, Family, Adventure, Gratitude, and Peace. I want to eventually write about all of these core values, but we need to start with the most foundational one: Faith.
Faith as the Foundation
I actually first dreamed up the idea of having my own crochet brand in 2022. I had just moved to a new city where I didn’t know anyone to complete an internship in a field I had absolutely no experience in, and I wanted to use some of the time I had left over to pursue my brand. I quickly became overwhelmed by this idea. The doubts, comparison, and fears crept in and stopped me from committing more time and energy to Abby Kay Co. Looking back, I don’t regret this decision, but I do wonder how things would be different if I embraced faith over fear.
Over the years, as my faith in God and the abilities He gave me have grown, I often revisit this Bible verse:
Psalm 16:6: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
This verse reminds me that I don’t, and never will, have complete control over my circumstances. This fact can be really scary. But with Faith? This lack of control is comforting. When I step back, release control to God and recognize that what I see as insurmountable is Him directing me, I take my next step forward with confidence and faith in the path God has set me on.
Two Communities I Feel Called to Support
There are two communities of people I’m a part of that I specifically feel called to support in my life, and with Abby Kay Co.
1. Entrepreneurs: I worked with countless entrepreneurs and innovative thinkers during my undergraduate career at UW-Madison and learned that the entrepreneurship community is full of some of the most inspiring people on the planet. They see a problem, they see that individuals beyond themselves could benefit from a solution, and so they seek out creating a solution! Entrepreneurs have relentless faith that their ideas can make a difference in the world.
During college, I helped run an Innovation Competition (shout-out to Transcend UW!). At our first kick-off meeting of the semester—months before the competition took place—a student came up to me and asked, “How do I win?” He then launched into a passionate explanation of his idea and why he believed it could make a difference. Honestly, I had my doubts about how successful it could really be. But later that semester, I handed him a $10,000 check as the grand prize winner. The opportunity Transcend gave me to support and celebrate entrepreneurs like him is something I’m profoundly grateful for—and a big reason why I’m so passionate about continuing to uplift that community.
2. Women in Engineering: Engineering has long been a male-dominated field—only 16.7% of professionals in architecture and engineering are women (Society of Women Engineers, 2023). I believe that men and women were created with beautiful, fundamental differences, and those differences only strengthen the work we do. Women in engineering are creative problem solvers and deep critical thinkers. Just like entrepreneurs, we see challenges and seek solutions. And just like entrepreneurs, we need faith to keep showing up—believing we belong, we’re equipped, and our work matters.
I spent a lot of time last year volunteering for a STEM program at the local Boys and Girls Club. One of my favorite activities was building snap circuits—we taught the kids about electricity, circuits, and how these concepts show up in real life. There was one young girl in particular who stood out as she quickly caught on, and was genuinely excited about the challenge. At the end of the session, she asked me to write down the name of the activity so she could get a kit for herself. Giving young girls access to engaging technical experiences is one of the most powerful ways to help them see that engineering is exciting, creative, and deeply rewarding.
The Heart of Abby Kay Co
This faith that I’m founded on and these groups of people that inspire me are what has led to this brand. Abby Kay Co is my entrepreneurial endeavor in which I seek to make others feel seen and known through custom crochet creations. My engineering background helps me to maintain a structured and methodical path to delivering beautiful, quality products to my customers.
I have faith that this brand can one day be everything and more that I dream it will be.
I hope there was something that stirred up in you while reading this, something that you’ve maybe filed deep in the archives of your mind, but persists as a dream you deeply desire. That dream is still possible, and fear doesn’t have to stop you from pursuing it. Now, what are you waiting for? Find what makes you come alive, and GO DO THAT.
Blessings Always,
Abby Kay
June 2025
Intertwined
Hi, I’m Abby — a crocheter, engineer, and the creator behind this brand that’s all about connection, creativity, and cozy vibes. While I don’t consider myself a professional writer, I do love to write, and I’m so excited to share this first blog post with you.
Today, I want to talk about something close to my heart: the way my passion for engineering and my love of crochet overlap. On the surface, they may seem worlds apart, but both follow a beautiful process — a blend of logic and creativity. My logical brain loves this, and wants everything to follow a neat process from start to finish all the time. I’ve found that crocheting has 5 major sections:
- Prepare
- Design
- Create
- Iterate
- Deliver
Before we dive into my definition of these portions of crochet projects, I want you to know that sometimes I don’t follow all of these steps. Crocheting is inherently creative and freeform – but I’ve found it both fun and helpful to approach it with a process-oriented mindset.
Prepare
Like cooking or tackling an engineering problem, the first step is preparation. Almost every engineering class I took in college provided a step-by-step process like this for solving problems. Before you’re even ready to solve the problem though, you have to learn the concepts and equations that enable you to solve it. That’s whaat the preparation stage of crocheting is all about: learning the stitches, choosing your yarn and hook size, and gathering your materials. Once prep is complete, it’s time for the next step!
Design and Create
In truth, phases two and three are really similar, but it depends whether you’re following a pattern or making your own. Maybe in a later post I’ll break down the differences between these two paths, but for now, let’s focus on what they have in common. The designing and creating phase of crocheting is like cracking open a fresh new book, or stepping out into a crisp, 72 degree, sunny day with fluffy clouds and a light breeze. This excitement mirrors the brainstorming and prototyping phase in engineering – when ideas first take shape.
It’s when you finally get to start building something. Crocheting is especially satisfying because you see your vision begin to take shape so quickly.
Iterate
Iteration is the process of refining your work. And yes, sometimes that means starting over. Maybe you find an error in your swatch or realize the sizing is off after completing a panel. In crocheting, iterating through the design and creation of your vision tends to happen a lot faster than it does when solving real-world engineering problems, which makes it a forgiving space to experiment and learn. Crochet stitches unravel very easily, and once you identify the stitch where you went wrong, it takes no time at all to correct the mistake. In engineering identifying and correcting mistakes is a longer process, and the quick process of crocheting is good practice for solving engineering problems.
Deliver
As you iterate, you eventually build your skill at the stitches and techniques necessary to complete the piece. Once the piece is polished and the final ends are woven in, you’ve reached the most satisfying stage: delivery. This is when you get to enjoy the completed project. The blanket you designed and created especially for your graduation, the dish cloths you worked hard on to give to your family at Christmas. This stage brings a sense of accomplishment and a reminder of why we create in the first place. And just like that the cycle begins again – with fresh inspiration and a new idea!
These phases of crocheting projects beautifully mirror the steps taken to complete an engineering project. I hope you’ll join me as I dig deeper into each phase.
I’d love to hear from you, too. Go to the contacts page to ask any questions you have about this post, and offer suggestions on what you’d like to see from this brand in the future!
Blessings always,
Abby Kay
May 2025
Peace
One of my favorite quotes that I found on Pinterest goes like this: Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Since I last wrote in February, I’ve gone on quite the journey of self-discovery. When I first moved to Charlotte about a year ago, I was so ready to dive into this new place of living. Because when I decide I’m going to do something, I do it to the MAX. I am a MAXIMALIST! I made friends like leaves growing on trees. But pretty soon, the allure of living in a new place started to wear off. The physical distance from the place that has my heart, Wisconsin, started to nag at me. Once this allure wore off and stress increased, I found myself filled to the brim with anxiety. Even the question of “what’s for dinner” was becoming too much for me.
One particular day, a little over a month ago, one of my dear friends was helping me pack up my belongings and move things to a storage unit for my upcoming move. The day was physically and emotionally taxing. We spent hours packing up my belongings and taking several trips back and forth from my apartment to the storage unit. As we rested between trips, I reflected on the personal and relational milestones I’d accrued living in the apartment, taking time to recognize that I’d soon leave a physical space that had seen me grow up. My anxiety stirred up more painful memories than pleasant ones, and I was starting to dread that my friend had to fly back home at the end of the day. As she was preparing to leave, I found myself unable to escape exhaustion, yet unable to stop my mind from racing through all of the major life decisions I’d have to make this year. I eventually collapsed with a brutal headache and nausea that took a few hours to fight off. It was through the help of my precious friends that I was able to slowly bring my mind and body to a safe space.
I recently came across an “Entrepreneur Planner” document that I’d created 2 years ago and, in a harsh critic fashion, I reprimanded myself for not making more progress than I already have. And just like that, I found myself in a similar mental setting to that moving day. I had made progress, but my first instinct was to criticise rather than celebrate. In an effort to combat my self-criticism, I decided I needed to share my dreams and visions about Abby Kay Co with some others who could help me. This desire took me to an entrepreneurial open house.
I was sitting outside, on a summer day with the sun shining, on the porch of the CLT Start-Up house, a place I’ve recently begun building a community. I got placed in a group of 5 strangers, and as each individual shared and received advice, I was eager to share my ideas! I was in a group with 4 men and most of their ideas were about tech or AI, not crochet and engineering, so I worried that I wouldn’t get any good advice. Even as self-doubt crept up on me, I knew I needed to speak my ideas outloud. But when I shared, they prompted me with AWESOME questions that got my creative juices flowing! An individual even took time afterwards to tell me that I wasn’t dreaming BIG ENOUGH! It’s been a few weeks since that conversation, and even as my fears and doubts about Abby Kay Co and building my own entrepreneurial endeavor spike, I am encouraged by that comment.
As an engineer, I love formulas. And throughout this year I’ve attempted to use a formula to classify things in my life as successes or failures, as things that belong or things that don’t. Unfortunately, relationships and brand building don’t have straight-forward formulas like calculus. Now, I’m CELEBRATING the small wins, and choosing progress over perfection. Perfection isn’t waiting to start, it’s whatever I create BECAUSE I started.
I wouldn’t have the courage to start at all if it wasn’t for the friends that support me. While homesickness for Wisconsin lingers, I have to recognize that I wouldn’t have met my Banana Bread Baddie girl friends if it wasn’t for my move to Charlotte. These women, who have completely different family and career paths, yet who all share a faith, make me feel welcomed and seen. The result of friendships like these is freedom to live as God made me to be!
I’d seen this trend YEARS ago of other fiber artists using Tupperware to float their yarn projects in the pool while they enjoyed the sun. Sitting out in the pool and getting some sun, combined with crocheting!? Are you kidding me!? Even though I spilled my project in the pool once, the few moments I spent in peace there were excellent. It’s important that I don’t lose sight of gratitude, and the million bazillion gazillion small precious moments that keep me grounded and moving forward.
As I move forward through the noise, trouble, and hard-work, I’ll be propelled by the love of my friends, family, and God, to take small steps towards making my dreams a reality. Better yet, I’ll move forward without a formula. I tried engineering peace, and Lord knows that didn’t work. There will be countless moments in my future where I ponder the weight of my circumstances, but praise be to God for the deliverance I have through Him!
John 16:33: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
XOXO,
Abby Kay
Upcoming Posts
A list of topics I'll be writing and sharing about in the coming months.
- A peek in my crochet closet and the pieces I’ve stitched together over the years
- What I’m currently working on
- Crochet Basics: Everything you need to start learning!
- Personal stories about the people and places who inspire my creations
- How I represent my core values through crocheting