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May in crochet: colours, fibres and projects to start now
You know that moment when you open the wardrobe, look at your yarn balls and feel as if they want to go out too? That is May. It is not quite summer yet, but it is no longer the time for slow, heavy makes. May is the month of the first weekends away, ceremonies marked in the diary, improvised picnics, lightweight bags, gentle colours and projects that already smell like holidays.
It is the month when crochet stops being just a “home hobby” and becomes a language of style. We see it on social media, in magazines, in street style looks and also in the habits of those who create: people look for faster projects, more wearable pieces, easier things to take outside. Not necessarily simple, but closer to real life.
May is a palette you can wear
If April is the month of rebirth, May is the month of full bloom. Peonies, daisies, wisteria, geraniums, bougainvillea, just look around to understand that this month’s palette has a double soul: romantic yet energetic, delicate but already sunny.
The colours to keep an eye on
For May 2026, the handmade palette can play with five key shades:
Coral, perfect for accessories that brighten without becoming excessive. It works beautifully on bags, textile jewellery, details on a top or on a bandana.
Strawberry red, fresher than classic red, ideal for small but striking projects: a flower, a clutch, a charm, a decorative detail.
Sky blue, to use when the project needs to express lightness. It works wonderfully for summer garments, beach cover-ups, tops and suitcase-ready accessories.
Mustard, the most fashion-forward note in the palette. It is the colour that gives character to a picnic bag, a placemat, a basket or a crochet accessory that wants to look as if it came out of an independent boutique.
Do not think of colours only as beautiful, think of them according to their purpose. A ceremony jewellery piece needs a more elegant palette. A weekend bag can allow itself a more vitamin-rich colour. A Mother’s Day gift can choose a more emotional shade, such as pink, coral or strawberry red.
May fibres: lightweight, practical, smart
In May, the way we choose materials also changes. It is not enough to say “I want a beautiful yarn”. You need a yarn that is coherent with the project, the season and the final use.
Because a picnic bag does not have the same needs as a ceremony jewellery piece. A bikini does not behave like a clutch. A beach cover-up needs to be light, pleasant on the skin and easy to imagine inside a suitcase.
For bikinis and first thoughts of the sea: Splash
May is the month when we start booking, dreaming or at least thinking about the sea. And when the calendar begins to fill up with weekends and holidays, the handmade bikini immediately returns to the wish list.
That is why, among the fibres to choose, it makes sense to look at Splash, ideal for those who want to make crochet bikinis. The practical tip is to pair it with fabrics to line the inside of the swimsuit and with cups for the top part. It is not just an aesthetic matter: it is a matter of comfort, fit and final result.
A handmade bikini must be beautiful, yes, but also well thought out.
For bags, baskets and picnics: Ternes and Tornado
May is also the season of bags to take outside. Not the huge winter ones, but lighter, more manageable models, more grab the keys and go.
For bags, cords such as Ternes and Tornado are a very interesting choice. They have that structure that helps the project keep a beautiful shape, especially when working on accessories intended for everyday use.
And since we are talking about picnics, Ternes can also become a creative ally for baskets, placemats, charger plates and small outdoor decorative elements. This is where crochet enters the culture of living: I am not only wearing something handmade, I am also bringing handmade into the way I enjoy my free time.
The cotton that builds community: Iggy XXL
Every season has its talked-about product, the one the community tries, comments on, saves and recommends. For May, Iggy XXL falls exactly into this category: a new cotton that has won over many creative makers because it speaks the language of contemporary projects.
It is the kind of yarn that can become the star of fresher accessories, bags, decorative elements and projects with a clean but never ordinary look. Its strength is exactly this: it manages to look modern without making the work too complicated.
For ceremonies and elegant details: Diana, Yoko and Norah
May is a month full of special occasions: First Communions, Confirmations, baptisms, engagements, weddings. And here crochet needs to take a style leap.
It is not enough to make something by hand; you need to create something that feels designed for that moment.
For more elegant projects, it is worth looking at Diana, Yoko and Norah. They are yarns to consider when the goal is to create refined details: ceremony clutches, textile jewellery, hair accessories, small lightweight garments.
The gem of the month? A beach cover-up made with Norah because May is also this: one foot in the ceremony, the other in the suitcase.
The 3 crochet projects to make in May
And here we are at the most practical part, the one that turns inspiration into tutorials, yarn balls on the table and “okay, I want to make this”.
1. The carnation for Mother’s Day
The first May project could only be a flower, but not just any flower: the carnation for Mother’s Day. We made it with Iggy cotton, a mouldable metal wire and stuffing.
To make it, you only need the basics of crochet; in fact, the project is suitable for both beginners and more experienced makers.
It is a small, symbolic project, also perfect as a gift idea or as a detail to add to a package, a card, a handmade composition and, why not, as a place card for Sunday lunch. The carnation has that slightly old-fashioned and slightly theatrical beauty, capable of speaking to several generations.
And here comes something beautiful: the dialogue with the community. One of our loyal readers wrote us a precious note: “Tradition says that pink carnations were born from the tears of the Virgin Mary during the Passion of Jesus, symbolising eternal maternal love”.
That is the point: a tutorial is not just a technical explanation. It can become memory, story, shared symbol. And a crochet flower, in this case, is not just decoration. It is a gesture.
2. Cookie Bag: three granny squares and a clever idea
The Cookie Bag is the perfect project for anyone who wants a light, creative bag in May, with that slightly vintage flavour that is now making a huge comeback.
To make it, you need 2 colours of cord of your choice; we opted for SUBLIME in the black and beige version.
Discover how to make it here.
Its strength lies in its construction: it is created by joining three granny squares. A smart solution, because it starts from a beloved, recognisable technique. It is the kind of project that also works very well as a tutorial: those watching understand the structure, visualise the steps and immediately imagine the colour variations. In coral it becomes fresh, in butter more sophisticated, in strawberry red more pop, in mustard decidedly editorial.
The Cookie Bag is May in crochet form: practical, photogenic, not bulky, perfect for walks, markets, weekends away and first outdoor aperitifs.
3. Yana, LaMamu’s ceremony jewellery piece
The third project is Yana, LaMamu’s bijoux, elegant and perfect to show off at a ceremony.
Here crochet changes scale: no longer a bag, no longer a flower, but a precious detail. A handmade jewellery piece can transform even a simple look, especially when the dress is minimal and needs a creative point of light.
Our Bijoux godmother used the following for the project:
Discover how to make the jewellery piece for your May ceremonies:
Yana is the ideal project for those who want to bring handmade into an elegant context without making it look “crafty” in the most predictable sense of the word. It is handmade, yes, but with a fashion intention.
And this is one of the most interesting trends of the moment: the return of personal, non-standardised accessories, capable of telling something about the person wearing them.
May’s takeaway
May reminds us of one simple thing: crochet does not just follow the seasons, it interprets them. It can become a flower to give to mum, a bag to take to the first picnic, a jewellery piece for a ceremony, a beach cover-up to slip into the suitcase when summer is still a promise but we are already ready.
So the question is: this May, do you want to live it as a carnation romantic, a creative with the Cookie Bag or a chic guest with Yana?
Rosaria Tessiland®
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