Darin Made

Making beautiful things in difficult times. Joy is always worth fighting for.

04/18/2026

Did I buy this over the top cat scratcher so the cats can look like a majestic oil painting?

I sure did. The world is on fire, let's find our joy.

03/29/2026

My crochet hook has been busy this week!

I went off a hormonal medicine (Orilissa IYKYK) for endometriosis this week and the transition has been less than sunny. So I put my limited energy into making happy, silly things.

Axolotl and bunny patterns by
Rooster pattern by
Rubber duck pattern by

Game bookshelf mess by us. 🤣

03/23/2026

Our beloved Petey cat has early stage kidney failure.

The good news is they caught it! Our old man is 14 and has been our constant (I mean CONSTANT) companion for the past 12 years. We love him dearly.

He's been a little more vocal and needy lately, so we had him checked out. I was hoping he is just a grumpy old man!

So today we picked up his specialty food and ordered separate feeders for the cats that open only for the right cat based on a collar tag. What a world we live in.

I'm thankful we can take care of him and keep loving on him in the meantime. 🥰

03/17/2026

A little rainbow magic for St. Patty's day 🌈☘️

I was so frustrated that my chains (made with light filters) kept falling apart, but this morning one of them had fallen down and Noah and I sat and worked on it together. It wasn't the surprise I was going for, but it was a nice way to start the day anyway.

I hope you find some whimsy and rainbows today!

03/10/2026

I want to start sharing more here about life with chronic pain, mom life, and everyday nonsense.

Equal parts whimsy and rage.

I don't know what that'll look like, but I want to show up as a whole person instead of segmenting everything. This page started as a place to share my crochet business and has become a place where I chat with friends, hold space for others, get real rage-y, find new whimsy ideas, and so much more.

So I guess this is my heads up that it might look different around here. And if you dont want to hear about women's health, skeedaddle, because I have SO much to say.

03/03/2026

March is Endometriosis awareness month, as well as women's month.

Having endometriosis has been a long journey for me. I have had it since I was 12, but wasn't diagnosed until I was 26. Endometriosis is NOT a "period disorder". It is a full body disease and has been found on every organ in the body. It affects everyone differently based on location, severity, and depth of the adhesions.

I am just now, at nearly 40, realizing how much life it has taken from me. Or... finally willing to admit it. That's not to say that life hasn't been good. It absolutely has, but it has been in spite of a lot of pain, suffering, and limitations.

Women deserve more research and better care. The options for care are so limited, and trust me when I say that I have tried it all. I will continue to fight for a better life for myself and my family. We deserve better, too.

If you ever have any questions about endo or just want to rage at the healthcare system, I'm your girl.

02/04/2026

❤️🔥📣

01/05/2026

There is something magical about library study rooms. I am so productive there! Or, it's the encouraging phone holder my Mom put in my stocking. 🤣

Regardless, I left with a ton of work accomplished, a pile of new books for Noah and one for me, and a mug for completing the winter reading program.

I'd call that a win. 🙌

Happy first Monday after the holidays! How are you holding up?

12/21/2025

How cute are these stockings?

Noah built these and decorated them for the 3 of us. Can you spot his funny swap?

I am quickly running out of winter break activities and it hasn't even started technically. 😳 Send coffee and crafts.

12/17/2025

Teachers and school staff deserve the WORLD. While I can't offer that, I can use my skills to make these adorable zipper bags and stuff them with goodies!

These bags are the one gift I've crocheted for others that I see being used constantly. They are universally loved.

This year, we are making sure to give gifts to the foodservice team at Noah's school as well as his teachers. They have been amazing and make Noah a special meal every day so he can have hot lunch like his friends, despite his many food allergies.

If you're gifting teachers this year, I recommend also looking around to find support staff who might otherwise go unnoticed. I'd do it for the whole school if I could, but we were able to put together 10 bags.

Bag pattern by

Shoot me a message if you want details on putting them together!

11/13/2025

One thing I know for certain is that we all have skills we can offer to our communities.

It might not seem like you are doing much, but every single thing we can do to improve the lives of the people around us makes a huge impact.

This week, I made hats for Noah's teacher to give to students who forgot their own on a cold day, or don't have one at all.

I'm not sharing this for praise, but to encourage you to also look around for needs that you might be able to fill. All of these small acts have a mighty impact when combined.

What should I work on next?

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Oak Park, IL

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http://darinmade.square.site/

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