Over the weekend my daughter and I attended a unicorn-themed birthday party. It’s always a little stunning to me how many unicorn-themed things there are out in the world (and I have an 8-year-old daughter, so you’d think I would … Read More...
Play with Language with a Rhyming Bingo Game
Bingo is a game that’s really simple even for little kids to play and there are a million different ways to play it.
These printable rhyming Bingo cards from Growing Book by Book are a cute way to play with … Read More...
Stitch an Ampersand Cross Stitch Pattern
I am a bit of a grammar and usage geek, so I would love to stitch a cross-stitched ampersand.
But even if you’re not a big fan of punctuation, I think this would be a fun cross stitch to do … Read More...
Simple Slippers to Knit for Women
It may be summer, but that doesn’t keep my feet from getting cold in the house from time to time (hello, air conditioning!).
Knit slippers are a great way to remedy that problem because they’re quick and easy to knit … Read More...
A Lovely Roundup of Summer Tops to Knit
You all know by now my love for a good knit top for summer. I’m definitely going to get on knitting some for myself and my daughter soon (and it’s already feeling like deep summer where we live, so we’ll … Read More...
How to Knit a Pocket Prayer Cloth
With all the sad news of high-profile suicides lately, it’s important to take the time to make sure that the people we care about know we care about them and are thinking about them.
That can be as simple as … Read More...
Knit the Shawl Made Famous on Jeopardy!
Earlier this week, knitters might have noticed a fabulous shawl on the shoulders of one of the contestants on Jeopardy!
The quizzer in question was Leslie Manion, a bookseller and knitter from Vancouver, Wash.
The shawl she knit and wore … Read More...
Trailing Blue Flowers Cross Stitch Border
Sometimes the Pinterest algorithm gets it right. This pattern, for a trailing vine of blue flowers from LaMariacha, was in one of those “you might enjoy these Pins” emails. You know the ones that are usually really unrelated stuff and … Read More...
Cross-Stitch Jellyfish
We’re literally counting down the days to our beach vacation (25 more!) and it’s just not coming fast enough. So I’m looking for inspiration everywhere I can to get me through these last landlocked days, and today it’s this jellyfish … Read More...
Make a Marble Track Out of Paper Plates
This paper plate spiral marble run is a cool craft for summer that isn’t that hard to make but might require a little help from grownups to get the spacing of the plates just right.
The full tutorial is at … Read More...
Knit Scrubbies with Your Cotton Scraps
I am all about being less wasteful and using more things that are reusable, and if they can be handmade, too, so much the better.
Little scrubbies are great for removing makeup or washing your face, and these handknit facial … Read More...
Cross Stitch a Jiji Cat — So Cute!
We have watched several Studio Ghibli movies, but one of our favorites is Kiki’s Delivery Service, about a young witch trying to make her way in a new city by working as a delivery person.
At her side is … Read More...
Check Out Judith Durant’s Sweaters for Carousel
The worlds of knitting and Broadway might not mix often, but when they do, the result is pretty cool.
I love this story from the New York Times about the sweaters knit from the musical Carousel by Judith Durant, whose … Read More...
Solar Powered Crafts for Summer Fun
We’re a week into summer already at my house, and it’s already really hot outside, but we still try to get outside a bit when we can.
These ideas for solar-powered crafts from Parents magazine might just inspire you to … Read More...
Stitch a Sweet Leaf Blanket for Baby
I didn’t do any adorable newborn photos when my daughter was a newborn, but I know a lot of people really love to do them, and knit accessories are a great way to make baby look even cuter.
This leaf-shaped … Read More...
A Classic Knit Edging from 1884
Adding edging to a simple knitting project is a great way to make it look more interesting. You can even add edgings to things that aren’t knit, such as purchased skirts or a plain fabric blanket.
This knit edging shared … Read More...
Code Breaking Summer Riddles
My daughter is really interesting in solving mysteries and figuring out puzzles, so I’m definitely printing out the code breaking summer riddle worksheets from JDaniel4’s Mom.
The codes — one is ocean themed and another farm themed — use images … Read More...
Knit a Mermaid Tail for Your Pet
A couple of years ago I knit my daughter a mermaid tail blanket for Christmas. Hers is pink and purple, and it’s really cute, if I do say so myself.
But if there’s one thing cuter than a little girl … Read More...
Another Fun Summer Top to Knit
I’m not at all sorry that I keep sharing patterns for knit tops. I only wish I had time to knit them all!
This one from Katia magazine is a free PDF available in both Spanish and English (it’s the … Read More...
Make a Sidewalk Chalk Obstacle Course
During the summer in particular it can be so hard to get kids moving. Whether its hot outside or they’re just more interested in a device, a book or something else, they often aren’t getting the amount of physical activity … Read More...