The largest independent craft review site since 2007
Something about this 18 Petals shawl (or scarf, whichever) knitting pattern from Amy Gunderson for Universal Yarns just says spring to me.
Scratch that.
Pretty much everything about it says spring to me.
Bold colors? Check.
A cool floral-inspired design? … Read More...
I hate to admit it, but summer will be here before we know it. My daughter’s school participates in a summer reading challenge, and there is the summer reading program at the local library, too. It’s a good thing she … Read More...
Most knitters use stitch markers
when they are knitting in the round to mark the end of the round, but many of us don’t use them as often as we should or could to make our knitting lives easier.
I … Read More...
Have you ever seen the Clover pincushion maker? It’s a cool tool that makes it easy to make a pillow-like pincushion, which Stitched Modern used to make a cute cross-stitched pincushion covered with stitched polka dots.
Of course you could … Read More...
Lace knitting is fun any time of year, but I especially like doing it during the spring and summer because it allows you to make knitting projects that you can actually use when the weather is warm.
If you’ve never … Read More...
If you have a wedding coming up, check out this beautiful ring bearer pillow knitting pattern.
Designed by Debbie Trainor, it features a Double Moss Stitch back and a heart design on the front with a little cable in … Read More...
I adore this sweet cross stitch design by Luba Davies Atelier.
Called Prosperity in the House, it features a little kitty resting on a pillow with a Chinese character (I assume a symbol of prosperity?) on her back.
The pattern … Read More...
With Earth Day coming up this weekend, you might want to plan an Earth-themed craft to do with your kids.
Crafts on Sea has a great collection of more than 30 Earth Day crafts, which it says are for … Read More...
This beautiful idea from the Educator’s Spin on It is called a drip painting rainbow name recognition activity, but the basic concept could be used to make all kids of resist art.
The basic concept is to have something … Read More...
If you’re like me, and like most knitters I know, you’ve probably bought a skein or several of sock yarn
(let’s not talk about other kinds of yarn right now, OK?) with no real idea of what you were going … Read More...
I’ve seen people use forks to make prints (like this version at Fun Littles) but I had never seen the corollary idea until now.
You can also paint forks to make them look like tulips, as is shown in … Read More...
Much as I love cross stitch, I really like using embroidery as a gateway to getting people interested in stitching because it is more free-form and there’s not really a “right” way to do it.
I’ve been writing a lot … Read More...
There’s something about the change in the weather that makes people want a fresh start, which means spring cleaning, clearing and decluttering.
Why not also knit up some new things to help you with your spring cleaning?
DROPS has a … Read More...
One great way to use a lot of yarn at once is to knit big projects on big needles. Whether you use yarn that was already super bulky or make your own fat yarn by combining multiple strands, it’s really … Read More...
I was thinking again about Hermione’s Everyday Socks, a fantastic (and free) sock pattern from Erica Lueder.
It’s a rather old pattern, first published in 2009, and I started knitting mine several years after that but maybe only finished … Read More...
This is a really pretty cross stitch design for Mother’s Day that has the benefit of being appropriate for moms or grandmas.
Better Cross Stitch Patterns shows this floral Mother’s Day design in two color palettes, saying either “for my … Read More...
Now that the temperature is getting warmer, kids want to spend more time outside, and we want to let them. But it’s fun when we can add a little bit of learning to that play time, too.
Next time you … Read More...
I love warm beverages pretty much all the time, but I don’t love that my mugs sometimes get too hot.
Coffee cozies are quick and easy projects that are also really useful for the coffee and tea drinking folks out … Read More...
Cross stitch and embroidery look great together and can easily be used in the same project, so it’s worthwhile to know a little bit of both if you like stitching and drawing with thread.
Pam Ash Designs has a great … Read More...
Letter recognition is a big part of being able to learn to read, and making learning about letters more fun is always a great idea.
Instead of using flash cards or drilling kids to help them learn the letters, try … Read More...
