The pattern is kind of old, but thanks to a blog post over on KBB Crafts & Stitches I learned about this gorgeous little peacock purse cross stitch pattern from Craft Ideas.
To be accurate, it’s actually half stitch, worked … Read More...
Knit a Simple Hat on a Knitting Loom
Do you ever loom knit? I do from time to time, though I still feel like knitting with needles is faster, it’s sometimes fun to do something a little different.
This loom knit hat tutorial from Do it Your Freaking … Read More...
Valentine’s Day Coding Activity
At my daughter’s school, they had an activity like this set up in the tinkering studio around Christmas, but I love it as a Valentine’s Day activity, too.
Using binary code and two colors of pony beads (plus a third … Read More...
Learn about Shapes, Symmetry and Geometry with Snowflake Patterns
I love this snowflake geometry project from the STEM Laboratory.
Use her printables for a variety of shapes, read books or websites about how snowflakes form (NOAA has a pretty great rundown of the science behind snowflakes) and then … Read More...
Tips for Framing Cross Stitch Projects
Once you’ve finished stitching a cross-stitch project (having done what you can to keep it clean and cleaning it when you’re done if necessary), it’s time to put that beauty in a frame.
Of course the easiest way to finish … Read More...
Rooster Crafts and Activities for Chinese New Year
The year that begins with Chinese New Year on Jan. 28 is the year of the rooster, so I thought it would be fun to share some rooster crafts and activities you can make to learn about and celebrate the … Read More...
Knit a Heart Shaped Pillow for Valentine’s Day
There’s nothing quite like knitting to show your love and appreciation for someone, and what better way to do that than with a heart-shaped project? These knitted hearts are perfect for Valentine’s Day and beyond, and are a great way … Read More...
Knitter’s Magazine to Cease Publication
A note from Benjamin Levisay, CEO of XRX, Inc., says that the 32-year-old Knitter’s magazine has ceased publication with its Winter 2016 issue.
The magazine published 125 issues, but Levisay says they have stopped producing it because of financial … Read More...
Free Winnie the Pooh Cross-Stitch Patterns
Jan. 18 is Winnie the Pooh Day (because it is creator A.A. Milne’s birthday) so it’s the perfect time to stitch up a Winnie the Pooh cross stitch pattern.
I did a little hunting online and here are a few … Read More...
Giveaway: Knitting References
Joanne is the winner.
The office cleaning continues, so this week I have a couple of knitting reference goodies I’d love to send to a good home.
The first is Knit Simple Knitting Workshops, which was published as a special … Read More...
Make Fun Paper Lanterns for Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is coming up soon (Jan. 28, to be exact) and it’s a lot of fun to talk about the traditions surrounding the holiday and to make crafts related to it.
Several times over the years we have … Read More...
Two Ways to Get New Dishcloth Patterns This Year
Dishcloths are a lot of fun to knit, because they are small, portable projects, usually knit with cotton yarn that doesn’t cost a lot of money, they are super useful and they can teach you new skills.
I think this … Read More...
Stitch a Rubber Duckie to Decorate Your Bathroom
I don’t know who comes up with these things, but as I write this, today is Rubber Duckie Day. So why not celebrate by stitching up a little yellow duckie to decorate the bathroom, or anywhere else for that matter?… Read More...
Review: Easy Fair Isle Knitting
I know from talking to knitters and hearing what you all say when I ask that a lot of knitters are a little afraid of Fair Isle knitting and other colorwork projects. They seem really intimating because it’s hard to … Read More...
Cross-Stitch Basics: How to Clean Cross Stitch
Despite our best efforts while we are working on a project, our cross-stitched objects sometimes get a little dirty.
Prevention can help a lot: always wash your hands before you stitch, don’t eat and stitch (or drink colored/sugary liquids), store … Read More...
Unpoppable Bubbles are a Fun Science Lesson
We’ve made what were supposed to be super strong bubbles before, but nothing quite like this un-poppable bubble.
Hip Homeschool Moms has a video from Labracadabra that shows how to make and play with bubbles that aren’t literally unpoppable but … Read More...
Have You Met Sam Barsky? If Not, You Should
I was introduced to Sam Barsky, in the virtual sense, through a knitting group on Facebook.
Like many of us, Sam has a knitting-related obsession. His is sweater knitting.
In particular, knitting pictoral sweaters of landmarks or with a particular … Read More...
Resources for Learning about Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., day is coming up, and it’s a great time to learn about the civil rights leader and the civil rights movement in general. This isn’t easy stuff to talk to our kids about, but it is … Read More...
Review: Cross-Stitch Samplers
Samplers
are the classic, quintessential cross-stitch project, probably what most people think of when they think of cross-stitch.
And while they are kind of old-fashioned, they’re a great way to build skills and to commit to working a larger project. … Read More...
Knitting as Protest: The Pussyhat Project
Regardless of your political leanings, I think it’s always cool to see handcrafts used as part of a political statement, and that’s happening in a big way with the Pussyhat Project.
The idea is to outfit as many women … Read More...