Gift ideas that are presented for Father’s Day often bother me because they assume that every guy plays golf, likes to grill, wears ties, etc. (I guess just like all Mother’s Day gift ideas include flowers, scented bath stuff and … Read More...
Play with Fisherman’s Rib in This Fun Long Vest Project
Brioche knitting has been popular for a while now, but I feel like maybe fisherman’s rib is starting to catch up in terms of seeing it more in patterns. They have a very similar look but a lot of people … Read More...
How Much Embroidery Floss Should You Use?
One of the most common questions I hear from people who are new to cross stitch and other kinds of embroidery is how many strands of embroidery floss should you use on a project?
I learned by using two strands, … Read More...
Bluey Activities and Crafts
I know a lot of older kids watch Bluey, but my daughter never really has, so I’m a bit behind on all the love for this Australian series about a family of dogs. I’ve actually seen most of the Bluey … Read More...
Helix Pullover is a Fun Knit for Summer
I love Jessie Maed Designs and have shared a lot of their patterns over the years, but I somehow missed this one from last summer so I wanted to share it with you now.
The Helix Pullover is a top … Read More...
What’s in the Cards for You, Sweater Knitter?
Sometimes I’ll scroll through Ravelry to find patterns to share and I don’t look at them all that closely before deciding to feature them. So just looking at the top of the pattern page for the Tarot Card Sweater by … Read More...
Learn about Bahrain for Kids
Bahrain, officially the kingdom of Bahrain, is an island nation in West Asia that sits in the Persian Gulf. It’s composed of both natural and man-made islands, which gives you a chance to talk about how man-made islands are made … Read More...
Stitch Up Some Zen with This Easy Knit Blanket
There is just something about a garter stitch blanket. The knitting is easy and relatively mindless, and the resulting knit fabric is cozy, kind of chunky and rustic and just looks like something you want to snuggle under.
I knit … Read More...
Go Retro with This Juicy Top Knitting Pattern
As a person who lived through the 1980s, I have some different feelings about the retro turn in fashion. Of course everything seems to come around again (a few times, probably, if you live long enough) and while I didn’t … Read More...
Camping Themed Cross Stitch Patterns
I have only been camping in a tent a few times in my life and I have to say I don’t enjoy it. But I know some people do, and if camp life is the best life for you, you’ll … Read More...
Butterfly Learning Activities and Crafts
Butterflies are starting to show up where I live, and my daughter and I are excited to volunteer this summer at the butterfly house at our local botanical garden. She already knows a lot about butterflies, but for the rest … Read More...
Review: Learn-a-Stitch Knit Dishcloths
Not too long ago I shared a collection of washcloth knitting patterns and noted that washcloths are great projects for learning new stitches and techniques because they are small and don’t have to come out perfect (they’ll still wash things … Read More...
Give Your Cross Stitch People the Right Skin Tone
One of the popular genres of cross stitching these days is cross stitching family portraits, or self-portraits, or cross stitched versions of famous people or made up people or any combination of the above.
There are whole books and websites … Read More...
T-Shirt Knitting Patterns
I feel like I share a lot of summer tops and tanks, even though surely I don’t share more of them than I do sweaters, for example. See: easy tops | lacy tops | more summer tops as a few … Read More...
Fun End of the School Year Activities for the Classroom
I’ve written a lot over the years about different ways to mark the end of the school year, from printable award ribbons to making books, writing memories on stars, counting down to the end of the year, and … Read More...
Seed Stitch vs. Moss Stitch and How to Tell the Difference
I was reading a knitting book the other day that made it sound like seed stitch and moss stitch were the same knitting stitch, but that’s not actually true. I feel like there’s a lot of confusion because the same … Read More...
A Shawl to Wear While You’re Reading and Knitting
I know there are a lot of knitters who have to really concentrate on what they are doing and can’t do anything else while they are knitting. In time you can probably graduate to watching TV while knitting, but I’m … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: The World in Stitches
The thing that drew me to The World in Stitches’ Etsy shop was all the bright and cheerful color. The shop, which is based in the UK, has a header (as of this writing anyway) that shows four different colorful … Read More...
Knit a Cozy Sweater Perfect for Lounging
In my world, sweaters are for all year, but if you don’t wear sweaters in the summer and are in the Northern Hemisphere, this might be one to save for the fall. Our Southern Hemisphere friends can stitch this one … Read More...
Beach Cross Stitch Patterns
This is the time of year when I start wishing it were time for a beach vacation (and my daughter has decided she doesn’t like the beach so the answer to that might be about five more years). Whether you … Read More...