My daughter is 16 and one of her favorite things to do on school breaks is watch The Great British Bake Off. It’s such a soothing show, as well as being creative and fun, and it’s low stakes enough … Read More...
Knit a Swirly Square in Any Size You Like
This swirly square stitch knitting pattern from Studio Knit is a lot of fun, and it looks kind of complicated without being difficult at all.
The swirly nature of the block comes from regularly placed increases, as the pattern is … Read More...
How to Travel with Cross Stitch: Airport Rules, Packing Tips & What to Bring
Cross stitch isn’t a craft I usually travel with myself, but plenty of stitchers want to bring a project on a plane or road trip — here’s what you need to know about packing needles, scissors and thread so security … Read More...
Book Review: Wild Your World
Most kids go through a phase where they want to learn more about animals, and it’s fun for them to learn about the diversity of the natural world and what humans can do to protect other creatures we share the … Read More...
Knit a Stunning Bestiary Scarf
I don’t even know what to say about this amazing knitting pattern. The Bestiary Scarf from Monstra & Mirabilia is so full of details it’s a little intimidating to talk about.
It features, as the designer describes it, an “artistic … Read More...
Fourth of July Cross Stitch Sampler Patterns
Looking for Fourth of July cross stitch sampler patterns? These patriotic, sampler-style charts are a great place to start if you want something more general than my America 250 picks.
Stitch up some classic July 4th symbols, from the Statue … Read More...
America 250 Fourth of July Activities for Kids
A lot of kids aren’t in school for the Fourth of July, but whether you’re in a classroom or at home, you’ll probably want to mark July 4, 2026, in a special way because it is America’s 250th birthday. And … Read More...
Patriotic Knitting Patterns to Celebrate America’s Birthday
As I’m writing this the United States is about to celebrate a pretty big birthday, and while some of us have complicated feelings about that country right now, I think most of us would agree both that it’s a place … Read More...
Plan This Fun Lego Challenge for a Group of Kids or Just One
With summer coming on in the Northern Hemisphere, I feel like we all need some fun activities we can do with one kid at home or a bunch in a classroom when it’s too hot to go outside (I guess … Read More...
Unique Stitch Crafts: Travel & Christmas Stocking Cross Stitch Patterns
Unique Stitch Crafts is a Turkish Etsy shop with two clear specialties in their cross stitch patterns: travel-poster designs for cities and national parks, and an enormous collection of Christmas stockings — more than 100 of them.
By far the … Read More...
Choose Your Own Brioche Knitting Adventure with this Shawl Knitting Pattern
If you’re looking for a fun project to play with brioche knitting, check out the My Buddy knitting pattern/recipe from Casuarinagirl on Ravelry.
This project doesn’t include a brioche tutorial, so it’s good to know the basics, including how … Read More...
Learning about Finland for Kids
Finland is a country in Northern Europe bordered by Sweden, Norway and Russia, as well as the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Bothnia. Let’s learn more about this Nordic country.
Finland Basics
Finland is 130,678 square miles, or … Read More...
Stitch Your Favorite Fruit on a Sweater
The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”
Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at … Read More...
Cross Stitch Embroidery Hoops: Types, Sizes & How to Choose the Right One
An embroidery hoop is one of the most common cross stitch supplies, right up there with fabric, needles and floss — but with wooden, plastic, spring tension and Q-Snap options out there, it’s worth knowing which kind actually suits your … Read More...
Tips for Teaching the Alphabet to Kids
If you have a little one learning their letters at home or at school, it can be helpful to know a bit about the science that goes into learning your letters and how the experts teach letter recognition.
Knowing the … Read More...
Ties to Knit for Father’s Day
I know it’s a bit of a cliche to say that all dads wear ties, but I do think a knit tie is a nice thing to have when you do need to wear one, so let’s look at some … Read More...
Juneteenth Cross Stitch Patterns
Juneteenth is a celebration in the United States that marks when enslaved people living in Texas (specifically, Galveston, via what’s known as General Order No. 3) finally got the word that they were free. It happened on June 19, 1865, … Read More...
Little Bear House Art: K-Pop Demon Hunters & Hungarian Folk Cross Stitch Patterns
Little Bear House Art has a small but seriously specific cross stitch shop: K-Pop Demon Hunters quote patterns sit right alongside Hungarian folk art florals and snowflakes. If you’ve been searching for a K-Pop Demon Hunters cross stitch pattern, this … Read More...
Knit a Blanket with a Fun Ripple Pattern
I feel like I’ve been seeing feather and fan and similar stitch patterns a lot lately. Maybe it’s just because I knit a feather and fan scarf earlier this year so now I’m paying attention to it. But this stitch … Read More...
Fun Summer Reading Logs and Challenges for Kids
Reading regularly during the summer is a great way to keep kids on track with their learning, and it’s just a fun thing for people of all ages to do, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate with outdoor activities.
For … Read More...