There are lots of winter animals that are fun to learn about when it’s cold outside. I’ve covered polar bears and penguins before, but this time let’s learn about the arctic fox.
The arctic fox, also known as the snow … Read More...
Fox Cross Stitch Patterns
I don’t really know why I decided to do a post of fox cross stitch patterns. I was thinking this year I should do more roundups of animal patterns because there are so many out there, and they don’t necessarily … Read More...
Knit a Blanket with a Ton of Texture
This blanket knitting pattern is listed as being an easy pattern for beginners, but I’m not sure it’s something I would have taken on as a beginner.
True, all of the patterns in this blanket from Lily Lake Knits are … Read More...
Tools for Adding Beads to Cross Stitch
It’s always fun to add a little something extra to your cross stitch patterns, regardless of whether the project actually calls for it.
One way to make a cross stitch design a little more special is to add beads. Some … Read More...
Knit Some Pants for Cooler Weather
One thing that was long on my to-knit list was a pair of lounge pants. I finally knit some a few years ago, out of sock yarn. They took forever, and I do like them because they’re really warm … Read More...
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Printables
There are a lot of ways to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. on King Day, from doing acts of service to listening to his speeches, reading his letters or talking about our own dreams for the nation.
These printables are … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Counting Puddles
Counting Puddles is an Etsy shop that doesn’t have a huge selection of cross stitch patterns, but it does have some printables that might be relevant at the time of year that I am writing this.
Most of the patterns … Read More...
Learn about Burkina Faso for Kids
Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in western Africa that was called the Republic of Upper Volta until 1984, when it was renamed by its president, Thomas Sankara, who came to power following a coup (and was himself killed during … Read More...
Year of the Snake Cross Stitch Patterns
Lunar New Year for 2025 marks the beginning of the year of the snake. Snakes are intelligent and strong-willed, and they can be sneaky and jealous. Let’s celebrate the year of the snake with some fun cross stitch patterns!
This … Read More...
Book Review: Brioche Knitting Workshop
Brioche knitting is a fun technique that’s relatively easy once you know how it works. It’s been popular for a few years now as a way to make a super squishy, warm knit fabric that looks dramatic even in it’s … Read More...
Book Review: Why We Eat Fried Peanuts
Why We Eat Fried Peanuts by Zed Zha, illustrated by Sian James, tells a sweet story of a woman’s kindness and the family that remembers her.
A child asks her father why they eat fried peanuts for Lunar New Year, … Read More...
Little Things to Knit to Make Winter Better
I know it hasn’t been actual winter in the Northern Hemisphere for that long, but as soon as we get past the holidays the weight of how much winter we have left to deal with starts to get to me. … Read More...
All About Cross Stitch Hoops
One of the tools that I consider essential for most cross stitchers is an embroidery hoop, but I know it’s not really essential.
A lot of the stitching I have been doing lately has been on really small projects … Read More...
Year of the Snake Crafts for Kids
This year’s Lunar New Year marks the beginning of the year of the snake. Most people see snake as a negative because they are thought to be secretive, devious and jealous, but they can also be intuitive, diligent and persuasive. … Read More...
Wicked Cross Stitch Patterns
Now that the whole world seems to have fallen for the movie version of the musical Wicked, it’s time to stitch up some Wicked cross stitch patterns.
My favorite that I found is probably this Elphaba Defy cross stitch … Read More...
Snuggly Hoodie Dress Knitting Pattern
I have lately been enjoying knit dresses as a way to keep extra warm when the weather is cold. Toward the end of 2022/beginning of 2023 I made a bulky sweater into a tunic but I don’t think I fully … Read More...
Book Review: Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers
After I wrote the other day all about hibernating animals, I came across another book that would be fun for a unit study on hibernation or animals in the winter.
Hiders Seekers Finders Keepers: How Animals Adapt in … Read More...
A Beautiful Way to Keep Your Head Warm
I haven’t knit a lot of hats, because I don’t wear hats that often, and because I don’t wear hats that often, the ones I have knit tend to be pretty basic and utilitarian. There’s nothing wrong with that, but … Read More...
Have You Worked a Stamped Cross Stitch Project?
When I was first learning to cross stitch as a teen in the 1990s, I remember there being a lot of beginner kits available where the cross stitch pattern was stamped onto the fabric for you to stitch. This process … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Rina Stitch
Rina Stitch, a Ukraine-based cross stitch designer, has a wide range of cross stitch designs to suit a lot of different tastes.
Of their more than 280 patterns as of this writing, 69 fall under a Christmas theme, but there’s … Read More...