What makes a good beach bag? It is a bag that’s big enough to hold everything you need? A replacement for your purse that can get sandy? Something with holes for carrying your shell collection? This roundup of beach bag … Read More...
Tropical Flower Cross Stitch Patterns
I feel like summer is the time we all wish we could be somewhere tropical, but if we can’t, at least we can stitch some tropical flower cross stitch designs. There are tons of great options available, but here are … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Stitchissimo
Stitchissimo is an Etsy shop based in Bulgaria that has a heavy focus on bookmarks and cards, often with a religious spin, as well as adorable animal cross stitch patterns. Let’s take a closer look.
The biggest category in the … Read More...
Book Review: Record-Breaking USA
There’s something great about every state, and Clive Gifford has collected fun facts, trivia and firsts from every state in Record-Breaking USA: Celebrating America’s Biggest, Brightest and Bravest.
Each state gets a one or two-page spread, with facts scattered … Read More...
Book Review: Knitting the U.S.A.
Knit a colorwork hat inspired by every state in the United States with Knitting the U.S.A. by Nancy Bates. Like her previous book of hats inspired by US national parks, this book includes a colorful hat design for every … Read More...
Project Hail Mary Cross Stitch
The movie Project Hail Mary came at the perfect time for us to continue our space joy after the Artemis mission, so let’s keep the fun going with some Project Hail Mary themed cross stitch projects.
Of course a lot … Read More...
Knit a Pet Bed on a Knitting Machine
I feel like I haven’t shared many knitting machine patterns lately, probably because I haven’t been using my knitting machines much lately. (I finally made space for them to live on the bookshelf in my office, and now that they … Read More...
Activities for Teaching the Alphabet
Last month I shared some tips for teaching the alphabet to kids and why going in alphabetical order isn’t the best way to do it. Honestly a lot of learning at this age has to do with play, so let’s … Read More...
Bastille Day for Kids
When I was writing about France the other day, it occurred to me that Bastille Day was also coming up (July 14, to be precise), and I wasn’t sure that I had written about it before. On further digging I … Read More...
Eyelet and Mesh Sweaters to Keep Cool in Summer
Adding eyelets to a project is a great way to make it more wearable in the summer, and these mesh and eyelet sweater patterns are perfect for summer (and beyond!) for layering.
The Inez Summer Sweater from Happy Love Co… Read More...
Cross Stitch Creatures from the Sea
Last fall I came across this cross stitch pattern for a sea turtle and I talked myself out of sharing it right away because tropical animals don’t feel like a “fall” thing, but now that it’s summer again, let’s take … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Happy Sloth Patterns
You know a little bit what you’re in for when you see the header for the Etsy shop Happy Sloth Patterns, whose tagline is “dumb patterns made by an idiot human.” Which at least implies there’s no AI to be … Read More...
Crafts from the Beach Kids Can Make
Whenever you go to the beach with kids, you’re sure to come home with some seashells and more than a little sand. Let’s use some of those treasures to make fun crafts.
This handprint craft is made with a sand-infused … Read More...
Super Simple Baby Blanket Knitting Pattern
While I was knitting this baby blanket, my husband was curious as to why I was knitting a baby blanket when there are no babies in the near future that we know of. (What we know is kind of relative … Read More...
Cross Stitch Cards for All Occasions
I have never stitched a greeting card, but I kind of like the idea of it. It’s a card and a gift all in one, and hopefully one the recipient will hang onto for years to come.
This collection of … Read More...
Book Review: The No-Brainer Brain Explainer
Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).
This … Read More...
Knit and Felt Some Tabi Style Slippers
The felted slipper craze that began last year doesn’t seem like it’s fading away. The Sailor Slippers, often striped knit and felted slippers made with super bulky yarn, because the project of the moment late last year (check … Read More...
Cross Stitch Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
Summer is the time for sweet treats, whether eating them or stitching them. This collection of patterns is full of designs that are good enough to eat. Almost.
This year of ice creams from Simone Balman Art is lots of … Read More...
Shark Week Learning for Kids
Shark Week generally happens in July, but any time is a good time to learn more about sharks.
First, start with some fun whale facts like these from Kids Craft Room. Here I learned about the dwarf lantern shark… Read More...
Knit Summer Tops with Fun Necklines
I mentioned the other day that there are, or at least it feels like there are, a lot more options for knitting garments to wear in the summer, and I want to share as many of them as I can, … Read More...