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...
Celebrate Color with the Minas Sweater
One of the hardest things about winter for me is the lack of color. It’s like the whole world ran out of toner, and often our clothes reflect the muted landscape outside, which just makes everything more drab.
This year … Read More...
Hibernating Animals Activities
I volunteer at my local library pulling holds for children’s books, and the other day someone was looking for Over and Under the Snow, a lovely picture book about animals that hibernate and those who don’t.
It reminded me … Read More...
New Year’s Resolutions for Cross Stitchers
As the year comes to a close, you might be thinking about things you want to do, or do differently, in your life in the next year, and your crafting life should definitely be part of whatever resolutions or goals … Read More...
Learn about Bulgaria for Kids
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is in Southeastern Europe that’s bordered by Greece, Turkey, Serbia, North Macedonia and the Black Sea. It was founded from an empire that deeply influenced the Slavic nations and was once part of the … Read More...
Super Cozy Blanket Knitting Patterns
Once you get past the rush of the holidays, it’s time to focus on yourself and your home and what’s going to make you feel good for the rest of winter. For me, that’s having a homemade blanket in every … Read More...
How to Cross Stitch on a Chair
I love seeing different ways that cross stitch can be worked on unusual surfaces, from strainers to chain link fences and more. One slightly more common way to add cross stitch to your home without using cross stitch fabric is … Read More...
Snow Globe Crafts for Kids
Whether you have snow where you live or are on the wrong side of the world for that, these snow glob crafts for kids are a lot of fun to put together at home or in the classroom.
If you … Read More...