Halloween used to be one of the biggest holidays when it came to classroom parties at my daughter’s school (they still do a lot in the lower grades, and the young ones go trick or treating in the upper school … Read More...
How to Take Apart a Sweater
This starts as sort of a sad story about a sweater I wanted but didn’t end up knitting. Years ago I bought a figurative ton of bamboo yarn, and I thought it would be the perfect thing for a … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: StitchxFinch
I generally don’t share Etsy shops that are as small as this one — it only has 24 patterns as I write this — but I did want to share it just because there’s a story behind it for me.… Read More...
Book Review: The Not-So-Wicked Witch
Witches tend to have a bad reputation in literature, especially children’s stories. From the Wicked Witch to Roald Dahl’s The Witches, they’re always scheming and trying to cause havoc, steal children (and sometimes even eat them) and other terrible … Read More...
Bold Ribbed Shrug Knitting Pattern
The other day I shared a bunch of ribbed hat knitting patterns, but of course ribbing is great for lots of other projects, too. Ribbing automatically gives anything a structured look, and it’s a great choice when you need … Read More...
Knitty is Celebrating the Clapotis
If you were around at the beginning of the knitting Internet, you might remember the Clapotis (pronounced, apparently, clap-o-tee; I’ve been saying it wrong in my head for 20 years!). Originally published in the fall 2004 issue of Knitty, it … Read More...
How Old is that Thread Anyway?
Not too long ago I cleaned up my cross-stitch floss (which was desperately needed, I assure you) and it got me wondering about the age of some of the threads in there.
I’m not a consistent cross-stitcher by any means, … Read More...
Rosh Hashanah Crafts and Activities for Kids
Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish new year, and it moves around on the Gregorian calendar but is generally sometime in the fall.
I’ve shared lots of Rosh Hashanah crafts and activities before, but here are a few … Read More...
Ribbed Hat Knitting Patterns
I’m not much of a hat person, though I really want to be, but if I am going to wear a knit hat, odds are good I’m going to go for a ribbed hat.
Ribbed hats are great knitting projects … Read More...
Learning about Bhutan for Kids
Did you know the landlocked country of Bhutan is actually the most mountainous nation in the world? It’s also home to the tallest mountain that has never been climbed. The country didn’t have Internet, or even television, until 1999. Let’s … Read More...
Adorable Halloween Cross Stitch Patterns
Sometimes we tend toward the creepy and spooky when it comes to Halloween cross stitch patterns, but I also really projects with a Halloween spin that are also just cute. So this time let’s give some space to some adorable … Read More...
Glacier Fingerless Gloves Knitting Pattern
The other day I shared a hat knitting pattern that included lace panels and talked about how such a project would be great to wear when it’s not super cold out but you’ve still got a hankering for some knit … Read More...
Fall-Themed Literacy Activities
I had some fall literacy activities in my leaf reading and writing activities post, but I wanted to include a few more with a more general fall theme if you’re into that. See also my roundup of printable fall books … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Tidy Patterns
Every now and then I come across a shop I want to promote just because their patterns are colorful and cheerful. That’s what caught my eye when I found Tidy Patterns, an Etsy shop based in Switzerland that showcases the … Read More...
Knit a Stack of Nesting Cats
I know I just shared a bunch of cat knitting patterns not all that long ago, but I saw these the other day and, in the spirit of whimsy, just had to share them.
The Matryoshkats pattern from Mochimochi Land … Read More...
Spiderweb Crafts for Kids – Halloween Activity
There are so many ways to go when it to comes Halloween crafts for kids to make, I was feeling a little overwhelmed at how to narrow it down into a post that made sense. So instead of trying to … Read More...
Tips to Make Cross Stitch More of a Habit
This is the cross stitch page, so of course I’m talking specifically about cross stitch here, but these ideas for making cross stitch more of a habit really work for any craft or hobby that you want to deliberately spend … Read More...
Use Your Stash on this Stranded Knit Sweater
I am known to be a big fan of stash busting projects (I even have a whole little ebook about it!) so when I saw the Stowaway pattern from Wool & Pine I knew I had to share it, and … Read More...
Nightmare Before Christmas Cross Stitch Patterns
It’s time to head to Halloweentown and stitch up some fun Nightmare Before Christmas cross stitch patterns!
Even if you’re new to cross stitch you can make this simple Jack Skellington cross stitch pattern from StitchNSkulls. Because the fabric … Read More...
Playdough Learning Activities
Playdough is a classic kid’s toy, and it is so great for learning and developing motor skills. It gives you another way to introduce material, from forming letters and numbers to learning colors and just making fun pieces of art. … Read More...