If you’re looking for a sweater that embodies afternoons sitting by the fire, reading and knitting with a favorite warm beverage at hand, it might just be the Easy-Going Sweater from Bernat.
It’s worked in chunky roving yarn, … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Stitch Riot Designs
For cross stitch projects with a ton of pop culture references, check out Stitch Riot Designs on Etsy. This Oklahoma-based designer sells charts that are heavy on TV show and movie references, music-themed projects and snarky quotes.
You can get … Read More...
Spider Knitting Patterns
Spooky season begins in my house on Sept. 1, so you know all the knit pumpkins are out and I’m thinking about new ways to add yarn to our fall decor. How about some knit spiders? They can hang out … Read More...
Book Review: Spooky Stories Aloud
When my daughter was younger it seems like spooky stories were an all-year thing, with “The Ghost and Jenny Jemima” a regular feature. Whether you’re looking for a readaloud for the classroom or home, Spooky Poems Aloud is a fun … Read More...
Everything You Need to Know about Cross Stitch Fabrics
I have been writing about cross stitch here for a long time, and I’m done cross stitch now and then throughout my life, but I’m by no means an expert. So it’s great for me to have this gig where … Read More...
Knit a Lacy Hat for Fall
Last year the Washington Post did a story looking at data from Ravelry that revealed that knitters tend to start knitting hats in August and scarves in September. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for either yet, but if you’re … Read More...
Learn Coding without Computers
National Coding Week begins Sept. 14, so it’s a great time to teach your kids a little bit about coding. Of course there are all sorts of online resources to learn how to code, but it’s also fun, especially when … Read More...
Learn about Bermuda for Kids
Bermuda is a country whose name many recognize from its infamous triangle said to swallow boats and airplanes without a trace. While that’s a myth of course, Bermuda is a lovely country full of fun things to learn.
Bermuda Basics
… Read More...Beetlejuice Cross Stitch Patterns
With the release of the new Beetlejuice movie and Halloween sneaking up on us, it seems like a good time to share some Beetlejuice cross stitch patterns.
At the most basic there’s the Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice pattern from Brianna Lentz… Read More...
Strategies for Using All Your Yarn
I make my interest in using your yarn stash pretty clear (I mean, I have actually written an ebook about it), and one great way to use your stash is to make sure that you use as much of the … Read More...
Tips for Teaching Kids to Sew
I’ve had a lot of fun through the years teaching kids (including my own) how to sew, whether that’s sewing by hand or on a sewing machine, decorative stitching or more practical projects.
September is National Sewing Month, so I … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Durene J Cross Stitch
I feel like I have shared a lot of British designer Durene J Cross Stitch’s patterns before, so it seemed like high time to share their Etsy shop as a designer spotlight.
When I think of Durene’s designs, I think … Read More...
Knit a Blanket that Looks Like a Quilt
I’ve been seeing a lot of knitting projects lately — whether they are new or older — that include elements that look like quilt blocks and I am here for it. My aunt is a quilter but I’ve never been … Read More...
Hold onto Summer with the Hipster Top Knitting Pattern
As I write this, summer is winding down and kids are going back to school, but I know that in a lot of the Northern Hemisphere it will still be warm for a long time, and it’s probably already getting … Read More...
Portal Cross Stitch Patterns
The other day I came across this collection of cross stitch patterns inspired by the video game Portal from sonovastitch and I just had to share them. They all include the companion cube from the game and different phrases like … Read More...
Designer Spotlight: Tourmaline Pattern
The Ukrainian Etsy shop Tourmaline Pattern is the place for you if you like animal patterns with a lot of whimsy and a touch of snark.
You know it’s going to be good when the categories include things like ghosts, … Read More...
Review: Fishermen’s Knits from the Coast of Norway
Fishermen’s Knits from the Coast of Norway by Line Iversen and Margareth Sandfik is a history of the garments worn by Norwegian fishermen from the 1700s to the 1900s, as well as offering knitting patterns to re-create some of those … Read More...
Acorn Crafts for Kids
It seems like the squirrels are already getting all the acorns where I live, but if you can save some from them (not too many; they’ve got to eat, too!) you can make some fun acorn crafts. Whether you do … Read More...
Converting Photos to Cross Stitch
One of the questions I commonly hear from crafters, whether it’s related to cross stitch, knitting or crochet, is wondering how best to convert a photo or other image (like a logo) into a pattern that they can stitch.
I … Read More...
Book Review: Fall Feast
Learn how plants and animals spend fall getting ready for winter in this sweet picture book. Fall Feast: Nature’s Harvest by Sean Taylor and Alex Morss features a family going for a walk on a cool fall day and observing … Read More...