Stacey | FreshStitches

What is Continental Knitting?

by Stacey on August 3, 2015

When I’m teaching new knitters, I notice that a lot of them get caught up in the terms for the different styles of knitting. What is continental knitting? What is throwing? And which one is better? Do what’s most comfortable When I teach beginning knitters, I don’t tell them anything about how to hold the […]

Why do different gauges use more or less yarn?

by Stacey on July 13, 2015

I hear you. Doing a gauge swatch is boring. You have a lovely ball of yarn in your hands and you just want to get started! But did you know that if your gauge is off, you may end up using more yarn than is recommended? And if you’ve purchased a kit, that may mean […]

The Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair

by Stacey on June 23, 2015

My visit to Sydney just happened to coincide with the Craft & Quilt Fair… and I was so excited to visit! I was only in town for the last day, which also happened to be my sister-in-law’s birthday (busy, busy!), so I could only stay for a couple hours. I wish I could have stayed […]

The Clever Crafter’s Guide to Wool

by Stacey on June 11, 2015

I love wool. Most of the yarn I use is wool yarn… it’s delightful to work with and makes my heart happy. Imagine my delight when Tom from Clippers Ireland sent me this delightful infographic all about wool! (and popped FreshStitches into the reference section!) Isn’t wool awesome? Thanks so much to Clippers Ireland for […]

How to Read a Bead Crochet Pattern

by Stacey on May 18, 2015

I love bead crochet! I learned loads of techniques from the book Bead Crochet Jewelry, and I highly recommend it as a starting place for learning! But what if you want to do more? Today I’m going to show you how to read bead crochet patterns, of the type you’ll find on Pinterest and online! […]

And then the Kit Club outgrew my car…

by Stacey on May 14, 2015

This is a happy story with a good problem to have and a solution… but it’s mostly detail-sy insights about how I run the Kit Club. I do these types of posts every so often because a handful of folks find the behind-the-scenes stuff interesting. If it’s not, fear not! We’ll be back to regular […]

5 Crafty Things You Should Do Every Month

by Stacey on May 11, 2015

Spring cleaning isn’t just for spring! Here’s my list of 5 crafty/organizational things you should do every month… for a fabulously crafty year! 1. Put away all of the crafting supplies you’re not currently using Yeah, I know. You might use that half of a ball of blue yarn to start a new project. Or […]

Crazy Skeins Available!

by Stacey on May 7, 2015

Are you sitting down? Are you ready to squee? I know you’ve been waiting for this… Crazy Skeins are available! They first made their debut on the FreshStitches scene in an exclusive Kit Club: And you guys loved them! But I could only grab enough for those of you who were already enrolled in the […]

Do I need to weave in ends on a stuffed animal?

by Stacey on May 4, 2015

Okay, so here’s a question I get often: when making a stuffed animal, is it important to weave in ends? I’ll tell you! Weaving in ends What is weaving in ends? When you change colors (or start a new skein of yarn), you’ll have little tails left behind. Those are called ‘ends’. Weaving in ends […]

Photos from Stitches South 2015

by Stacey on May 1, 2015

Last weekend, I was teaching at Stitches South. First, let me say: the venue was AMAZING! It was held at the Gaylord Opryland… and the best way I can describe it is: Vegas in Nashville. Without the gambling. I mean… there was a river in the hotel! With a little boat! Whoa. It wasn’t a […]