Stacey | FreshStitches

How to Dye a Gradient Yarn using a Spray Bottle

by Stacey on April 22, 2015

Remember when I told you how to dye a gradient yarn with a sock blank? Well, today I’m going to go a step further and show you how to get an even more gentle gradient using a spray bottle. When I made this skein of yarn, I was feeling Easter-y, so I picked yellow, blue […]

Is the Invisible Decrease right for you?

by Stacey on April 20, 2015

What is the Invisible Decrease? If you crochet amigurumi, you have probably heard of the Invisible Decrease. The Invisible Decrease is another name for slip stitching 2 together through the front loop. The result is a decrease that is thinner (and less bumpy) than a regular decrease. Is it right for you? I often get […]

Crochet Ripple Afghan

by Stacey on April 16, 2015

Have I shown you the beautiful afghan that my mom made Maddie? I just love it! It’s in my favorite colors! She used Knit Picks (either Brava or Comfy Worsted… I can’t tell because it looks like the aqua color has been discontinued!) and a size I hook. I bought her a Caspian Crochet hook […]

How to Count the Number of Stitches in a Round (crochet)

by Stacey on April 13, 2015

When you crochet in the round, it can be tricky to count your stitches. But counting is important to make sure that you’re on track for following your pattern. Today, I’ll show you how to count your stitches! The loop on the hook doesn’t count! Here’s a photo of my work: Do you see the […]

How to Dye a Rainbow Gradient Yarn (using a sock blank!)

by Stacey on April 10, 2015

Today I’m going to show you how I dyed this beautiful skein of yarn: I’ve talked about how to dye a gradient before, but today’s technique is a bit easier (but costs a little more). For this project, I used a sock blank. What is a sock blank? A sock blank is basically length of […]

Finished Rainbow Bead Crochet Necklace

by Stacey on April 9, 2015

I’ve been working on this project for a while: I chatted about it here in December, but got derailed until I found this nifty bead spinner to help me get that long strand done… and here it is! You can see how long that black strand is around the back. That’s a lot of beads! […]

How to Get What You Want

by Stacey on April 6, 2015

My “working title” for this blog post was: Why you should ALWAYS communicate… but I thought this one was a bit catchier! Do you feel like you’re always getting stuck in a tough spot? Like nothing comes out the way you planned? I have one tip that is going to change your life. It might […]

How to Prioritize like a Pro: Schedule your Hardest Tasks

by Stacey on April 2, 2015

I know this has happened to you: you have sincere plans to do insert important thing here. And then, you have a little spare block of time. But it’s not the right time to do that important thing. So time slips by and that thing never gets done. How do I know? It used to […]

Have you tried these ways of making yarn?

by Stacey on March 30, 2015

Of course you can go to the store and purchase a skein of yarn. But you can also make the yarn yourself! Some of these are fabulous options if you’re on a budget, or maybe just looking for a way to get creative! Spin Yarn Spinning is using either a spindle or a spinning wheel […]

How to string seed beads quickly and easily!

by Stacey on March 25, 2015

It’s a new Coffee with Stacey! I got a really fun new toy: the Darice Bead Spinner, which promises to speed up the stringing of seed beads. I string a lot of beads for bead crocheting, so I just had to give it a try! Watch the video to see me using it in action, […]