I often get emails that (roughly) say, “I want to start a craft business. Do you have any tips?” This is a very big question. The fact is: there’s no one solution that works for everyone, and determining the best course for your craft business will take both soul-searching and industry research. So, while there’s […]
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Did someone ask for a unicorn?
I know there’s a tempting hint at unicorns in the title… but I’m not going to get to that until I share my book progress. Because I’m really proud of it. Book Progress… check me out! Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I made a huge effort to put the finishing touches on lots of projects. I […]
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5 reasons to love your LYS
“I can order it online for cheaper” Yup. It’s true. In the internet age, where everything is available online for a discount, some people are wondering why it’s worth shopping at a local yarn store (LYS). My suspicion is that many people feel this way because they haven’t yet discovered what an LYS truly offers. […]
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Looking for a great textured stitch? Bobble stitch tutorial!
I adore the bobble stitch: it’s such a great texture! I developed this stitch because I wanted a puff… but the traditional ‘popcorn stitch’ leaves a hole in your work that isn’t suited for amigurumi. Salty the Crocodile from Crocheted Softies The bobble stitch (bbl st) creates a puff… but by using the front loop […]
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Adorn Anew Blog Tour: How to dye a gradient yarn with kool-aid!
I was excited when Laura Nelkin asked me to be on the blog tour for her serialized ebook, Adorn Anew: it’s a beautiful collection of knitted & beaded jewelry and accessories, with a new pattern released each month in 2012. Laura is well-known as the ‘knitting with beads’ goddess (okay, I made the title up, […]
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What is an ergonomic hook? Do you need one?
Although crocheting is far safer than other hobbies (take jousting, for example), it’s not without its dangers. Depending on your crochet style, genetic disposition and lifestyle, crocheting for long stretches of time can result in wrist/hand pain. Ouch. What is an ergonomic hook? An ‘ergonomic’ crochet hook is a hook that is designed to alleviate […]
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Avoid the Designer’s Roller Coaster: 4 Easy Tips
What is the designer’s roller coaster? I suppose I should actually call it the self-employed-person’s rollercoaster, since it’s a problem that applies to almost anyone who’s in charge of their own hours. So here’s the thing: as a designer (or production crocheter, or graphic designer…), you’re not only in charge of actually doing your work […]
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Looking back at one of my biggest FOs: Crocheted Softies!
It’s Finished Object Friday! As you may have surmised from this week’s Work-in-Progress post, I don’t have anything finished that I can actually show you… But, do you know what today is? It’s the 1 year anniversary of the release of Crocheted Softies! Talk about a big FO! So today, I’m going to take a […]
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How to strand yarn in color changes: a video tutorial
Every Tuesday, I post a helpful tip… and this week, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to handle the unused yarn while crocheting with two colors. (It’s funny: you wouldn’t think there would be trends in customer questions, but there certainly are!) For today’s post, I’ve made a video showing you how […]
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Want to discover a whole new world of patterns? Try reading crochet charts!
I adore Japanese craft books. It doesn’t matter if the craft is sewing, crocheting, needle felting… you name it and I can guarantee that you’ll find a supply of irresistible Japanese books on the topic. Just one example of the crochet fabulous-ness that comes out of Japan. Of course there’s a little bit of bad […]
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