Stacey | FreshStitches

Design Week, day 1: sketches

by Stacey on March 11, 2012

Welcome to Knit and Crochet Design Week! If you haven’t read the details of knit and design week, read this post to get caught up to speed. Basically, we’re dedicating a little time each day this week to design and sharing our progress. There are no requirements: I just want to encourage you to have […]

A Yarn Lover’s Guide to Sydney, Australia

by Stacey on March 10, 2012

Love yarn? Headed to Sydney, Australia? Then this guide is for you! I’ve spent a fair bit of time in Sydney, and it’s a beautiful and walkable city. I’ve picked 4 areas of town that aren’t only fabulous, but have some yarn attractions as well! In this guide, I’ve included yarn stores, craft stores/markets and […]

Review: Crochet Stitches by Robyn Chachula

by Stacey on March 8, 2012

Today I’m reviewing a stitch dictionary: Crochet Stitches Visual Encyclopedia. What is a ‘stitch dictionary’? Before I start the review, I want to take a moment to clarify what makes a stitch dictionary different from your usual ‘crochet book’. Stitch dictionaries are collections of crochet (or knitting) stitches, motifs and edgings that you can use […]

How to tie a knot in amigurumi

by Stacey on March 6, 2012

It’s another Tip Tuesday! Today, I’m going to show you, step-by-step, how I tie a knot in my amigurumi to secure limbs. My preferred method of tying knots in amigurumi is to attach the limbs to the body before the body is stuffed, so that you can tie the knot on the wrong side of […]

Eep! There’s a knot in my yarn! Help is here…

by Stacey on February 28, 2012

Yippee! Another Tip Tuesday, where I share (what I hope is) a super-helpful crocheting tip. Today, I’m going to talk you through what to do when you arrive at an oh-so-pesky knot in your yarn. Knots in yarn are a part of life. Even in commercial yarns, knots occur when the manufacturer needs to join […]

Good teaching = stating your automatic moves explicitly

by Stacey on February 27, 2012

Before I get around to explaining what that title means, I’m going to start with a story. The story My dear hubby (Tim) is Australian, where it’s hot, they drive on the left side of the road, and he was the owner of a lovely manual (stick-shift) car. We don’t own a car, so since […]

Interview with WeirdBugLady

by Stacey on February 26, 2012

If you’re a follower of my blog, you’ll know that I’m obsessed with plush stuffed animals. So, I knew that when I saw the work of Brigette from WeirdBugLady, I had to have her over for an interview! Brigette is an Entomologist who creates “plush soft sculpture bugs, insects, arachnids, molluscs, microscopic invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, […]

Crocheting in Rounds: free download

by Stacey on February 25, 2012

I love crocheting in the round! It’s easy to crochet circles… but also squares! I’ve put together this easy reference guide to get you started crocheting circles, squares and granny squares: Download the pdf version of the guide by clicking here. What can you actually do with these patterns? Lots! Here are a few ideas: […]

Lion Brand Studio Store Visit

by Stacey on February 23, 2012

store: Lion Brand Studio Store address:34 W. 15th St, NY, NY 10011 website: www.lionbrandyarnstudio.com date of visit: February, 2012 I ventured down to the Lion Brand Studio Store for a book signing. I didn’t know what to expect from the store (as I had never been before)… I had heard it was a magical place […]

How to get an even stitch and gauge in crochet

by Stacey on February 21, 2012

Happy Tip Tuesday! Today, I’m going to share my trick with you for getting a lovely, even gauge when you crochet. Grab your yarn and hook, and follow along! Step 1: Make sure your loop is on the shaft of the hook. This is where the hook size is measured, so it’s where you’ll want […]