store: The Yarn Barn address: 930 Massachusetts Street Lawrence, KS 66044 website: www.yarnbarn-ks.com/ date of visit: November, 2009 Let me begin by saying that even if the Yarn Barn were in the middle of nowhere, it would be worth the drive to visit. But, it’s in Lawrence, KS, which is (in my opinion) an adorable […]
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Free knitted mini sock pattern!
Little knitted sweater and stocking ornaments/keychains are popping up all over the place… and I thought I needed to have one, too! A couple days ago, I knitted a miniature sock, and thought I’d share the pattern with all of you! Click here to download the pattern. Miniature socks are a great project to do: […]
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Easy Cowl Tutorial
I’ve talked about dyeing yarn with Kool-aid… and now I have a finished project: an awesome cowl! Cowls seem to be everywhere this season, and I love them because they’re so versatile. As you can see in the photos above, they can be worn around the neck as a scarf, on your head like a […]
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La Droguerie
store: La Droguerie address: (Paris) 9 et 11 rue du Jour 75001 PARIS (Bordeaux) 8 place Puy-Paulin 33000 BORDEAUX website: www.ladroguerie.com date of visit: July & August, 2009 This summer, while I was in France, I got the chance to visit 2 different stores of La Droguerie (there are 10 stores in France, as well […]
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Crocheting through front, back and both loops
Have you ever wondered about the difference between crocheting through the front, back and both loops? I’ll show you the different fabrics you’ll get using these various techniques! Working in the Round When working in the round, you crochet without turning the piece. This means that the right side is facing you for all rounds. […]
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Book News: Page Proofs arrived!
Hip, Hip, Hooray! The page proofs for my new book have arrived, and they’re beautiful! For those of you not keeping track… I’m writing a crochet book of animals and baby things, to be published March, 2010 with Martingale Publishing. It’s a date that’s fast approaching… I’ll tell you a bit about how (at least […]
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Try a bent tip tapestry needle!
Most amigurumi patterns call for a tapestry needle, which is used for joining pieces together. There are lots of different needle choices available, but I really love using a bent tip needle. What is a bent tip needle? As the name suggests, it’s a tapestry needle (with an eye large enough to accommodate yarn) with […]
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Tips and Techniques for felting
One of my newest patterns is Gerry the Felted Bear! We have become quite taken with felting, so in this blog post, we’ll review all the important stuff you need to know. But trust me, it’s easy! Selecting yarn for a felted project All of our FreshStitches patterns are made using worsted weight yarn. You’ll […]
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Tips for stuffing large amigurumi
You probably wouldn’t be too surprised if I told you that how you stuff your amigurumi is important. After all, you spend lots of time crocheting… you want to end up with an animal that looks great! And stuffing is crucial to obtaining a great final look. You may be surprised, though, that stuffing large […]
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How to work small pieces in the round
Most amigurumi crocheters have run into a classic problem: crocheting in the round on a tiny piece is annoying! Well, I have a tip that I think will help out. What do I mean by ‘crocheting on a tiny piece’? I’m not just talking about crocheting with thread! Even if you are working with a […]
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