…before you put the washers on. This lets you check out how the eyes will look before you affix them permanently! When positioning spots, use those stitch markers! I like to put on a couple to hold my spot in place while attaching How’s your cutie coming along? We’re in the final week of the crochet-a-long! Here’s how mine looks: Don’t forget… you have until Friday, July 13th to post your photo on our Facebook page or…
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Rachael Oglesby’s 6 super-fabulous crochet style tips
…ic neutral like camel or cream – all these factors can change the outcome of your outfit. I’m also completely smitten with the neon trend that’s been around the past few seasons and particularly love it most in small hints here or there. I recently purchased a handpainted wool in bright neon yellow from a local farm and stitched up a ribbed cowl that I can’t wait to pair with my more understated classic winter pieces. Tip:…
Continue ReadingUltimate Crochet Hook Review: the review!
…you work on-the-go in places where the lighting isn’t great (the subway comes to mind), these might give you the boost you need! Ultimate Crochet Hook Review Wrap-up Phew! That’s a lot of hooks! There’s even more on the market… there’s too many to get them all! I really hope you’ve enjoyed all of this information and maybe you’ve spied a new hook you want to try! I’d love to hear in the comments abo…
Continue ReadingUltra Rainbow Yarn Bundle
…n that! And did I mention that the colors are stunning? I’ve done my best to snap the best photo I can… but I just have to tell you, the colors are even more awesome in person! The turquoise is even bluer and more beautiful. Trust me. Many commercial yarns are white yarns that are dyed, so they’re all one color. Not these guys! The colors are blended by spinning together different colors of dyed wool… so you can detect subt…
Continue ReadingHow to add hair to your amigurumi
…done after all of the crocheting & stuffing & assembly has been completed. Step 2: Cut your yarn into pieces The pattern will specify the length of your hair pieces. If you’re making it up as you go along, just remember that each ‘hair’ will be folded in half. So, if you want your piece to have 3″ long hair, you’ll need to cut 6″ long pieces of yarn. The easiest way to cut multiple pieces of yarn (and…
Continue ReadingHow to Disaster-Proof Your Schedule
…edule to the gills, then the tiniest unplanned incident is enough to cause complete chaos in your week! Who wants that? [Tweet “Accomplish more by scheduling less. “] The trick is to leave a bit of wiggle room in your schedule. I only schedule 4 days worth of work in my 5-day work week. You might be hesitant to do this. You’re wondering if you’d be wasting time. No way! If life goes according to plan, then I can take the da…
Continue ReadingHow to work with two yarns at once
…que is to work from both ends of a center-pull ball: holding the yarn that comes from the center together with the yarn that comes from the outside. advantages You only need to wind one ball of yarn at a time: particularly great if your project requires only one ball of yarn, or an odd number of balls. You can do this ‘straight off the shelf’ with many yarns packaged as balls- most are center-pull. disadvantages You’ll need to ma…
Continue Reading2014 FreshStitches Year-end Wrap Up!
…itches in 2008, and it’s been my full-time job (and main source of income) since 2010. Every year since then, I’ve posted an end-of year wrap-up to share a bit about how the business works. I highly recommend having a peek at the previous years, they contain some useful business-y tidbits! Here are the posts for: 2010, 2011, 2012, mid-2013 and 2013. Other wrap-ups you might like My hope in sharing this information publicly is that folk…
Continue ReadingWhich loop to use when attaching…
…ou attach your animal’s pieces using both loops or just one. Neither way results in a significantly different look. For the best results, you should be consistent throughout the piece about which one you use. Okay, now the second answer is about what I do. I actually only use the back loops when attaching pieces: There’s no real method to my madness- I think that, since I crochet through the back loop, it’s easier for me to attac…
Continue ReadingUltimate Crochet Hook Review: hook anatomy
…an be made in many different materials (metal and bamboo are 2 of the most common), of course, come in different sizes and those sizes can be printed on the hook in different ways (ranging from ‘not at all’ to ‘laser inscribed’). What the heck does all that mean? Want to know what all of these differences mean to you and your quest for the perfect hook? You’ll have to come back for the rest of the series! (it’s…
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