…in my Persephone Beret (free pattern!). Shepherd’s Wool Worsted. Softest merino ever! Leftover from my Calli Felted boots. Frog Tree merino. Used for an animal in my upcoming book! Roving from Spin Span Spun. Same spinning as (5), but unplied. Sundara Merino. I used this yarn when I knitted my abalone. Kraemer Alpaca DK. This yarn was white, but I dyed it in pink kool-aid. Leftover from my double knit mittens. So, there’s my top ten&#…
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Help! Crocheting in the back loop is too hard!
…r question! Recently, I received this email from Nicole: I saw that your recommend stitching in the back and it looks a lot nicer. I can do it but it is very difficult. I find it very hard to get my hook into that stitch. For some reason that back stitch is very tight. Is that normal? Is there a trick? Thanks appreciate any insight you have. After some further emails, Nicole and I figured out that she wasn’t actually crocheting in ‘the…
Continue ReadingHow to crochet a smaller amigurumi!
…rns is the first step to designing your own… so give it a try! As an example, I’m going to talk about how to make any size Mike the Microbe, from my book Crocheted Softies . Feel free to try it out with any pattern! Identify the parts of the Pattern Have a good look at your pattern, and try to identify big chunks of the pattern. When you have a look at the small microbe’s pattern, you’ll notice that rounds 1-9 are increase…
Continue ReadingDinosaur Crochet Pattern
…of your own! We don’t know what color dinosaurs really were, so feel free to make this cutie in any color! This cutie dino measures approximately 9″ tall when completed, when using a worsted weight yarn. Materials Required Ella Rae Classic is the yarn used in the sample: Green (190 yds). This pattern can be used with any weight yarn, but plan on using more yardage for bulkier yarns. Skills Required Blog posts you may find helpful for t…
Continue ReadingHow to take great photos with white backgrounds
…also change the exposure in software like Photoshop or PicMonkey (which is free!). Here, I changed the exposure by photo-editing: As you can see, both of these techniques get pretty similar results, and make a big difference! Step 4: Crop or paint corners Cameras, because of the curve of the lens, tend to leave photos with some darkness in the corner. For a totally white background, you’ll want to either crop the photo (cutting the corners o…
Continue Reading3KCBWDAY4: Summer is a time for yarn!
…), and it’s ready for summer! This tank top is knit from a wonderful free pattern on Ravelry… and I used cotton yarn that I frogged from a sweater I found in a thrift store! Hats Summer can be sunny… so don’t you need a good hat? This fab hat is knit from Cotton Classic and the pattern is from Modern Top-Down Knitting (another great book for summer style!). I crocheted this hat from Cotton Classic and Frog Tree PicoBoo (bam…
Continue ReadingA Yarn Lover’s tour of NYC (with pickle detour!)
…nd’s ‘LB Collection’: an exclusive line of luxury yarns. Combine the exclusive yarn line with beautiful (and ever-changing) art displays and samples and a comforting LYS-atmosphere… and you’ve got a place definitely worth a visit! 6: Purl Soho address: 459 Broome Street (Read a full review of the store in this blog post) I love Purl Soho. And Ellen loves their blog… so it was a must-see on our list. It’s b…
Continue ReadingConnecting your Cow’s Spots… it’s easy!
…spots For those of us who aren’t finished… the tips are still coming! Click here to check out all the previous posts. To this point, we’ve finished the crocheting, and we’re getting ready to start sewing pieces together. Today, I’m going to show you how to make the spots… which are made by assembling 2 crocheted pieces. Here’s what they look like: Let me label them (since they’re called part 1 and p…
Continue ReadingMia, Doll Crochet Pattern
…pieces to get lost in play! She’s suitable for your littlest one, but feel free to use craft eyes (instead of the felt eyes, shown) for children over 3. Mia is wearing a skirt with a tank top and Mary Jane shoes. Instructions for making her curly hair included! Materials Required 430 yards of worsted weight yarn (shown in Ella Rae Classic Wool): Brown (150 yds), Black (165 yds), Purple (65 yds) and Yellow (50 yds) Skills Required Blog posts you ma…
Continue ReadingQuick & Easy Shortcut for the Cow’s Tail!
…e end of the tail, so the length in the pattern is just a suggestion. Feel free to make yours as long as you’d like! I like to use my hand as a guide… that way there’s no measuring required: After I’ve wrapped a length of yarn around my hand a few times, I just cut straight next to my index finger, and I magically have equal yarn lengths! Now, are you ready for my second trick? It’s actually more of an alternative way…
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