…. Step 3: Repeat steps 1-2 Continue stitching and tugging as you work your way around the neck: See how I’m tugging? And see how the neck is becoming defined? Why so much tugging? You may be asking yourself… why is it important to tug every few stitches? Can’t you just wait until the end? It’s risky. If you wait to do a HUGE tug at the end, one of two things can happen: The yarn will break (trust me… this is really sa…
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Ultimate Crochet Hook Review: which hook is right for you?
…your hand. pictured: ChiaoGoo Comfort Grip Hooks to try: Addi Swing, Addi Comfort Grip, Etimo Comfort Grip, ChiaoGoo Comfort Grip, Susan Bates Bamboo Handle, Kollage Square Hook. Do you have arthritis? If you have arthritis, crocheting can be an achy task. You may find crocheting with an ergonomic or comfort grip (above) more comfortable. I’ve heard some folks with achy hands prefer plastic hooks (since they bend in your hand as you work) o…
Continue ReadingHow to fix an incorrectly-attached amigurumi part
…t. It’s not possible to attach the knot on the inside (the preferred way of making sure the knot is invisible), since the piece has been stuffed, so you’ll have to do your best to make the outside knot as invisible as possible. Now, insert your needle through the body, and pull… this will pull the tail in and help to hide the knot a bit: And you’re finished! No one will ever know! Did you love this post? Then you might want…
Continue ReadingEep! There’s a knot in my yarn! Help is here…
…hanges if you’re unfamiliar), begin working with your new yarn: and continue working with the new yarn. You’ll have 2″ or so of tails (one from each piece of yarn) on the wrong side of your work… and you’ll want to handle them the way that suits your project best. For a stuffed animal, I would tie a knot: If you’re making a shawl or another piece where you don’t want a knot, you’d want to weave the t…
Continue ReadingKnook (knitting with a crochet hook): is it worth learning?
…’t seen knooks for sale alone in the store, so you’re probably best off grabbing The Knook Beginner Set, which comes with a variety of hooks, cords and a beginners book. Videos about how to knook are available on the Leisure Arts Website, and they’re pretty clear and easy to follow. You begin knooking by threading the cord into the eye in the hook. The first row is done by crocheting a single chain, nothing tricky! To Knook the f…
Continue ReadingOptions for single crocheting in a chain
…lso called crocheting through ‘both loops’): When you’ve completed single crocheting, your piece will look like this: Comparing the two methods Let’s look at the two options side by side: As you can see, crocheting through both loops creates more of a ‘bump’, while crocheting through both loops is straighter along the bottom edge. There’s no right way! And once you know the two options, you’ll be abl…
Continue ReadingHow to Knit or Crochet Using an *Exact* Amount of Yardage!
…if you have partial skeins, you’ll need to do some calculating. The best way to do this calculation is by using weight. Read this blog post for step-by-step instructions! You’ll need a digital scale and a calculator! How to calculate how many stitches you get per yard You’ll need to do a little gauge swatch! This technique works for either knit or crochet. Read this great blog post on how to measure yarn. This blog post has some…
Continue ReadingHow to dye multi-color skeins with Kool-Aid
…n loop?): Chances are, if you’re purchasing undyed yarn, it’ll come this way. If not, it’s no big deal. Just wind it around a box and make your own! To dye your first section, dunk a part of the skein in your first color: You can dye as much or as little of a section of the skein as you want, but keep in mind that the more colors you want to use, the smaller each section will have to be. Step 3: Keep going! Now, dip an undyed sec…
Continue ReadingPhotos from Stitches South 2015
…have asked for better students to calm my nerves. Folks in the south are always so sweet, and so are knitters. So, combine those two and you pretty much had the nicest people in the universe. They learned and we all had a total blast. I didn’t take too many photos (a few are on my Instagram feed)… and I can’t even pick favorites. Dyeing with Kool-aid is always awesome. Teaching folks to knit or crochet for the first time is a thr…
Continue ReadingWhat we can learn from Olympians
…te? There’s still a few lessons us knitters and crocheters can take away from the fabulous athletes competing at the games. You don’t start off perfect When you begin learning anything new, whether it’s how to knit or that tricky back-post-double-crochet stitch, you don’t get it right the first time. Should you beat yourself up over it and quit? Of course not! Take it as a gentle reminder that you’re human, and keep g…
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