Congratulations Cathy from raggz2baggz.com, you’ve won the prize:
Thanks to everyone who entered! Stay tuned — I may have another giveaway coming up soon! 😉
enter soon!
February 25, 2015 by 1 Comment
Don’t forget the giveaway is halfway over! If you haven’t entered yet, now is the time! Click here to enter!
everything you need to know about knitting & crocheting tools/extras
February 21, 2015 by 4 Comments
Two weeks ago I posted “everything you need to know about crochet hooks” and last week we learned “everything you need to know about knitting needles.” This info is also from 2011 and is permanently available in the menu bar but I thought it worth revisiting!
stitch markers
Stitch markers have been unnecessary in every crochet pattern I’ve ever attempted — a scrap piece of yarn marks your spot just as well and doesn’t cost you extra. They’re much more useful in knitting, at least for me. They do make markers that look like jewelry if you just want to look pretty, like the glass beaded ones in the tin above.
needles
OK so you do need sewing needles to sew the ends of your yarn into your project. Just make sure you find some with big enough eyes for your yarn. The big ones are called tapestry needles. If you want to get organized you can get a metal magnetic tin for your needles and stitch markers, as seen above.
scissors
Duh.
measuring tape
A cute one is always fun, like the Cath Kidston retractable one above.
needle/hook sizer
Useful if all of your needles or hooks aren’t clearly marked with their size. The Susan Bates one above is also good for checking knitting gauge!
thread cutter pendants
These thread cutters hang from a necklace so can be kept with you at all times, and they’re very handy. I totally had to get one because it’s more convenient than digging around for my scissors, and it’s just awesome! Even works on thicker yarns. I got the Clover brand.
These are so handy! Mine is handmade by a woman on Etsy (click here for more info).
wire yarn stranding guide
This ring is specifically for when you are knitting with more than 1 color/ball of yarn at once. It helps keep the tangles at bay and can be found cheap.
beads (not pictured)
It can be fun to add beads to your crocheted work, but unless the pattern calls for it, I’d stay away from beading! When you’re crocheting you have to put all your beads for the project on the yarn before you start, because there’s no way to add them as you go along (unless you tie them on with sewing thread or something, but who wants to do that?). That means you have to count EXACTLY how many beads you will need and TRIPLE check that you’ve put that number of beads on the yarn before starting.
help a study learn more about knitters and crocheters!
February 18, 2015 by 6 Comments
Hey everyone! There’s a facebook group that has some interesting research going on about knitters and crocheters. I really want to participate and thought maybe you would, too! Here’s what was sent to me:
“Would you like to participate in the Woolly Wellbeing Research project?
This would contribute to a PhD study into the ways women share their knit and crochet online. Do you post to ask for advice or to show images of what you have made? Does it help you manage feeling lonely or to connect with other crafter-friends? Lots of these questions will be the topic of posts as we share together.
To take part, you’ll need to read the Participant Information document in ‘Files’ and then complete a consent form on the pinned post at the top of the page, just so I know you are informed about the project and how your posts could be used. This is a closed group and all posts are confidential between group members. All material will be made anonymous in writing up research.
Just search for ‘Woolly Wellbeing Research Group’ [on Facebook] or click to connect.
Feel free to share!”
Fibi the Fox – ta-da!
February 17, 2015 by 7 Comments
Hello everyone! Today Fibi the Fox was completed, and it’s time to share her with you!
If you ignore the quantities of dog hair that grace the cushion (that stuff NEVER comes all the way off!!!), Fibi turned out well. The pattern is available for sale over on Ravelry for about $6.39, if you want to check it out!
I used KnitPicks Palette yarn for the body, and a scrap of Cascade Heritage Paints for the scarf. The arms are a bit long, but that’s because the gauge is looser than the gauge of the body (that’s what happens when you lay a project aside for a while, I guess).
This actually took a while to do — amigurumi in general does, I find, because of how tight you have to crochet and all of the nooks and crannies and sewing together of parts. It’s worth it though!
That’s all for today. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you’re enjoying the “everything you need to know about _______” posts (knitting needles & crochet hooks)– there’s one more coming up soon!
