Twisted cord is one of the embellishments I use most often. It’s so simple and it goes perfectly with your project because it’s made out of the same yarn. The best thing about it is that most people already have everything they need to make it at home. No purchases required. I made a quick little video to show how I make it, but if you’d like more information, check out our tutorial as well. The only thing I’d mention besides what's shown in the video (and tutorial) is that you might need a friend's help with a long cord. It's important to control the twist when you are twisting it back onto itself. A friend holding one end taut is essential if your cord is longer than your arm...
I’m always on the lookout for a good podcast. (Got any hot tips? Please share!) Makes knitting and crocheting (as well as driving, housework and gardening) 10 times more fun. Having great content always available on my phone, totally free of charge, still seems like magic to me. My thirteen-year-old son takes all of this for granted, but I grew up in the cassette tape era. I just never cease to be amazed by it. Never listened to a podcast before? If you’ve got a smartphone, you’ve got all you need to get started. Just read this article. You can stream them on your computer too, but having them stream from your phone is way more versatile. So what have I been listening to lately?...
Have you seen the video below making its rounds on social media? (Here's the link.) The promise of doing colorwork and never having to weave in ends seems too good to be true! Multi-colored projects are so pretty, but few of us enjoy weaving in the inevitable ends. I had to check out the technique for myself to see where I thought it would make sense. One of my most popular designs is a colorwork design. I feel my students’ pain when it comes to weaving in the ends. It’s my MultiGarment design from my Tunisian Crochet class on Craftsy. And one of the most common questions in the class is: “Is there any trick for not having to weave in so many ends?” And I always regret...
How do you make your picots? There are a ton of ways to do a picot stitch, and they all have their good uses, but in this post I'll show you my personal favorite. I probably do picots like this about 90% of the time. The typical instruction for making a picot stitch usually has you chaining 3, then slip stitching into the first chain that you made. Take a look here for a step-by-step tutorial. In the photo above, I used some hemp to crochet the Picot Arches edging pattern. It's a free pattern that I posted on the blog yesterday. On the right you can see a 3-picot arch in my preferred method and the “typical method” on the arch to the left. My favorite method makes a round, full and flat...
Broomstick lace makes for gorgeous edgings. You can crochet these edgings on anything that you can pull up a loop in - crochet, knitting, fabric. I’ve spent quite a bit of time coming up with original Broomstick lace edgings. One day I will publish a collection of them. I’ve shared a pattern for one of them below. I’ve got a trick for doing picot stitches - watch for it in my blog post tomorrow. For National Craft Month, look for a tip a day on my blog until the end of the month. Picot Arches Sample worked with DK Cotton Tape yarn, a size C crochet hook and a #50 Knitting Needle. Multiple of 10 (+1 for starting chain) Row 1(RS): Set up – Working in...
