We talked recently about tension when stitching. One way to figure out if you have the correct tension for a project is swatching to meet the recommended gauge. Most patterns will suggest a particular hook size and gauge to make sure your project ends up the same size as theirs. This also helps to make…
Once upon a time, craftspeople were honored for their crafts. This is because they created something useful for themselves and/or the village they lived in. They contributed in some way. These days, most of the things that were traditionally done by these craftspeople has been outsourced. Some to other countries, some to large scale manufactures,…
You’ve put in a lot of hard work, and hooray, it’s time to harvest! So how exactly do you do that? Every plant has a different way to know when the peak ripeness has been reached, and there is no way for me to cover all possibilities. This is one you’ll probably have to use…
You’ve got the pattern home and opened up that envelope, and well, it’s a little overwhelming to say the least. What do you do with all that stuff inside? We’re going to start with the pattern booklet. Once again, I’m only going to be speaking about the Big 4 pattern makers. You can identify the…
Yet again, we’ve made it through another week! Give yourself a little pat on the back for surviving. There were times when it was tough for me, and I bet you had those moments too. We’re working on the whole “low sodium diet” thing for Dad over here. I had no idea how much sodium…
Let me get one thing out of the way immediately: I do not acknowledge that the Les Mis movie exists. The singing was…something. (Some better than others, but that’s another story.) So instead, let’s talk about the 25th anniversary staged concert version. The singers in this were overall amazing. I mean, how could they not…
If you’ve ever read a baking recipe, you’ll notice that there are often several types of sugar listed. What are they? How are they different from each other? Do I really have to use those different kinds of sugar? Let’s discuss. Granulated (White) Sugar This is what most of us think about when you hear…
In crochet, there is such a thing as a slip stitch. It’s mostly used as a joining stitch, or to move to a different area of your project without having to cut the yarn and restart. You can also use them to add a decorative element to your project such as words. I don’t recommend…
As people, it seems like we want to do everything. We want to be the superhero who saves the day, who does all the things, who is the most capable person that has ever existed. I find this especially true with crafters. Unfortunately, most of the time this just isn’t a possibility. I get it….
The fun thing about a garden is that it’s outside. You know what else is outside? Animals. Know what animals like to do? Eat the stuff in your garden. We’ve already talked about some of the pests that might like to chow down on your plants, but they are definitely not the only critters that…
