Category: Crocheting

  • Caring for local fiber businesses

    Caring for local fiber businesses

    NOTE: I originally wrote this specific to yarn shops, but in light of the closing of Joann stores, I have updated it to include BOTH yarn and fabric. Do you have a local fabric or yarn shop in your area, and by “local” I mean an independent store that is not part of a national…

  • Sunglasses pouch

    Sunglasses pouch

    I recently watched a YouTube video on how to make a sunglasses case/pouch and it reminded me of other patterns I have seen over the years. As often happens with ALL of us who knit or crochet for any length of time, I wanted to make edits here and changes there. I ended up with…

  • Caring for Mother Earth

    Caring for Mother Earth

    One weekend I realized that I had blown through disposable makeup remover cloths at a rate that was a bit disturbing. I had to admit that I was addicted to the EASE of use and quick work they make of my makeup at the end of a long day, but I could not shake my…

  • A grandmother’s legacy

    A grandmother’s legacy

    When I was a senior in high school, and preparing to spend my last Summer at home before entering the United States Navy on active duty, my grandmother asked me what I wanted for graduation. I asked her to crochet me an afghan/blanket that I would take with me when I went away.. Crocheted blanket –…

  • Good deeds & yarn

    Good deeds & yarn

    Most of us that crochet or knit probably don’t think a lot about how our yarn habit might help us out of a jam. This blog post highlights how being generous with our time and talent can pay dividends, and maybe even protect us from potentially negative circumstances! A couple years ago, a colleague of…

  • Not-so-Secret Shopping

    Not-so-Secret Shopping

    Today I traveled south of my home by just over 1-hour to the 1st annual Fayette County Fiber Festival. I was not disappointed! There were multiple YARN and WOOL vendors there as well as a number of vendors with related, non-yarn items. The booths/tables were set up in a logical manner and there was plenty…

  • No negatives (only good!)

    No negatives (only good!)

    According to a number of research studies, crafting is a wonderful way to improve our mood, boost our self-confidence and help reduce stress! Craft activities also help to enhance our brain function. Crafting activities exert a positive impact on motor skills, which are movements like running, walking, stretching, playing tennis, dancing (gross motor skills) and…

  • Cord Keepers (or tamers)

    Cord Keepers (or tamers)

    I recently attended a professional conference where I came home with a small bag of business-themed giveaways. One of these was a branded piece of rubber or nylon with a snap. Its purpose is to help contain cords that accompany all of our electronics. Driving back from that event, I thought about how to replicate…

  • Stitch by stitch

    Stitch by stitch

    I don’t know about you, but I sit down to crochet or knit for a lot of different reasons. Some days it’s to work on a specific item that I plan to give to someone as a gift. Other times it’s to make something for myself. Still other times I may be teaching myself a…

  • Badges, medals, reminders

    Badges, medals, reminders

    In one corner of my office, I have a bulletin board where I hang little reminders of my creative side. It helps keep me grounded, reminds me that there are many aspects to me as a person, that I have unique and creative skills, and since I first learned to crochet from my grandmother, who…