WhichCraft

Materials: Bernat Blanket yarn  Size N/P hook (10.00mm) Tapestry needle (for weaving ends) Scissors Terms to Know: ch - chain st - stitch slst - slip stitch sc - single crochet dc - double crochet dc2tog - double crochet 2 together Pattern (written in US terms): Chain 3 Round 1: 8 DC in the third loop from the hook (Note: this is my "Magic Circle" shortcut); slst to join to the first st Round 2: Ch 2; 2 DC in each st all the way around; slst to join (16 total stitches in this round) Round 3: Ch 2; DC in each st all the way around; slst to join (16 sts total) Round 4:  Ch 2; DC in each st all the way around; slst to join (16 sts total) Round 5: Ch 2; DC2TOG all the way around; slst to join (8 sts total) Round 6: Ch 2; DC2TOG around; slst to join (4 sts total) Round 7: Ch 1; 2 SC in each st around; slst to join (8 sts total) Leave a long tail. Break the yarn and wrap the yarn several times around the "neck" of the balloon before tying off and weaving in the ends. (Thi...

Materials: Caron Cotton Cakes (I used 3) Size J Hook (6.00mm) Tapestry needle (for weaving ends) Scissors Terms to Know: ch - Chain sts - stitches sc - Single Crochet dc - Double Crochet Pattern (written in US terms): Chain 167; Row 1: sc in second chain from the hook, *chain 2 sts, skip 2 sts on starting chain, sc in next two sts*, repeat instructions between *...* until end of row; sc in last stitch; ch 2, turn. Row 2: DC in first stitch, *chain 2, skip 2 sts, DC in next two sc*, repeat *...* until end of row; DC in last stitch; ch 1, turn. Continue alternating row 1 and 2 until desired length. When desired length is reached, bind off and weave in ends. The Wordy Bit This super easy two row repeat works up so fast! If you prefer a bit more "stable" ends on your work, you can insert a row of sc on the starting chain and end--before and after the pattern. This gives a stronger edge to the work. Here's the difference between a thicker edge ...

The Wordy Bit It's all wordy bit and pictures today. My life has been a whirlwind of projects, illness, wellness, craziness, and chaos since just before Christmas. I've got loads of projects going, and none of them seem to be getting done--at least, not fast enough! My baking experiments have been mostly failures, lately...which is very disheartening but! I'm learning. I'm trying new things even when I fail, and I'm making notes (extensive notes) so that I can track my successes and failures. I teased a sugar-free chocolate cake a while back and never came back around to it....it was a mess, and I ate one piece. My husband didn't like it, and I wouldn't even dare give it to my toddler.  I have a love/hate relationship with Devil's Food cakes, anyway**. This iteration is a modified version of my cupcake recipe. It didn't turn out well, so I made some notes on ways to alter the prep (not the ingredients) and see if that yields better results. ...

Materials: 5.5mm Crochet Hook 3 skeins Lion Brand Basic Stitch in White 3 skeins Lion Brand Basic Stitch in Silver Heather  Tapestry needle Scissors

Materials: I'm using the Kilim Blanket knitting kit from We Are Knitters. It comes with: 7 balls of The Petite Wool (My color selection is: Color A - Ochre; Color B - Blush; Color C - Olive) 8mm Knitting Needles Tapestry Needles Pattern booklet The Wordy Bit It's official: I've started knitting! I have spent quite a lot of time since receiving my kit going over knitting videos and reading articles about technique and execution. I have practiced a long-tail cast on more times than I can count. But this past week, I went beyond my cast on and started making stitches! As a crocheter, and as someone who's never seen someone knit in person, figuring out how to handle the yarn and needles took a lot of getting used to. In fact, I'm still not quite comfortable with it. I'm a member of a knitting and crochet group on social media, so I asked all my ridiculous questions to them. Thankfully, many veteran knitters understood the confusion about basic yarn...

It's All Wordy Bit This Time: I've mentioned before that we celebrate failure, and that's true...to a point. No one in my family sets out to fail, but when we do, as long as we can learn from it, we celebrate it. There's no shame or harm in failing, as long as you learn from it. This was my first big "failure" in crochet, and I learned a good bit. Looks quite innocuous, doesn't it? I was attempting to do what the fine folks at Daisy Farm Crafts have perfected: the plaid or gingham blanket. I followed their formula: a set number of stitches and rows per color, the griddle stitch (alternating a single crochet and a double crochet), and three colors that blend. I even carried my yarn through (for the first time). And that proved my downfall.  I have a habit of watching television while I crochet, and sometimes that can alter my tension. I was watching something particularly suspenseful for a portion of this blanket, and my tension increased, a...