Crochet a Buttonhole

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Adding a buttonhole to a crochet garment can be done easily and quickly. A photo tutorial demonstrates the technique on the We Are Knitters blog.

Using PDF Sewing Patterns

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Libby from Truly Myrtle shares tips on how to use and store PDF sewing patterns successfully.

Sewing Tutorials

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Looking for the best fast and easy sewing tutorials and inspiration? Rae Gun Ramblings provides projects that can be done in less than an hour and many of them are great for beginners.

Dyeing Sources

As the weather begins to transition into Spring, we become impatient to have more color in our surroundings. Satisfy those cravings by dyeing some yarn or fiber.

Robyn Spady complied links and information to make the process easy and successful.

Show and Tell - March

Cinde P. shared two knit shawls during Show & Tell

Colleen J. brought some pelts to sell. She knit a shawl and a scarf

Dana H. brought two knit shawls to show the group

Dana H. knit a lacy shawl

Hailey R. shared several knit and crochet projects

Jeni V. displayed a bag and a knit hat

Julie W. brought several shawls she knit that were designed by
Martina Brehm 

Sali A. crocheted two shawls and a vest 

Sam G. is crocheting a coat of arms

Sweet Georgia Show

Over 70 episodes are available on knitting, spinning, and dyeing on The Sweet Georgia Show Podcast

Quilting Podcasts

Yes, podcasts are also available for Quilters

You'll find a variety of podcasts on this list of the Best Quilting Podcasts (2018)

Crafternoon Treats

Looking for a Crochet podcast?

Check out
       Crafternoon Treats 
       40 episodes

Power Purls

Looking for a "new" knitting podcast?

Check out Power Purls - conversations with knitwear designers and everyday knitters

Tatting with One Hand

Inspired by the book “Tatting With One Hand” by Helen A. Chesno, Marilee Rockley demonstrates the technique - a method of tatting for people who have the use of only one hand. She said it may also help others to understand the “flip” of shuttle tatting.  

Marilee published also published a post with still photos:  one-handed tatting a ring


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Crochet Crocodile Stitch

March Meeting

(click image to enlarge)

Threading Double Heddles

Improvise a Top-down Sweater

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On Ravelry, Karen Templer shares tips on how to improvise a Top-down Sweater -  a top-down tutorial in action. She explains the top-down method as she knits a simple raglan pullover to her own specifications, without a pattern, so you’ll know how to do it too.

How to improvise a top-down sweater:
— Part 1: Casting on and marking raglans
— Part 2: Raglans and neck shaping
— Part 3: Finishing the neck and yoke
— Part 4: Separating the sleeves and body
— Part 5: The art of sweater shaping
— Prologue: The possibilities are endless

Bonus: you can save this "pattern" in your Ravelry library for future reference

Picking Up Stitches Before Ripping Back

WEBS shares how to reduce the frustration of ripping a project back to fix a mistake.

In stockinette stitch, identify the row below the row you will want to start re-knitting. Insert your needle under the first strand of yarn in the V that makes up the first stitch of the row on the right side. Continue this down the row, picking up the first strand of yarn in the V and skipping the second leg of the V. You’ll be picking up every other strand of yarn without dropping any.

This week’s tip shows us how to pick up stitches before ripping back so your don’t have to worry about the live stitches unraveling.

In garter stitch, you’ll be doing the same thing. If you stretch your knitting a bit, you can see the same V’s under the bumps of the garter stitch. Insert your needle into the first leg of the V in the garter stitch as well.

Once you have your needle inserted all the way along the row, you can pull the working yarn to rip back the rows above the needle. The stitches will be sitting on your needle ready to go.

It’s best to use a needle smaller than your working needle to pick up your stitches, but remember to switch back to the original size needle when you start knitting again.

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DIY - Drop Spindle

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Directions on how to make a drop spindle with a CD can be found on this Interweave post

Make a Drop Spindle

Sewing Machine Needles

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It’s amazing how something as small as a needle can make such a huge impact on your sewing project! 

The right needle for your sewing project can create perfectly even and beautifully made stitches. The wrong needle (even a worn or damaged needle) can create all kinds of headaches—like skipped stitches, crooked stitches, frayed and broken threads, and holes or tears in your fabric. 

So how do you make sure you are choosing the right needle for the sewing project you’re making? And how would you know if the needle is worn or damaged? 

For the answers to those and other questions, read We All Sew's article on sewing machine needles. 

Be sure to download the free BERNINA PDF Needle Brochure as a handy reference.

Quilt Borders

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Bonnie Hunter shares tips, tricks, and hints on adding borders to a larger quilt. Here's how she measures the borders:

Lay out the quilt on the floor, smoothing as you go so it is straight and flat, but do not stretch...just let it lay flat. Now take your border strip and lay it down the CENTER of the quilt, top to bottom, just smoothing it out. DO NOT STRETCH, just smooth, smooth. Trim it off at the bottom of the end of the quilt. I lay my quilt out on carpet, so I also like to anchor the beginning end of the borders with a couple of long pins stuck into the carpet. It keeps that one border end from creeping as I smooth. Cut the second strip the same way.

It is really important to cut your border strips straight across, or you can compound the problem if that angle is off from 45 degrees. If the angle is too wide, your next border will flare up at the corners. If it is too narrow, it is going to pull the top/bottom border down and your side border will be too short. Keep those angles square when you trim!

If you are doing a square quilt with 4 cornerstones in the corners, you can cut all 4 pieces at the same time.
If you are doing a rectangular quilt with 4 cornerstones, also cut your top and bottom borders across the width of the quilt, measuring through the center before sewing on the side borders.

This has ALWAYS worked for me, because when you are dealing with measuring tapes, they dont drape and lay the way your fabric does....your border fabric is your 'measuring tape' and as you smooth it across the center of the quilt top it will lay the same way as the quilt center with no tension on it. (copied from Bonnie Hunter's Border Hints post)

Bonnie's other border tips and hints can be found here

Diamond Trellis Stitch - crochet

Scrappy Mitts

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Looking for a pattern to use some odd bits of yarn?

Donna Herron's pattern Stash-o-motastic Fingerless Mitts or Gloves fits the bill

Half-Hitch for Spindle

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Whether you’re spinning on a Turkish spindle or on a simple toy wheel spindle, there will come a time in your spindle spinning life when you need to make a half-hitch. You may have done so by making a loop and placing it upside-down on the spindle, but there is a much faster way, one that Abby Franquemont illustrates in this Interweave post. 

How to Make a Half-Hitch on Your Spindle

Scottish Spindle

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According to Interweave, modern spinners are rediscovering the traditional Scottish spindle, believed lost for generations. With its whorl-less, cone-shaped body and crossing grooves cut into the bottom, the Scottish spindle, also called a dealgan (pronounced jal-a-gen), is as strong, practical, and dependable as the culture that created it. Want to learn how to spin on a Scottish spindle? 

Check out this photo tutorial provided by Interweave