I haven’t had much time to craft just for me lately, but I did take a break last night to stitch this jumbo hexagon. The plan is the gradually chip away at a whole blanket. I love crocheting these. Check out this link to the very inspiring Attic24 blog if you’re interested in making some [...]

If you haven’t noticed, I’m on a major beading binge. And after treating myself to some new colors at a 40 percent off sale at my local craft store, my need to bead seems to have kicked into overdrive. I just can’t seem to get enough of those pretty little beads. This week I whipped [...]

The latest issue of Petite Purls went live today and includes a couple of my paper-pieced ornament projects. There’s still time to make the flower ornament pictured above, and a related festive wreath ornament, too. So head over to Petite Purls for the directions. This issue is packed with great patterns including fun crochet “Foamies” [...]

Here’s an update on the granny square hat that I’m making for my youngest daughter. It’s coming along, but I can’t decide how to finish the top. Right now it looks like a headband with ear flaps. I’m not using a pattern, so I have to make some design choices as I go. Any suggestions?

The kids need new winter gear, so I will be transforming this yarn into granny square hats (Similar to this one.) and scarves. Do you have any favorite granny square patterns? I’m looking for new inspiration.

I’m really enjoying being able to write more about the crafts I love in this freelance phase of life. And it was a particular kick to team up with my 5-year-old daughter Abby to write a piece for the January/February 2010 issue of Crochet Today! I taught her how to crochet and then documented our [...]

My apologies for the blog silence lately. I caught a nasty bug the first week of the school and it’s taken me two weeks to shake it. At last my voice is back to normal and podcast ready, so I can  post a new episode this week. A lot has happened in the last three [...]

Crochet played a key role in my development as a young crafter. I got “hooked” around age 5 at Great Grandma Case’s Sunday night craft table where I learned to stitch granny squares with the crafty women in my family. I still LOVE to whip up projects with my old set of aluminum needles. (My [...]

I should have known that I would work harder for myself than anyone else. But, my word, this is ridiculous. I’m working so much that I still haven’t had time to excavate the dining room and rediscover that flat wooden surface, formally known as our dining room table. My, oh, my. While I haven’t slowed [...]

I’ve admired crocheted rag rugs for years, but never got around to making any until last week, and I’m having a blast. There’s something truly lovely about stitching strips of recycled cotton fabric softened by dozens of trips through the laundry. Today TV segment was inspired by the wonderful people behind the Rags to Rugs [...]

I have several projects in the works, including this rag rug. It’s a sample for Friday’s TV craft segment. This segment was inspired by a wonderful handmade effort at St. Andrew’s School in Grand Rapids where parents and volunteers are crocheting rag rugs out of donated bed sheets to raise money for a school emergency [...]

Check out my Grand Rapids Press craft column today for the full story of Betty White and her plarn (plastic yarn) creations. Betty gives a second wind to plastic shopping bags, expertly transforming them into dresses, hats, handbags and totes. Her most recent design is a one-piece swimsuit and matching hat. I probably wouldn’t ever [...]

I wrote this post more than a week ago, but it was somehow unpublished. I’m sure it was operator error. My apologies for leaving you folks in suspense. The Granny square madness continues. Here’s today’s square, the second in a blanket series. And now for those giveaway winners…. Kathy of Loveland, Colorado and Janis of [...]

Some of my earliest craft memories involve me sitting on a little chair in my Great Grandma’s kitchen stitching granny squares with the scrap yarn I collected from the elder crafters who gathered there weekly for lively craft sessions. I was five when I started making granny squares and I loved them then, but I [...]

Happy Easter, everyone! I hope you’re all having a lovely day. I just snapped a photo of the last-minute gifts I crocheted for my daughters. If you’re interested in the pattern you can find it over at Roxiecraft. Easy to follow and super cute, this pattern is worth trying out. My next podcast is on [...]