I've been hunting for ways to add something extra to gifts I plan to wrap soon, and I found a couple of nice ideas on YouTube. The first gift decor is a classic baby sock rose, made with tiny cotton socks, floral wire, floral tape, and paper leaves (I used green crepe paper since it… Continue reading Flowers two ways: gift embellishments in fabric and paper
Category: Free Patterns
New market bag + more spring views
The Hummingbird market bag is ready for spring shopping. I made this lovely bag using a free pattern from Swedish designer Pysselofix (she has an Instagram account and blog). The pattern starts with a six-point star and ends with two handles and a tasseled drawstring. I used Paintbox Cotton DK in Vanilla Cream, and a… Continue reading New market bag + more spring views
Free market bag crochet pattern + beautiful Japanese crafts
A couple of my bigger crochet projects are on hold (supply issues), so I finished another wonderful cotton market bag as an in-between task. This bag uses Paintbox Cotton DK in Eggplant. It was such fun to make that I might crank out a few more for friends. If you are keen to try making… Continue reading Free market bag crochet pattern + beautiful Japanese crafts
Christmas tree is up! + new hat pattern
I'm checking in to share a photo of my Christmas tree, a mini time capsule that I put up on Thanksgiving, as I try to do each year. My Dad's handmade ornaments cover about 80% of the tree, and the rest are gifts from friends and some travel mementos. The newest ornaments are a paper… Continue reading Christmas tree is up! + new hat pattern
Riot granny scarf debut + free pattern link
The finishing touches have been added to my granny square scarf, a free pattern by Wool Thread Paint, made with King Cole Riot yarn in shade "Waterways." The pattern was fast-moving and the frequent color changes made it fun to work on. I used a 4mm hook throughout, and it took just under three skeins… Continue reading Riot granny scarf debut + free pattern link
Aug. 15: Love for Korea and the Humble Granny Square
Today is Korean Liberation Day, a major holiday celebrating Korea's 1945 emancipation from the Japanese empire. We're in holiday mode and the Korean taegukgi (태극기, national flag) is flying high. A much more humble observance underway for us crafters is the yearly commemoration of the granny square, a familiar, homespun classic that's found on countless… Continue reading Aug. 15: Love for Korea and the Humble Granny Square
Orléans blanket is finished! Plus, market bag free pattern
Finally, I can share the finished Orléans crocheted blanket, which was a joy to make, although I did take many long breaks in between sewing the components. The blanket pattern is designed by Priscilla Hewitt and is made to resemble the texture of matelassé. It's a pretty big blanket, with 48 octagons and 36 squares,… Continue reading Orléans blanket is finished! Plus, market bag free pattern
New crochet cable hat with floof
This cute hat pattern is called Camdyn, from a free pattern by Lakeside Loops. It took about 200 grams of DK yarn, and I topped it with one of my tremendous pompoms (I call them "floofs") that I bought on Etsy from Achilles Original Art. If you make this hat, you could certainly make your… Continue reading New crochet cable hat with floof
16-pointed Tico Star – pattern and pix
I spent a little time on this rainy afternoon playing with some paper from my copious stash. On my many trips to Japan, I've collected reams of washi, origami paper, and various scraps, so today I had plenty of creative material to help me make a simple star from a free, dowloadable PDF pattern by… Continue reading 16-pointed Tico Star – pattern and pix
Finished object: pocket shawl / reader’s wrap
Just checking in to share the finished pocket shawl (a.k.a. reader's wrap) I finished last night. It's a wonderfully squishy garment made with Peruvian alpaca and wool. I'm really fond of this design by Crochet with Carrie! You can find this free pattern on her website (you can also find Carrie on Instagram @hey_carriex ).… Continue reading Finished object: pocket shawl / reader’s wrap
The Frill Seeker 