BLOG: FreshStitches

Why I love the US Postal Service

December 16, 2013

Can I tell you something?

When I hear folks complaining about the USPS, it makes me a little sad. Because I adore the postal service.

usps_logo

The US postal service provides an amazing service and isn’t in as much financial trouble as the rumors report.

Shipping boxes as Post Office

My postal carrier delivers mail to my doorstep 6 days a week. He picks up packages from my door to take back to the postal office. And USPS will hold or forward my mail if I go on vacation or move.

Isn’t that amazing?

If that strikes you as ‘same old, same old’, then let’s chat about the postal service in other countries:

In Australia, the postman does not pick up letters from your door. Or deliver on Saturdays.
Some countries do not offer a hold on mail, so you are responsible for managing your own packages while on vacation. Other countries charge a fee.
The Canada Post had a 12 day strike in 2011, leaving many people (and businesses!) unable to conduct their normal business. Can you imagine?
The USPS cost of shipping a package is much cheaper than in many other countries!

We receive continuous service for a low price (even despite last year’s price increase). And USPS does it all without any taxpayer money (unlike Britain’s post, where low prices are a result of heavy subsidies)!

Endicia Shipping Label

You may have heard that the post office is experiencing financial difficulties, which is true. It’s happening all across the world as people send fewer letters.

However, much of the losses come from government legislation requiring USPS to pre-fund a benefit account, a unique funding situation most companies don’t have to contend with.

Yeah, it’s a tough situation… but don’t take it out on your mailman.

In Maryland, a postal worker was recently shot amid numerous recent attacks on mail carriers.

Mail man

My mailman is a ‘substitute’, since a hiring freeze leaves them unable to hire more permanent carriers. But he still his job amazingly, even bringing me bags (for my outgoing boxes) without me even asking.

Your carrier is probably stressed during this busy season, and the negative sentiment going around about the post office can’t be lifting his spirits. So, next time you see your mail carrier, give him a friendly wave! Say hi! Tell him you appreciate him.

He brings happiness to your doorstep!

Book Review: Woodland Knits

November 18, 2013

I adore Stephanie Dosen’s (aka Tiny Owl Knits) designs. She designs whimsical and fun knitting patterns… so I was really excited to see her book, Woodland Knits.

The book contains 21 adorable patterns, 10 of which are new designs for the book. The remaining 11 designs are well-loved favorites, like the deer with antlers hat, bo peep scarf and fawn poncho.

The book contains cute little notes and helpful tips throughout, but no introductory material. It’s 21 lovely patterns bound together in a book.

I was surprised to see that all of the patterns in the book are available for individual purchase as pdf downloads. At around $5 a piece, if you’d like to make a few, then $20 for the book is a great deal!

Besides the discount over purchasing 21 individual patterns, though, you don’t get much additional content to the book. So, I would recommend having a peek at the included designs (which is tricky, since only the new 10 designs are listed as patterns in the book on Ravelry), and deciding whether there are a few you’d like to knit.

The patterns are cute and the book is very pretty… so if you can find a few, then I’d say go for it!

An honest talk about charity, donating and the Philippines

November 16, 2013

I was going to show you how I made my monster skirt today… but I’ve postponed it a little because there’s a topic weighing heavily on me that I want to talk about.

By most reports, the typhoon that struck the Philippines is the worst tropical storm to make landfall. The death toll is over 3,000 and some estimates predict it will reach 10,000.

What I’m about to say may be controversial, but please hear me out.

Donating toys to the Philippines

Please do not send stuffed animals to the Philippines

The victims of the Philippines typhoon do not have food, drinking water or medicine. They don’t have enough personnel to move debris to search for survivors, or enough well-bodied people to bury their dead. It is a catastrophic situation that most of us find hard to imagine.

As crafters, we want to help. Our first instinct is to make/sew something to send to people in need.

This is a great instinct, but we need to use our judgement. We need devote our crafting energy towards causes where we can make the greatest impact.

And right now isn’t the time. Let me tell you a little about what we learned from Newtown…

Lessons from Newtown

Do you remember when we collected stuffed animals to send to the children of the Newtown tragedy? Crafters banded together and sent an astonishing number of stuffed animals. I was so proud!

I was devastated to find out that what we thought was a great idea turned into a burden. The town was overwhelmed with stuffed animals, requiring countless volunteers and warehouses.

It breaks my heart to say that many of those animals never made it to children. There were just too many.

Do what is most needed

I love stuffed animals (trust me!), but we need to make sure we are doing what is best for the disaster area. The people in the Philippines need water and relief workers, and right now, the best way to get that help to them is to donate money to a relief organization.

Sending a stuffed animal to the Philippines won’t calm the grumble of a child’s hungry tummy and it takes up valuable shipping and distribution resources that are needed for essentials. The shipping cost, alone, would provide food for a family for days.

Use the tragedy to inspire your charity crafting

I know that in horrible times such as this, your fingers get itching to make something… that’s wonderful! You can still help! Maybe you make animals and sell them, donating the profits to the relief effort.

Or maybe you feel inspired to make animals… but save them and donate them to your local fire department, to calm a local child after a scary incident.

amigurumi crochet bear

Crafters are an amazingly caring group of people. Please continue the tradition of caring by doing what’s best for the disaster-struck region. Send money. Save your stuffed animals for where they’re needed.

Do you knit two at a time?

November 6, 2013

Have you ever knit two at a time?

I originally learned to knit two socks at a time using Antje Gillingham’s book Knitting Circles around Socks: Knit Two at a Time on Circular Needles… but now I use the technique for all kinds of things!

What does it mean to knit two at a time?

It’s just what it sounds like! Using two separate balls of yarn, you’ll knit round one of the first sock, then round one of the second sock. Then, you’ll move onto round two of the second sock…

It’s a great technique for ensuring that two pieces are exactly the same!

Once I got the hang of socks, I moved onto knitting other pieces this way, like these monster arms:

knitting monster arms two at a time

And now…

Do you remember when I told you I’d started knitting a Charleston Tee?

When it came time to knit the sleeves, I thought, ‘hey! I should do them both at once!’

knitting sleeves two at a time

(I apologize for the late-at-night photo… I’m busy knitting!)

This way, the sleeves would be exactly identical, and I’d only have to read through the directions once! Hooray!

Because the sleeves are knitted flat (instead of in the round), I only need one needle instead of two.

It’s almost finished… fingers crossed it’s ready for me to wear at Stitches East!

That’s what I’ve been up to this week… how about you? I hope you have an awesome Wednesday, and get some great knitting/crocheting done this week!

If you want to check out more Work-In-Progress posts, please check out Tami’s Ami’s Blog, who’s been organizing a great WIP Wednesday blog theme! And, don’t forget to come back for FO (Finished Object) Friday!

Where do you insert your hook for ‘2nd ch from hook’?

November 4, 2013

How to Find the Second Chain from the Hook - crochet help from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

When you crochet amigurumi, most instructions begin, “Ch 2. Sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook”.

Where is the 2nd chain?

Getting this instruction right is particularly important if you’re using the sloppy slip knot technique for starting, since crocheting your 6 stitches in the wrong chain will prevent your hole from closing.

I like to picture stitches as little Vs, laying on their side:

Do you see the 2nd chain now?

Now, stick your hook in that one!

Ta da!

Here are handy links to all the posts about working the first round of your crochet pattern. . .

Sloppy Slip Knot – the Easiest Way to Start Amigurumi
Magic Ring (if you must – but it’s not as easy as the sloppy slip knot) 😁
How (and Why) to Crochet through the Back Loop
How to Find the Second Chain from the Hook

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for round two and beyond of your pattern.

Happy stitching!

Crochet Mike the Monster from Monsters University!

October 28, 2013

I love monsters. And I love crocheting monsters. So, when I found out that Disney was looking for bloggers to write tutorials for crafts based on Monsters University, I nearly fell out of my chair.

My love for monsters must have poured through the computer screen… because here I am, sharing my super-awesome crochet tutorial with you!

This tutorial is celebrating the release of Monsters University (in a Blu-ray combo pack) tomorrow! Hooray!

How do you pick just one monster?

I’ll confess. It was really hard to pick a monster from Monsters University to turn into crochet-form. The movie is just so darn chock-full of adorable and creative monsters!

I was tempted by Squishy (the multi-eyed cutie with a knit sweater!) and Terry & Terry (the double-headed duo)… what great shapes!

But in the end… I had to go with familiar and loveable Mike.

You can crochet your own Mike!

To crochet Mike, you’ll need:

2 colors of worsted weight yarn: green (250 yards) and white (15 yards)
Size H (5.0mm) crochet hook
Tapestry Needle
Polyester stuffing
Small amounts of felt: black, white, grey and blue
Craft glue (one that works for fabrics)

Once you have your supplies gathered, download now.

The pattern download will take you step-by-step through the stitches you’ll need to bring Mike to life… too many for just one blog post!

One of the things I love about Monsters University is how lifelike the animation is… and I didn’t want to lose any of that detail in the crochet version. That’s why I made sure to give Mike separate fingers and toes!

It’s a little extra crocheting… but I hope you love the results!

Add the details…

Once you’ve finished crocheting the pieces, you’ll need to decide which expression you’re going to give to Mike… during the course of the movie, you’ll notice that he sports quite a few!

I decided to give Mike the wide grin (with retainer!) that’s featured on the cover of the DVD:

To make Mike’s mouth, use your pieces of felt and cut out the shapes you’ll need. First, cut a smile (or frown) from the black felt. Next, cut bumps (for teeth) from the white.

Here’s a trick: you don’t need to cut the teeth to fit the mouth perfectly. Just cut the top ridges for the teeth, then glue in place on the black mouth. Notice how, in my photo below, the white is hanging off the side of the black:

Once the glue dries, trim the excess white, and you’ll have a perfect mouth! A simple line of grey makes the retainer.

Since you’ve used yarn to make Mike, a craft glue will hold the smile in place:

Isn’t he so cute?

More accessory ideas

I’m a real sucker for the University-wear sported in the movie!

How cute would your crocheted Mike look with a knitted blue and white scarf? Or an MU pennant made from felt? Use your imagination!

You can also get super-creative and make multiple expressions… and attach them to Mike with use hook and loop tape! He’ll be a toy with many emotions!

Are you going to get crocheting?

I had so much fun watching Monsters University and crocheting a Mike… I see more monsters in my future.

I hope you absolutely love this free pattern download as much as I do!

Helpful Links

Grab Monsters University (coming out tomorrow!)… preorder now available!
Find Monsters University on Facebook

Be sure to share the cutie monster you crochet!

Disclosure: This is a compensated post from Disney and Blueprint Social. I received a copy of Monsters University. All opinions are my own. I received permission to create a pattern using the likeness of Mike.

Happy stitching!

Best,
Stacey

How to Sew Easy, Removable Pillow Covers

September 28, 2013

Today, I’ll show you the super-easy pillow covers I made!

This isn’t a full step-by-step tutorial, but if you’re familiar with the basics of sewing, I think you’ll get the idea!

I wanted pillow covers that were removable, but I didn’t want to put in a zipper or do buttonholes. So, I went for a super-easy ‘flap’ technique. The back is composed of overlapping flaps that allow you to take the pillow in and out, but still cover the pillow:

The Basic Steps

I ordered my fabric from Spoonflower, a great place to get fabric from indie designers. I went with a Tour de France fabric in yellow & grey (a sport I love and colors that match our sofa!) and a coordinating ‘houses’ fabric from the same designer.

Next, I cut out the fabric.

The important thing is that you want to cut the back pieces to be bigger than just 1/2 of the height of your pillow… or else you won’t get any overlap.

Then, I sewed the pairs of flaps together:

Turning these inside out (to the right sides) gives you the nice, sewn edge at the opening of the flap.

Finally, I sew the front onto the (overlapping) flaps, lining up all of the raw edges:

Presto! Pillows!

As you can tell, they’ve already been well-loved (that is, squished) by me and hubby!

Book Review: So You Want to be A Knitting Designer…

September 26, 2013

Being a knitting/crochet designer is kind of a weird job. Being successful means being part designer, part webmaster, part marketer and part photographer. And you can’t go to school for it. (okay, you can go to school to learn to design, but not do all the other stuff!)

I learned it through the grapevine…

Most of what I know about ‘the biz’, I learned from other designers. Chatting on online forums. Talking in person at trades shows. It took me years to feel like I really got what was going on.

That’s me and Space Cadet pausing for a photo during a chat-session!I can’t tell you how much I learned about marketing and my brand by chatting late into the night with other designers at conferences!

But now… the Reference Guide!

If you’re a newbie designer, you’re coming in at a great time! You don’t have to spend big bucks traveling to conferences to find out about the ins and outs of the industry… there’s a book about it!

Alex Tinsley (designer behind Dull Roar and also Designer Liason with Malabrigo) has just written an ebook that tells you (basically) everything you need to know to be a knitting or crochet designer.

I just read it. It’s awesome.

Not only is Alex hilarious, but the information in the book is dead-on. She gave me permission to post a looky-loo at the table of contents:

So You Want to Be A Knitting Designer covers how to write patterns, hiring a tech editor, photography, self-publishing, how to work with magazines, marketing, what to do if your idea is stolen, how to wholesale to yarn stores… you name it!

Is this book for you?

Alright, so let’s talk about what this book does and doesn’t do.

This book:

gives you real, authentic help for becoming a designer: including a pattern template, sample emails for sticky situations and advice about submitting proposals that you really need for real design life.
gives you a comprehensive list of resources for finding tech editors, hiring photographers and chatting with other designers.
walks you through the basics of the industry (including the dos and don’ts of asking for yarn support!) in a friendly and honest manner… from someone who’s worked in lots of different parts of the industry.
leaves you feeling confident about doing knitting design as a career (it’s hard, but not mysterious!)

Although the book has ‘knitting’ in the title, it’s equally applicable to crochet designers, too!

This book is intended to helping someone who’s seriously thinking of designing navigate the industry, and already has some knitting experience. It doesn’t contain lessons on how to design, detailed help with taking photographs or address the financial/tax/contract aspects of beginning a business.

Get it!

I would really recommend this book to anyone interested in becoming a designer (whether it’s part or full-time).

Visit Alex’s website to grab your copy of So You Want to Be A Knitting Designer…!

Not only does it distill lots of information that’s available in thousands of posts online into one fun & readable document, but it also contains a little bit of extra information that many designers aren’t always willing to post in a public forum (such as how much tech editors are usually paid and examples of email templates in sticky situations).

I’m so happy Alex wrote a book like this… the industry really needed one!

This is how I crochet!

September 24, 2013

Last week, I got a surge of requests from my Ravelry group to post a video of me crocheting.

Who am I to say no?

So… here it is! (Click on the box in the lower right hand corner of the video to view in full-screen)

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

When do you need to change your technique?

Most of the time, I’ll say: you should crochet however you feel like it. Don’t worry about how I crochet. However, there are a few signs that you should change your crochet technique. If you:

experience pain after only a short period of crocheting
have difficulty getting even stitches
struggle to tension your yarn properly
find crocheting difficult or annoying

… then the problem might be your technique! Go ahead and watch how I crochet (and watch some other folks, too!) and see if there are some changes that you can make to your style.

Crocheting should make you happy, not ouchy!

Book Review: Beastly Crochet

September 17, 2013

As soon as I saw the cover of Brenda Anderson’s new book, Beastly Crochet, I knew there would be some cuties inside:

But… I had no idea there would be so much other awesome stuff! Let’s peek inside, shall we?

The Beasties

You know me, I can’t resist a cute stuffed animal. (Are monsters really animals?!? Hmm… I digress.)

The thing I really love about the creatures in this book is that they feature a variety of crochet techniques. Check out ‘A Zombie named Skip’, a marionette who sports an open mouth with beads as teeth!

The other critters (including a Frankenstein & his bride and an adorable yeti-type monster among others) feature colorwork, textured stitches, appliques and even felting (the cuties on the cover!). While there are a few patterns suitable for beginners, this book is targeted at crocheters who are looking for innovative patterns and want to add a new skill or technique to their repertoire.

The Wearables

The ‘Beastly’ part of the book is broadly construed to include: zombies, monsters, skulls, robots and myths. I was really surprised by some of the fabulous wearables in the book:

This fun skull cowl is just one of many clothing patterns in the book. There are Sasquatch slippers, a couple great sweaters for kids as well as bibs and bags.

Seriously, how did Brenda fit all of this stuff in one book?

And more!

Look at that coin purse! Isn’t it ridiculously cute?

And this Tiki pillow:

So clever and fun!

I particularly love the book’s section on ‘Principles of Cuteness’, where Brenda talks about eye shapes and spacing, so you’ll get the maximally cute monster!

The Verdict

With Halloween coming up, the timing of this book couldn’t be better! It contains 23 fabulous projects for anyone who loves monsters/robots/fantasy.

This book is aimed at the advanced beginner/intermediate crocheter. It doesn’t contain a lot of introductory material (so, expect to learn how to single crochet elsewhere!), but it’s packed with patterns that have great assembly/finishing information. A crocheter with a standard cache of skills won’t get lost, and will learn a bundle of new techniques and methods.

It’s a fab book! You can get it here.