I have been researching for several months the interchangeable circular knitting needles. I just bought a set somewhat like the one shown here. I believe having a set like this is good because if you are like me you never have the correct needle or lengths to do your knitting project. I find myself going a size or 2 different from what the project states because I didn’t have size needed. With an interchangeable set you have around 9 pairs of needles and about 3 different length sizes. This set has strong reviews for the product. Check it out and see how you like them.

I recently started to use the circular needles that are used most often in making afghans. I dreaded trying to use them since I am still new at knitting. Surprisingly I found that I really enjoy using the circular needles. Since I just started using a circular needle I am only making a baby blanket as a starter.

When you go to cast on with a circular needle it could be a hassle if you are using the long-tail cast on. My mother-in-law told me the trick to using this cast on is to use the straight needles to cast on and then once started knit with the circular needles. As soon as my afghan is done I will post pictures.

Holiday stripes dish cloth in the making.

I have recently started to knit and have just been doing simple knitting projects such as scarves, and squares for baby blankets.  Another simple and easy project that works great with the cotton yarn from Lily Sugar n’ Cream line is dish clothes. I know you are probably thinking like a lot of my relatives that yarn is not meant to be used for washing dishes with, so not true.  Not only is this yarn soft, but there are patterns for this yarn.  I am in the process of making dish clothes for family Christmas presents.  I have bought several different colors but I am currently knitting with the holiday stripes and I am impressed at the high quality this yarn is.

As you can see from the picture above, I am about 3/4 of the way finished with my first Christmas present.  I have only used about half of the skein so it doesn’t take a big skein to do this project, and it is quick, since I just started last night.

Hope you get the idea that you can do this simple craft, and best of all the yarn has the pattern on the back of the yarn wrapper.

Are you like me and have a daughter or daughters that want to learn a new craft? Do you not have time or the patience to teach them.  Here is something for you to check out.

My nine-year old daughter has been wanting to learn to knit ever since I started to knit myself.  We have recently purchased a knitting loom that is like the one pictured below.  This is one of the best things to buy and relatively cheap way to get them started.  The only thing that you would need is some yarn but it teaches them how to make hats, with the 4 different size plastic rings.  This is a great gift idea for even adults wanting to learn to knit without fooling with the different knitting needles.  There is a hook style needle that comes with it, and you can also buy an instruction/pattern book to go along with the kit.  I have seen this in some stores for as much as $30 dollars, but I only spent the $14 on it since I didn’t want to invest in the high-end kits for a nine-year old.  This can even be used to make hats for infants.

Check it out if you have a child that is wanting to make presents for holidays or special occasions.

If you are a beginner or have girls that are wanting to start needlework, stamped cross-stitch is the way to go.  I started when I was my oldest daughter’s age of 9.  Stamped is great for kids and beginners since it is easy and takes less time than most counted cross-stitching patterns.  There are several kits that you can buy.  Some examples of stamped cross-stitch kits are baby bibs, pillowcases, hand towels.

Another good thing about the stamped cross-stitching is that once you are done and if any ink is still showing on the pattern, it can easily be washed clear of the fabric.   When you are doing stamped cross-stitching, the patterns are normally made up of the simple stitches, such as standard x stitch and straight stitch.

A lot of people use Stamped Cross-stitches to make gifts for weddings, baby showers, etc.  I have done several baby bibs when I was doing stamped cross-stitch and gave them away as gifts.  I am hoping that when my daughter wants to learn stamped cross-stitch, that she will enjoy it as much as I did.

If you are like me you use straight pins to hold your fabric together while sewing, and that’s they way my mom always taught me to do.  While looking on the amazon.com website I stumbled across one of the best-selling items called Clover Wonder Clips.  They do the same as straight pins, and you don’t have to worry about getting poked with the pins.

They sell them in a 50 pack as well as a smaller pack.  All the reviews that I have read confirm that the Clover Wonder Clips are the best thing to use on binding and holding fabric together while sewing.  You may think the 50 pack may be a little much, but the reviews say they are well worth the price and from what I can tell you can use them for a lot of different projects.

I think I will have to buy these for my mom for Christmas, since she does a lot of quilting and sewing.  If you like to make handbags, quilts or anything that has several layers of cloth or binding, these would be perfect to use.  The clip base is also flat for easy feeding thru the presser foot.

Here is the link on Amazon.com to check them out for yourselves.

Have you ever wanted to do some type of needlework but didn’t know where to start, or do needlework but want to get new ideas or help answer questions that others may have?

My name is Cathy, and I started this site to help others get started in needlework or even to learn new types of needlework.  I am a mother of 3 and work full-time.  I have been doing some type of needlework since I was my oldest daughter’s age of 9. 

When I was 9 years old, I started doing stamped cross-stitching.  I would sit for hours making items for my friends and family.  As I grew older I learned how to do counted cross-stitch and I still do cross-stitch patterns for gifts.

I also have just learned how to knit.  I have only made scarfs for my kids and my mom.  I will soon be making placements for my husband’s aunt and uncle. You can never be too old to learn something new.

With this site, please feel free to ask questions, or share your knowledge with others.