The Hook and Needle Nook

  Crocheting can be a lot of fun. Once you get the foundations down, you can really get going with a nice freeform yarn craft. Check out the video above to see how to start a crochet chain!  There is a little bit of a stigma that Crochet is just granny squares and hats, and you definitely can crochet both of those things. However, crochet is an extremely versatile fiber craft and you can get amazing results with a hook and yarn. You can shape things in extremely creative ways to make a beautiful sweater or shawl, or you can keep it traditional with something like an Afghan or baby blanket.  One of the best benefits of crochet is that you can finish projects very quickly. In addition, you can stop what you are making suddenly, if you decide you are at a place you would like to end. There is a lot to be said for crochet.  Let us know if you are interested in crochet classes, as we are starting to put them on the schedule. You never know. It might be your next favorite hobby. 

  Colorwork in knitting creates an absolutely gorgeous product, but it can sometimes be a little bit intimidating. I know that I have worked a couple of hats and socks in my day in which the colorwork had me scratching my head.  Sometimes, it seemed like my fair isle colorwork would end up too tight, and then too loose because I was trying to overcorrect the tightness. Here are a couple of quick tips to help with tension in a Fair isle or intarsia project.  Tip #1: Use a needle one size bigger. This tip is super simple. Whatever needle size you are using on the non-colorwork parts of your project, switch to one size bigger for the colorwork portions. This makes it so you can knit to your regular tension, without worrying about the colorwork pulling as much.  Tip #2: Don't forget to S-T-R-E-T-C-H your stitches out As you are pulling one color behind another, you might find you have a tendency to scrunch the stitches on your right needle up. Employing this method means you stretch th