Mari’s Custom Imprint Plushie

There are only a few rules:

1. You must like my facebook page. www.facebook.com/knottyfingers

2. You must use the template below (the 2nd to last photo) as the base of your design.

3. The shipping address must be in the United States. (Hawaii & Alaska totally count.)

Kelly’s Straightjacket Girl

Simply create your own design using the template below! This is the exact same template I use to create most of my plushies. You’re welcome to click on the photo to print and draw by hand or download the image to use it as a template on a computer graphics program. Then just photograph, scan or save the file and email it to me with the subject “Contest submission” to knottyfingersdotcom at gmail dot com.

The Reanimator

I will choose the top designs and post them on my facebook & twitter page for a final vote May 6-8. You’re welcome to use your social networking skills to share your photo to hopefully get the most likes! Whoever gets the most likes will have their doll crocheted and sent to them for free as well as featured on my blog, facebook, twitter, etc… This is a pretty badass contest, dudes. So get creative!

Deadline for design entries is May 5th at midnight (CST).

The voting will take place May 6-8, at which point a winner will be announced. More details will come closer to the entries deadline.

You MUST use this template in order to qualify your design!

Feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments below!

Zombie Mom with Dreads

Trying to find an alternative to banana bread, I found this yummy looking recipe for banana cake on allrecipes.com.  I gussied up the recipe with some spices and substituted the buttermilk for 2% milk because I like keeping my shopping list simple.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 2/3 cups of brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup of milk (I used 2%)
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 1 tsp nutmeg*
• 1 tsp cinnamon*
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts*

*optional

Fancy fact: The vinegar is making up for the buttermilk’s acidity, according to multiple sites online. Apparently, adding this will help with the light, fluffiness of the cake. I don’t know if that’s actually true; I’ve never made the cake without it, but it makes sense. You can also use sour cream instead of the milk+vinegar/buttermilk at all.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt together. In a larger bowl, using a whisk, mix the butter, white & brown sugar together. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Next add the bananas, mashing them a bit with the whisk. I left some small chunks of fruit but make sure they’re pretty well incorporated. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour and milk a little at a time. Add the vinegar while adding milk. Stir in nutmeg, cinnamon and walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees in a 13″x9″ cake pan for 20-25 minutes.

Let it cool completely before frosting. I’m lazy and bought pre-made whipped cream cheese frosting. If you want to get super domestic, home-made frosting is super simple. Just whip softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together; that’s it!

I sprinkled about another half cup of walnuts over the top and bop bam boom. My cake turned out super moist but also light and fluffy which is a nice change from the dense banana breads I’m used to.

This batter can also be used for cupcakes and loaves, if you so desire, but remember to adjust your cooking times!

An excellent recipe for when you resolve to start drinking a smoothie every morning again but then decide you’d rather sleep in and end up with way too many bananas getting ready to spoil. *sigh*

Those who know me well know that I LOVE bread. Can’t get enough of it. I could live on bread, butter and sweet tea if left to my own devices. In high school I really got into baking and loved making soft pretzels. Even as an adult with my own cash, I still can’t bring myself to pay $5 for a stinkin’ mall pretzel when I can make a whole dozen of home-made for less than that.

Here’s a super simple recipe that yields a dozen yummy pretzels using few ingredients. It takes about 2 and a half hours total to make but really most of that time is letting the dough rest.

What you’ll need:

1 1/2 cups of warm water
1 – .25 oz package of dry active yeast
2 tbsp of brown sugar
A heaping tsp of salt
3-4 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of hot water
2 tbsp of baking soda

Topping:

Melted butter
Sea Salt (coarse or regular both work just fine)

Mix the yeast, brown sugar and salt in a bowl. Add WARM water (not hot) and let sit about 10 minutes to activate the yeast. Next add in 3 cups of flour to start. If the dough is wet, add more flour until the dough can’t hold any more. Flour a spot on the counter and get to kneedin’! Since pretzel dough needs to be pretty elastic you’ll want to kneed the crap out of it. About 8 minutes should be good. Just fold the dough over and over into itself. The goal is to keep stretching it.

Clean that bowl out you used and add a small amount of oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Roll the ball of dough around and get it coated. Then lay a damp towel over the bowl and leave it alone for 1 hour.

D’oh!

After an hour, the dough should have doubled in size and look a lot like mine in the picture above. Take your dough out of the bowl and cut it into 12 equalish pieces. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with the hot water and baking soda. Stir it up.

Back to the dough, roll each section into super thin ropes that seem way too long (about 2 feet). Begin forming the pretzel anyway you like or even keep them as “ropes”. I prefer the classic pretzel shape. Dip the pretzel into the water/soda solution, set onto a paper towel just for a moment and then onto a well greased, non-stick cookie sheet or parchment paper and let rise again for 15-20 minutes.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 450 degrees and presto!

At least one pretzel never makes it out of the kitchen alive.

Toppings & Dips? There are literally an infinite amount of ways you could top these guys. When I’m keeping it simple, I will just rub them with a stick of butter and sprinkle with regular sea salt. Delicious!

Hope you try the recipe and if you do, share pictures!

Feel free to sell your finished projects but please credit me as the pattern maker. If you’d like to share my pattern, please use the URL. I am not a corporation! It’s the right thing to do!

Difficulty: Eager Novice to Intermediate

Time: This project takes about 15 minutes to make.

Finished dimensions: 2″ tall x 2.25″ wide x 1″ thick

Gauge: Gauge isn’t important for this pattern.

What you’ll need:

• Yarn A – Red worsted weight yarn (less than 1 oz.)
• Yarn B – Pink worsted weight yarn (less than 1 oz.)
• size F crochet hook
• a yarn needle
• a little polyfill (if you don’t have any, you can use stuffing from an old pillow or stuffed animal you’re willing to sacrifice)
• a 6 mm jump ring
• **optional: a ball chain necklace (18″-24″)

Special abbreviations: (This pattern uses standard US crochet abbreviations)

inc – sc in same st 2x

dec – insert hook in st indicated, YO & pull thru, insert hook into next st, YO & pull thru, YO & pull thru all 3 loops on hook.

st – stitch

rem – remaining

This pattern is worked in rounds.

Heart (This pattern makes 1 charm):

Ch 2.

Round 1 (RS): With Yarn A, In 2nd ch from hook, Sc 4x in st. (4)

Change to Yarn B by using it to sl st to 1st sc to form ring. You accomplish this by inserting your hook into the stitches just as you would if you weren’t changing colors. Pick up Yarn B and pull through. Do NOT cut Yarn A.

Round 2: Ch 1, inc in each st around. (8)

Change to Yarn A by using the same technique as before. Except this time Yarn A is still attached so you simply pick it up and sl st to 1st sc to form ring. Do NOT cut Yarn B.

Round 3: Ch 1, inc in first st, sc in next 2 st, inc in next 2 st, sc in next 2 st, inc in last st. (12)

Change to Yarn B by picking it up and using it to sl st to 1st sc to form ring.

Round 4: Ch 1, inc in first st, sc in next 4 st, inc in next 2 st, sc in next 4 st, inc in last st. (16)

Change to Yarn A by using it to sl st to 1st sc to form ring.

Round 5: Ch 1, inc in first st, sc in next 6 st, inc in next 2 st, sc in next 6 st, inc in last st. (20)

Change to Yarn B by using it to sl st to 1st sc to form ring.

Round 6: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st in 1st sc to form ring. Break yarn. (20)

Note: The next part of the pattern is worked in rows. You’ll be creating the top of the heart one half at a time.

With RS facing, count 5 stitches backward from where you ended on Round 6 (see photo). Attach Yarn A in this st.

Row 7: Ch 1, sc in next 10 st. Break yarn. (10)

Rather than turning here, start back at the beginning of row 7 and attach Yarn B with RS facing.

Row 8: Ch 1, dec in first 2 st, sc in next st, dec 2x across next 4 st, sc in next st, dec in 2 rem st. (6)

Again, start back at the beginning of row 8 and attach Yarn A with RS facing.

Row 9: Ch 1, sc in first st, dec 2x across next 4 st, sc in last st. Break yarn. (4)

With RS facing, locate the right most free st on round 6. Attach Yarn A here (see photo).

Repeat rows 7-9 to finish the 2nd half of the heart top. Make sure when finishing row 9 that you leave enough yarn for sewing up the heart (8-10″ should be more than enough) when you break the yarn.

Construction: Using the 10″ strand you left from row 9, use your yarn needle to stitch up one half of the heart top until you reach the “valley”. Make sure the line up the edges of the front and back so that your heart isn’t wonky. Fancy Tip: While you’re stitching up the opening at the top, tuck in the loose ends of yarn to save time on finishing later!

Stitch 1 time through the “valley”. Slide a jump ring onto the yarn needle and all the way down until it reaches the work. Sew through the valley 1-2 more times (see photos above). There’s a few things to keep in mind while anchoring the jump ring:

1. Make sure the sewing yarn isn’t loose and is secured directly to the charm. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a loose & saggy charm.
2. Make sure the jump ring is positioned sideways so that when you run the ball chain necklace through the heart will sit flat and not try to twist sideways.
3. Only sewing through the jump ring 1 or 2 times. Anymore than that and you might not be able to string it onto the necklace chain.

Make an additional stitch after the jumpring and pull snuggly. Using a small amount of polyfill, stuff the heart and sew up the remaining edges. Making sure not to overstuff. A good indication you have overstuffed is seeing polyfill through the stitches. That’s no bueno. Finish off by anchoring the yarn to the work with a double knot. Insert the yarn needle into the heart and pull through the bottom hole. Snip off the yarn and you’re finished making your charm! To make a necklace, as pictured, by sliding the ballchain through the jump ring.

(/*o*)/************************************************************\(>.<\)

 Other options you can use your charm for:

1. A keychain! You’ll just need a 4″ chain & a keychain ring.

2. Earrings! Just make 2 of the heart charm and use 6 jumprings total and either 2 earring posts or shepherd hooks.

Other options for this pattern:

1. You can use this pattern for solid and variagated yarn. Just ignore the color change instructions.

2. You can create chevron stripes by starting row 7 at the exact stitch you ended round 6 on (instead of counting 5 stitches to the right).

3. Change up the striping! There are 9 total “rounds” in this pattern so another possible options are 3 “rounds” per color, rather than changing every single round.

4. Add accessories! You can add buttons, felt cutouts, doll eyes and all sorts of nifty things to make your heart charm personalized.

I hope you loved making my Striped Heart Charm. Feel free to post pictures in the comments or email them to me knottyfingersdotcom [at] gmail . com

 To get started you’ll need a few supplies:

* 6 pieces of regular copy paper. For this snowflake I decided to use red & white. Try different color combos!
* Scissors
* Tape
* Stapler (& staples, of course)

Optional (for hanging):
* Hole puncher
* String

Step 1: Make your paper into a square by folding one corner to it’s adjacent side. Cut off the excess paper. Save it for smaller snowflakes or scrap paper for ideas and lists.

Step 2: Across the fold cut 3 parallel slits diagonally towards the center. Then repeat on the other side, making sure to leave about 1-1 1/2″ space between the cuts. If the cuts meet, you’re gonna have a bad time. -_-

Step 3: Unfold the paper and lay it crease side down. Grab the 2 free corners of the “almost square” in the middle. Tape one corner over the other securing the center into a cylinder-like shape.

Step 4: Cylinder side down, grab the corners on the 1st set of fringies and layer one corner over the other. Staple (or tape) together.

Repeat with 2nd set of fringies except alternate to the side of the cylinder. With the 3rd set, alternate back to the side you connected your 1st set on.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1-4 with all 6 pieces of paper.

Step 6: Connect each one together by stapling the X made by the “fringies”. Make sure you attach them 1 to 2; meaning that the side of the 1st “flake” with just one set of fringies attaches to the side with 2 fringies on the 2nd flake. Once you have 3 flakes attached to one another, match up the corners at one end and staple them together.

Step 7: Again matching up 1 to 2, match up the corresponding flakes and staple the X’s together on both sides.

Step 8: Staple the center together for stability and now dust off your hands because you’ve just made a rad paper snowflake that will astound your friends & family.

Optional Steps! How to hang your snowflake:

Hole punch at the tip of one flake. Slide some string through and hang it with a tack or hook.

Try these steps with one color or all 6 different colors of paper! What I liked best was laying 2 pieces of different color paper together and treating it like one. The effect is quite pretty as you can see in the top picture (2nd from the left). Try different sizes, although I will admit that you’ll probably end up having to tape the entire project because your stapler won’t fit.

I hope you had as much fun making 3D Jumbo Paper Snowflakes as I did! Have a happy holiday and happy New Year! Check back soon for more DIY and crafting tutorials!

Vintage Boxing Gloves 8×10 print by shawnstpeter

Person: “O look at her knitting! She’s knitting.”
Me: “I’m crocheting!”
Person: “What’s the difference?”
Me: “:-/”

No, it doesn’t bother me when someone mistakes crochet for knitting. It’s pretty understandable. They are both created using sticks and yarn to make a textile. Over the years I’ve been asked this question several times and never really knew where to begin. I’ve decided to put them head to head for a final battle to answer:

CROCHET VS. KNIT: What’s the difference and which is better?

Round 1: STRETCH

Crochet fabric is usually a one-way stretch, meaning it will stretch one-way but not the other. While working in the round & certain foundation techniques have some “stretch” in the 2nd direction, it’s still not enough to be considered 2-way stretch. However, crochet is great for maintaining structure because of this!

Knit fabric is a 2-way stretch textile. You can stretch is across and up & down. Knit is usually a lighter fabric as well; this makes knitting more appropriate for certain patterns, such as lightweight/close fitting clothing.vCheck out the knitted fabric below and look at your socks/t-shirt. Notice how those same tiny stitches are the exact same as this large knitted scarf (except made by a machine and not hands, of course!).

 Round 2: TOOLS OF EXECUTION

Crochet = Hooks! One hook is used to crochet. The foundations of crochet are “yarn over” & “pull through”. Really every stitch is a variation of those “moves”. To my knowledge, there has never been a successful crochet machine invented which makes this craft super unique in that no one can ever really “mass produce” it. It has to be made by hand.

Knitting = Needles! Normally, 2 needles at a time are used to knit.The 2 basic stitches for knit are “knit” (DUH!) and “purl”. You can machine knit simple fabrics like the wind, but intricate laces are still made by hand.

For both, there are many different sizes/types of hooks and accessories used. As a rule of thumb, for draper more lace-like projects, the bigger the gauge; the stiffer/thicker the desired textile, the smaller hook/needle you would use.

Round 3: WHICH IS BETTER?

There’s really no right answer here. I do both. I am… bicraftual! To me, it really depends on what I’m making whether I decide to knit or crochet it.

Knitted Freddy by Knit-Terrors

With how I knit, it is more lightweight and “drapier” than crochet could ever wish it was. This, for me, is a major determining factor in choosing knit or crochet. For clothes, like sweaters and leg warmers, I usually go with knit because it is body hugging without adding bulk or unflattering structure. Hats and scarves can go either way, but I prefer crochet since I am more seasoned at it.

Crocheted Audition dolls by knottyfingers

My dolls are always crochet. I have knitted one doll… A Mr. Ugly doll. I cannot imagine knitting the shapes I crochet. I just wouldn’t know how to do it! I may favor crochet but  I believe that’s only because I learned it first and have done it for much longer. I won’t say one is better/easier/more versatile than the other, but for me, crochet will always have my heart.

It’s like cats vs. dogs, The Beatles vs. Elvis… CROCHET VS. KNIT, the unending battle.

It’s always a good idea when jumping back into an old craft that you start out with a small project just to get into the swing of things. My first idea was PJ pants, a simple project that I’d definitely get LOTS of use out of. However, I am poor at planning. I had a limited amount of fabric to work with and wasn’t particularly keen on shopping for fabric on Black Friday. How perfect that Whatthecraft.com has a “Cheeky Bikini panties” PDF pattern that I could just download and print off the pattern pieces! (YAY! I didn’t have to leave my house!)

Snip, snip, snip! After I printed out my size, I just followed her super simple instructions on assembling the pattern by cutting out the pieces and taping them together. Next I pinned my pattern to the fabric and cut out all the pieces. Although I have had a lot of experience sewing, I was a little unsure of how well I’d be able to follow a pattern after so long without practice but I was flying through this project faster than you could say BUTTERY SOFT HANDMADE PANTIES!!!

Inserting elastic is usually my least favorite thing about sewing! I hate it more than zippers! The way I was taught in school, it caused the elastic to have unflattering bunching, shifting or, even worse, detaching. Here I am using her technique for inserting plain elastic.

I’ve never tried this technique before but I am never going back to loose elastic in a fabric tube… NEVER AGAIN! The results were so professional, I couldn’t believe I had made these myself! She also includes instructions on how to attach decorative elastic, so you can guess what I’ll be making next.

After about 2 hours total, I had a completed pair of handmade panties made to my exact measurements. Tada!

They are crazy comfortable but super cute. I can’t wait to get more fabric and make more!

Pick up the pattern here at whatthecraft.com for just $9. It includes 8 sizes from hip measurements 32″-46″. Full instructions from how to assemble the pattern all the way through the completed project. In fact, here’s a link to her FREE tutorial on making your own ruffle butt panties.

All you need is a 1/2 yard of stretch knit fabric OR even just an old t-shirt, plain or decorative elastic and a will to learn. What a great way to upcycle that old Transformers shirt you just can seem to part with. I recommend cotton fabrics, as your who-hah will thank you.

Oh yea! Just in case you were wondering, I got my decorative stretch elastic from my new favorite trims shop DollarTrims. I recommend looking for supplies on Etsy. I had no idea how inexpensive it can be compared to major fabric stores. My locations don’t even carry much stretch elastic!

This was a fantastic project to start up sewing again. From beginners to advanced sewers, this is a quick and easy project. It doesn’t take a lot of time or supplies and there are infinite possibilities when it comes to color, prints, and elastics! I spent less than 2 hours and $3 on supplies for this project. $3 panties you’re not embarrassed to put pictures of on the internet!! You can’t beat that!

I get a lot of messages from people who say they love my crochet creepies but wish they could make some of their own but can’t – because they’re a dude.

I have a dream. A dream that dudes and dudettes can all crochet together in harmony. Crochet is not only a way to make intricate fabrics. It’s a utilitarian skill! So today, I’m here to say:

CROCHET: IT’S NOT JUST FOR WOMEN.

Cthulhu Ski Mask Pattern available on Etsy at knottyfingers

Let’s take a moment to recognize the origins of crochet and why there might be a gender stigma that surrounds it. Although there are many theories on how crochet started, I believe that most forms used in ancient Asia are probably more similar to Nålebinding or weaving. That lazy weekend I learned how to make my first granny square, my grandmother explained that crochet was actually developed by men who made textiles using knot patterns. There are also stories of nuns in France who created intricate lace fabrics (since they didn’t really have much else to do!) but the one piece of information I find over and over again is that crochet in the way we know it today began in France during the 19th century. The word “crochet” comes from France meaning “hook.” How fitting! Most of the patterns published during that time were lace and utilitarian designs.

Men’s Jock Strap Pattern available on Etsy at SandiHaganDesigns

Let’s skip to present day. When most people hear that this plug-wearing, tattoo-having woman spends her free time crocheting, most people say “DOES NOT COMPUTE.” I’m guessing when they hear the word “crochet” they imagine an elderly woman making baby clothes, doilies and endless Christmas blankets for her friends and family. However, thanks to the internet bringing together smart & creative folks, there is an entire community of people dedicated to resurrecting this ancient art form of creating textiles of all shapes/colors/textures/sizes from knots, otherwise known as “stitches.”

Mr Bunnyford AND Horace Behr Pattern available on Etsy at MrFox

Today you can find patterns all over the internet ranging from baby toys/clothes to display art and men’s/women’s fashion. A great resource I use and sell my patterns on is Ravelry.com. There are countless other websites that offer free and for sale patterns for many different shapes, genders, ages and interests. Here are just a few more I have used:

Free Crochet Patterns

Craftster

Cut out + Keep

There are thousands of resources including websites/blogs, yarn sleeves, and your local library for finding patterns that you’ll enjoy making whether you’re a teen girl or an adult man. If you’ve been to your local craft store and visited the needlework section (or as I like to call it: the SPEND ALL MY MONEY AISLE), there’s no doubt they carry a new brand called “The Crochet Dude.” A line of crochet tools and accessories made by Drew Emborsky, a very popular crochet guru.

Mens 3-Stripe Tennis Shoes Pattern available on Etsy at Hollanddesigns

So the next time you say “Crochet is for girls,”
you may want to duck before you receive a hook to the face!
It’s 2012 people. Men can be hookers too!

This post is dedicated to my friends Brian and Cherie, two of my very good DIY friends. Check out Cherie’s awesome collection of cephalopods on Etsy! <—Click there!

“You should sell your stuff for less. You’ll sell more.”

“Why do you charge so much? Yarn is cheap!”

Although most of the comments I get about my crochet design are positive and heart-warming, the main complaint I do occasionally hear is that I’m charging too much. At first, it hurt my feelings and made me question the way I was running my business. Over time, I’ve learned the hard way to not undercharge  for my work while keeping my prices realistic. Now that I have some experience under my belt, I felt it’s time to explain: Why is crochet so stinkin’ expensive?

Admittedly, I was not a “pricing expert” when I first opened my shop in the beginning of 2011, nor do I claim to be now. However, I have spent many hours researching how to price handmade and how much my “competitors” are charging. I’ve found 2 main philosophies for pricing art/design:

The first was found across multiple articles that say the “going rate” for art/design is 4x the amount of supplies.

At $4 for supplies, a scarf that takes me 5 hours to make and package would cost $16 according to this pricing technique. I would be making $2.40 an hour. Woah, that’s less than minimum wage! O yea, that 5 hours doesn’t even include the time I spent responding to inquiries, taking the product photos, writing up the listings, driving to and standing in line at the post office, and marketing; not to mention the fees I pay to Etsy and Paypal.

The second, being at the other end of the spectrum, is to “get as much as you can you get for it.” There’s really no guideline to this method other than having the idea of future fame and pricing it as if you are already a famous artist. To me, this is a great way to let your products collect dust! I mean no offense to anyone who uses this method, however I am much happier and more inclined to design more when I’m actually making sales. However if this method works for you, than more power to you! “I got paid too much for my time and craftsmanship,” said no one ever.

My pricing method has developed into somewhere between these two. In my mind, I’d rather charge an amount I am satisfied with for my time but is also realistic. My items are not throwaway accessories and toys you can buy just anywhere. They are wearable art and display pieces. They are priced to be appreciated. If I sold them for less than their worth, they will be treated as such. The last thing I’d want to see is someone letting my products be uncared for because of my own pricing error.

On the flip side, even though I did have many years of experience crocheting, on day 1 of my business I had exactly 1 day experience of selling my work. Which, believe it or not, is a totally different ball field than crocheting for fun. I ate my giant piece of humble pie and charged $10/hour for my labor, hardly charged for supplies, and I didn’t charge anything for the time I spent on the “behind the scenes” work that went into running my shop. I didn’t feel comfortable charging for the time it took me to take photos, list and market my items because, quite frankly, I had 0 experience doing this for an online business.

Sure, it was great that my items were flying off the shelf at what I thought was a pretty reasonable “profit” versus the cost of my supplies. However, I started losing my motivation when I looked at how much of my time I was spending on keeping my shop going and how little I was making. I started  knottyfingers for fun but have come to realize I do have a talent and am creating products that people want. If I was ever going to turn this into a business I knew my pricing process had to change.

I decided it was time to start charging for the time I spent on designing, photographing and marketing and increase my hourly wage to $15/hour plus the cost of supplies/fees. Before you gasp, let’s think about my Human Centipede Scarf:

This scarf takes me 10 hours to crochet. I originally priced it at $95.00. After I sold a few I decided to increased the price to $119.00 to cover my full labor + cost of supplies/fees. Suddenly, I got a pretty nasty complaint about how I was charging too much and taking advantage of people, which hurt my feelings. Even though I was still selling my scarf at the higher price, I lowered the price back down, busting my butt for less than $10/hour to get the orders out in time. After spending months like this, it was finally pointed out to me:

If I made (& sold) a human centipede scarf every day for one year, I’d make a gross salary of $34,675 BEFORE the cost of supplies/fees. Now you might think “HEY! That’s not a bad salary for someone who gets to play with yarn all day!” But remember, this is a salary for a 60-70 hour work week. No holidays. No paid vacations. And definitely no healthcare/retirement benefits.

I was (and still am) guilty of undercharging myself at times, but I’ve learned the hard way that it is not satisfying to sell products that take you hours to complete for less than their worth just to make the sale. Next time you complain about the price of a handmade product or undercharging for something you put your sweat, blood and tears into designing, please consider what I’m saying and maybe rethink the way you’re pricing your work.

Over the course of my crochet-venture I’ve found that not only do I enjoy making things for my friends, but also teaching them how to make their very own crochet creations. After years of being asked and reasked how to do certain techniques, I’m putting together some quick and easy tutorials. Today we’re starting with the basics – How to crochet a chain stitch.

This tutorial includes:

1. How to choose your first skein of yarn and hook size.

2. How to get that yarn on your new shiny hook.

3. How to hold the hook and yarn.

4. How to crochet a chain, the foundation of almost all crochet patterns!

I know you probably want to start making your own zombie amigurumi and unicorn scarf today, but first you must learn the basic stitches. Starting 2013, I’ll be working on a series of video and photo tutorials to explain the fundamentals of crochet. With each tutorial, we will build onto the skills you already have.

Today we covered how make a chain stitch AKA the foundation of your crochet pattern, meaning exactly that. You’re laying the groundwork for all your stitches to be built on. As you may already know, the foundation row is always a bit awkward, even for advanced crocheters. Practice this chain stitch technique until you have it down pat, as it is used in every single crochet pattern – Ever! (Even foundation-less crochet patterns need a Ch 2 at the beginning!) Also note that the chain stitch may be used for other reasons than making a foundation. You might notice as you crochet, it could also be used for decorative stitching like doll hair and edging.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to subscribe to my blog below or my youtube channel for updates!