The festive season is upon us, and what better way to celebrate than by knitting something really special for the little ones in your life? My latest knitting book "20 to Make - Knitted Baby Hats" offers a cute and colourful collection of patterns that go beyond the ordinary, providing you with the perfect opportunity to add a touch of handmade warmth and charm, not only to your festive gifting, but into 2024 and beyond. From adorable animals to fun food, each hat is a miniature work of art that will not only keep baby snug and warm but will also create cherished memories in years to come. Kn ..read more

What colours should I knit or crochet with in spring? As we move into a new season, the smells of Spring are in the air, and signs of new life are suddenly appearing, from buds on the branches of the trees, to new shoots on the hedgerows and bushes. With blossom and daffodils everywhere, it's almost like nature is pressing a reset button for new beginnings, and it's such a lovely feeling. Transitioning from one season to another with our knitting and crochet can be quite tricky, as we put aside our heavier, chunkier yarns and look towards something lighter and brighter to work with. To help y ..read more

Signs of Spring The sun is coming out more here in the UK, which means that when you're sat inside, with the sun shining through the windows, it feels so much warmer. It really is the nicest feeling (and reduces the need for heating or extra layers, which is a bonus). I'm longing for the day that I can set up our garden furniture and sit outside, although I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that it will last another year once we've cleaned it up and painted over the decking and fence again. We first painted everything grey a few years ago, and it seems to need an annual lick of paint - no do ..read more

Easy Does It I always have the simplest of projects in my daily craft basket – the one that sits by my chair in the lounge (and woe betide anyone who sits in ‘my chair’). When my head is completely full and my brain has had enough for the day, all I want to do when I sit down in the evening is to pick up my knitting or crochet and be creative without even having to: think about it; fathom out where I’m up to in a pattern; read a complicated stitch pattern. I just want to knit or crochet, take a breath and de-stress. Are you the same? And whilst I may have more complicated projects on the go ..read more

It’s so easy to think that the small business market is saturated with knitting and crochet designers and tech editors. You may think that there’s no point to either starting your dream business, or to working hard on your established business, when there are so many people doing the same thing. It’s really easy to let these thoughts stop you from achieving your dreams and goals. But the truth is that even though there may be lots of people running similar businesses to you, and are selling similar products or services, they won’t be doing it like you do, because they won’t have the same stre ..read more

Welcome to my A to Z of top tips for pattern writers, designers and tech editors. Over the course of the year I will be sharing my top tips to help elevate your pattern writing, widen your tech editing skills and grow your business in general. These tips for blogging are designed to help you improve your business foundations and help you engage with, and grow your audience. Streamline your business and grow your audience Audience engagement works best when you focus on one theme at a time as it gives your audience a great opportunity to digest and contemplate the theme of the week, to ask yo ..read more

Did you know that one of the most commonly asked question on google is: "How do I knit a square?" Like many things with knitting and crochet, there are lots of answers to this simple question, but by starting at the very beginning, we can unravel the mystery of how to knit a simple square. HOW MANY STITCHES DO I NEED TO CAST ON FOR A KNITTED SQUARE? This will depend on how large or small you would like your square to be, but to help you make a start, I have listed the steps below so that you can work out how many stitches you need to knit a 10 x 10cm (4 x 4in) square, regardless of the thickne ..read more

Happy New Year Here we go again with another year ahead of us, full of possibilities. I like to choose a word for the year as it helps me to stay on track with my goals. So without further ado I would like to share my word for 2023, which is ........ 'FOCUS' It’s only the 2nd of January and I’ve already had to have a quiet word with myself and remind myself of my word for the year. I started to take down the Christmas decorations, and after about an hour I began to think that perhaps I should get started with my first blog post of the year. I dashed upstairs with great intention and turned o ..read more

For most of us, when we begin our knitting or crochet journey, the first thing we do after learning how to cast on, is to practice the basic stitches, often in the form of simple squares. The sense of achievement we feel when we master something new is such a joy to embrace, especially if you've had busy or stressful day. The familiarity of the a technique can soon become engrained in our memory, like riding a bike or driving a car, so when we pick up our needles or hook and start to knit or crochet, we soon feel calm and soothed, as our bodies and minds start to relax. THE MINDFULNESS OF KNI ..read more

The holiday season is almost upon us. I'm not sure if it's the same where you are living, but we already have a full range of colourful Christmas decorations in our shops, sat opposite the Halloween spooktacular products. It's definitely acting as a remind that we need to start thinking about finding the perfect gifts for our favourite knitters and crocheters. Whether they're seasoned crafters or just starting out, there's a wide range of thoughtful and practical gifts that can bring a smile to their faces. As a crafter myself, I know how much I love to receive gifts that I can enjoy using in ..read more