Stuck with Ewe

I firmly believe that anyone can learn how to crochet. I've taught my family members, friends, my local 4H group, and pretty much anyone who asks me.  It's an incredibly rewarding experience for both teacher and student.  However, being a good teacher and a good crocheter are two entirely different skill sets. (Skills that apply to pretty much any craft, not just crochet.) There are SO many things I wish I'd known but fortunately, you can learn from my experience. Whether you're trying to teach a large group or one-on-one, here are my top 10 tips for teaching crochet.  1.  Nobody is a super crochet lady (or dude) right away. I was reminded of this a few days ago when I asked my mom for help with a knitting project. When we looked at my little swatch, we each saw something different. She noticed each individual stitch, increase, and even the slant of each stitch. Me? I just saw a swatch of something that was (probably) knitting. It takes years to learn that st

I wanted to make something for my younger sister's birthday but didn't stop to think about the particulars until less than two days before. I needed something quick that required minimal stuffing. Enter Abigail. She's no ordinary doll.  Flip her dress over her head and you have a tulip-like flower. Flip the flower part back down over the stem and she's a pretty princess again. Neat, right? Despite her cool turns-into-a-flower trick, the construction isn't all that difficult.  Both her head and dress are made in one piece, with some back loops only definition at the waist. The arms, flower stem, and leaf are made separately and stitched on afterward. Her hair is made by making a pink cap with two small pompoms stitched to it and then the whole thing is sewn to the head. If you'd rather buy pompoms than make them, that's fine too.(I owe a special thank-you to  my brother Jack for once again working his pompom wizardry. I suffer from an inabil

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Cupcake, the most adorable set of pincushions ever! Make yourself one (or a full dozen) to help you keep track of your pins. (which only makes them cuter. #sprinklesforthewin!) Click  THIS  to add this pattern to your Ravelry queue and favorites for later.  This is an easy, beginner-friendly pattern that whips up in no time at all. Working in unjoined rounds, start at the top of the cupcake with the frosting, finishing by working the scalloped edging in the front loops only. Then, using the back loops, you begin the wrapper with some post stitch detail. If you've never done post stitches, I promise it's super easy and this is a great project to try it out with. But, if you'd rather not, substitute them with a normal single crochet. Mrs. Cupake  Because I prefer to make amigurumi in one piece, that's how I designed this pattern. However, I know that not everyone feels that way, so I have included an alternate wrapper that is made s

One of my most recent projects Welcome to my corner of the internet!  On this blog, I hope to share my latest crochet projects, easy DIYs, and original patterns by yours truly. I've been crocheting for several years and crafting my whole life but decided I needed a place for all the creative overflow.  I don't have much up yet but stayed tuned because I have several ideas all at various stages of completion.  Join me on a wool-filled adventure!  The Ewe Behind the Blog  Andromache and her two-day-old babies  My blog's name is inspired by my very own Ewe, Andromache.  I love all sheep a ridiculous amount; some might say a sheep is my spirit animal. But that's simply not true -- I am the sheep's spirit human. Fortunately for both of us, Andromache doesn't mind being stuck with me in the slightest! Although I hope to mostly focus on crochet and DIYs, rather than sheep, you can expect to see an occasional picture or post about my amateu