Articles
Short articles on each craft: how to read a pattern, how to choose materials, what the reference tables mean and how the tools work. Each one links to the tables, tools and patterns it mentions.
Aida, evenweave and linen compared
How the three common cross-stitch fabrics differ in how the stitches are placed, how they look finished, and which one to start on.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWoodworkingAvoiding tear-out
Why fibres lift and chip when planing, sawing, routing and sanding, and the changes of direction, tool and setup that leave a clean surface.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minQuiltingBinding a quilt
How to cut, join and sew binding, how wide to cut the strips, and how to finish mitred corners and the join.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minKnittingBinding off without puckering
Why a bound-off edge pulls in or flares, and how to match its stretch to the fabric below.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minKnittingBlocking knitted fabric
What blocking does to stitches, the three methods, and which fibres hold the new shape and which do not.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWood carvingBuilding a starter carving kit
Which knives, gouges and sharpening gear to buy first for whittling, chip carving, spoons and relief work, and what to leave until later.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minWood carvingChip carving basics
How the three-corner chip, straight-line chip and curved chip are cut, how to lay out a pattern, and how to get clean, even pyramids.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minWoodworkingChoosing a joint
How the common woodworking joints compare in strength, difficulty and appearance, and which to use for boxes, frames, shelves and tables.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWoodworkingChoosing a wood finish
How oils, varnishes, shellac, waxes and paints differ in look, durability and effort, and how to match a finish to the piece.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minWoodworkingChoosing a wood species for a project
How hardness, grain, movement and price separate the common woods, and which species suit shelves, tables, boxes and painted pieces.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minQuiltingChoosing fabric for a quilt
Why quilt shops sell quilting cotton, how to judge weight and weave, and how to balance colour and scale in a palette.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minKnittingChoosing knitting needles
How needle material, tip shape and cable length change the knitting, and which kind suits which project.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minEmbroideryChoosing thread and strands
How six-strand cotton, pearl cotton and wool compare in weight, and how many strands to use for outlines, fills and knots.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minMacraméCutting and mounting cords
Measuring long cords without a tangle, the lark's head, folding through a ring, and the gathering wrap that finishes a hanger.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minKnittingDecreases that lean left and right
Which decrease slants which way, how to pair them for symmetry, and how to choose one for hats, sleeves and lace.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCross-stitchFinding the centre and starting a chart
How to mark the middle of the fabric and the middle of the chart so the design sits square, and where to begin stitching.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWood carvingFinishing a carving
Sanding or leaving tool marks, sealing the wood, choosing oil, wax or paint, and how each treatment changes the look of carved detail.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minQuiltingFixing wavy borders and puckered seams
Why quilt borders ripple, how to measure and cut borders so they lie flat, and how to ease a top that is slightly out of square.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetFront loops, back loops and post stitches
Where to put the hook to change the texture of crochet fabric, from ridges to ribbing to raised columns.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCross-stitchHalf stitches, three-quarter stitches and backstitch
The partial stitches used for curves and fine detail in a chart, how to work them, and how to place backstitch outlines.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minQuiltingPlanning a quilt size and layout
How to work from a mattress or throw size to block size, block count, sashing and borders, with the arithmetic laid out.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minCross-stitchPressing and framing finished cross stitch
How to wash, press and mount a finished piece so the stitches stand proud and the frame fits, with cloth margins and mounting methods.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minQuiltingPressing seams and matching points
Why pressing is a separate step from ironing, which way seams go, and how opposing seams make points meet.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minMacraméReading a plant hanger pattern
What the cut list, arms, net rows and wraps in a generated plant hanger pattern mean, and how the lengths were worked out.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minWood carvingReading grain direction before you cut
How to see which way the fibres run, why cuts go clean in one direction and tear in the other, and how to work round a grain reversal.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minKnittingRibbing that holds its shape
How 1x1 and 2x2 rib pull fabric in, which one suits which edge, and why a cuff flares or goes slack.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWood carvingRoughing out a figure from a block
How to go from a square block to a rounded form by drawing two views, removing waste in stages and keeping the proportions.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCross-stitchRow by row or cross by cross
The two ways to work a block of cross stitch, why the top stitches must all lie the same way, and how to park threads across a chart.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWoodworkingScrews, nails and pocket holes
How to pick a fastener by gauge, length and head, and how to drill pilot holes so a joint closes without splitting.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minMacraméSquare knot and half-knot spiral
The two knots behind almost every plant hanger arm, how to tie them evenly, and how to keep a sinnet flat or make it twist.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minEmbroideryStarting a hoop project
Cutting fabric, hooping it drum-tight, threading the needle and starting and ending a thread without a knot showing.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetStarting with a magic ring
How to begin a piece worked in the round with an adjustable loop, and the chain-2 alternative for yarns that will not hold a ring.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minCrochetStuffing and closing a piece
How firmly to stuff, how to close the last round, and how to join parts so the figure holds its shape.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCross-stitchSubstituting thread colours
How to swap a colour on a chart, what to match besides the hue, and how to keep the change from flattening the design.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetSubstituting yarn in a pattern
How to replace the yarn a pattern names with another one, what to match, and how to work out how many skeins to buy.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minCrochetThe invisible decrease
The decrease that keeps amigurumi fabric smooth, how to work it, and when a standard single crochet two together is fine.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minKnittingThe long-tail cast on and how much tail to leave
How to make the most common cast on, how to estimate the tail length, and how to fix an edge that is too tight or too loose.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 4 minWood carvingThe stages of relief carving
How a flat panel becomes a raised design through outlining, setting in, grounding, modelling and undercutting, and why the order matters.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minEmbroideryTransferring a design to fabric
Four ways to get a drawing onto fabric, which one suits which fabric, and how to size the design to the hoop first.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 2 minQuiltingUnderstanding quilting precuts
What charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes and fat quarters measure, what they cost in yardage, and which quilts suit each.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minCrochetWhy crochet curls, cups and ruffles
The stitch-count reasons a flat piece bends out of shape, and the fixes for circles, squares and edges.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minWoodworkingWood movement and how to design for it
Why boards change width with the seasons, how much, and the joinery and fastening habits that let a panel move without splitting.
Updated 30 Sep 2026 · 5 minWood carvingBasic whittling cuts
The four cuts that make up almost every whittled figure, and the order to use them in.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minWood carvingChoosing a carving wood
Why basswood is the usual first choice, when to pick something harder, and how grain direction decides whether a cut is clean.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetChoosing yarn for amigurumi
Cotton, acrylic and wool compared for stuffed figures, with how much a typical small figure uses.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCross-stitchFabric count and strands
How aida count changes the size of a design, how many strands of floss to use, and how evenweave differs.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetGauge and hook size for amigurumi
How stitches per centimetre decide the size of a finished figure, and how to pick a hook that gives a firm fabric.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minQuiltingHalf-square triangles two at a time
The cutting math and the steps for making half-square triangle units in pairs, and how to trim them true.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minQuiltingHow much fabric to buy
How yardage is worked out from cut sizes and the width of fabric, and what the allowances cover.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCrochetHow to read an amigurumi pattern
What the round lines, brackets and counts in an amigurumi pattern mean, and how to keep your place.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minWood carvingKeeping carving tools keen
Stropping, honing and when to regrind, for knives, gouges and V-tools.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minKnittingKnitting a gauge swatch
How to knit and measure a swatch so a hat pattern computed for your gauge comes out the size it says.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minKnittingNegative ease and hat fit
Why a beanie is knit smaller than the head, how much smaller, and how the crown depth affects the look.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minWoodworkingNominal vs actual lumber sizes
Why a 1x10 is really 3/4 by 9-1/4 inches, and how to plan a build with the sizes boards actually are.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minWoodworkingPlanning a cut list
How to turn a parts list into boards to buy, allowing for the saw kerf and cutting the long parts first.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minKnittingReading a colourwork chart
How to follow a stranded colourwork chart in the round, manage floats and keep the tension even.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCross-stitchReading a cross-stitch chart
What the symbols, grid lines and legend on a counted chart mean and where to start stitching.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minWoodworkingShelf span and sag
How far a shelf can run between supports before it bows, and what to do about a long span.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minCross-stitchStarting and finishing threads
Ways to anchor a new length of floss without a knot and to finish the end so the back stays flat.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 2 minQuiltingThe quarter-inch seam
Why patchwork uses a 1/4 in seam, how to check yours, and what happens to block size when it drifts.
Updated 29 Sep 2026 · 1 min