From Zero to Crafty: Essential Tips for Starting a Crafting Hobby **warning, crafting is every so slightly addictive!

Are you curious (or maybe somewhat jealous!) that some people craft. That some people are happy to sit with their hand sewing or think adding stuff into journals is super exciting? Do you want to feel the joy of finishing & then wearing something that you made? Do you want to feel, like me, that the best way to party is to actually stay home & knit! But where do you start? There are so many hobbies or crafty things to do, how can you express yourself in a way that gives you joy & satisfaction?

#1 Discover your Crafting Passion

One of the first things to do is to find out which craft you are passionate about. Crafting includes many things as knitting, sewing, painting, scrapbooking, and lots of other activities. Visiting craft stores, check out the local crafting community, watch online tutorials, and even read a physical book on how to start crafting, the choices are endless. 

Do not limit yourself to just one thing. Try working on a few projects before you find one that resonates with you. This allows you to begin crafting and devote more time and money to enhancing your skills and procuring new tools and materials when you're ready. Just make a start, any start!

Via Pexels

#2 Get the Essentials

When your hobbies become your work, you should not compromise on quality (& yes, work as in fun work). You may initially need to start with purchasing minimal tools and materials based on the crafting you opt for, such as clothes sewing where you require a sewing machine, fabric, needles, thread, and scissors. 

For instance, if you do choose sewing, start by researching the best sewing machines for beginners, this will help you learn faster, work more efficiently and effectively, and be less frustrated due to simpler operations and nothing stops creativity faster than when you don't have the right tools for the job.

#3 Getting Basic Skills and Techniques Right

Before jumping into more complex crafts, it is vital to experiment yourself but also search for easy beginner tips and techniques as there are so many ways to do lots of simple things - you don't have to re-invent the wheel! There are a multitude of resources available to kickstart your crafting journey from online tutorials, crafting books, and local crafting workshops. 

Sites such as Craftsy or YouTube pages can be of invaluable assistance to newbies. You could work along with the tutorial at your own pace without any specific rush. Make mistakes and move on; we all make them; they are part of your learning phase. The more you strive hard; you build up your confidence in crafts together with mastering your skills, thereby, up for some more challenging DIY projects.

#4 Creating a Craft Zone

Setting up your crafting area can improve the overall crafting experience, as it helps in keeping everything well organized, and therefore, inspiring. Choose a place that is well-lit and where you can set up your crafting table to keep your crafting supplies in one place.

It becomes so much better when you have a specific place dedicated to your creative pursuits. Storage selections such as shelving, or pallets of bins and drawers will help keep your material looking neat and attainable. You may like to deck your craft room with decorations to uplift your mood and add flair to your artsy atmosphere, be original in your crafting oasis. Maybe you can choose a theme or colour that makes you feel good. Maybe you just need to clear off the dining table (like me) and force the family to eat in the lounge room in front of the tv for the next month!

#5 Community

Crafting communities helps in bonding you with others, who share common interests, assign tasks, etc in actuality or also provide a platform for guidance and suggestions. Seek out local craft-based clothing brands or clubs offering workshops, or else there are online communities to look out for such as Forums, Social media groups, etc., where you can discuss, understand, and Grow together. For example, I made my very first real life sewing friend last year and it;s awesome! We sit around a table & sip tea and discuss sewing patterns and cut out fabric, it's so good to find a connection like that. We found each other via a community group Facebook post and just sort of connected from there.

So just jump in & start crafting if that's your jam. Maybe you need more structure and need to research everything before starting, then in that case, do so! Maybe you need to attend a class before starting, then do that too. Maybe you need everything provided in a kit, so do that too. Just be you, be happy and don't afraid to start something new.

I utilise affiliate (aff) links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Rie

Creativity Journal Giveaway

 

Let me introduce you to this idea filled creativity journal called The Big Book of Little Sparks Creativity Journal by Carrie Bloomston & Ruth Burrows.

It's a fun filled way to get the spark going or to unblock any mind barriers that you may have in life. You can use it any way you like - from the first page to the last or just open it up to whatever you're feeling like that day. You'll soon find yourself bursting with creativity and then ideas on how to channel that creativity into something useful and fun.

If you'd like to win a copy of this fantastic journal then either leave a comment here below or head over to Instagram here... and leave a comment on the journal photo in my ig feed. Entries open worldwide.

Entries close 12th February 2024. I'll contact you either via email if you've commented here or via dm on Instagram where I'll only ask you for your postal details (& nothing else, postage will be free).

Good luck!

I'd love it if you popped over to my YouTube channel & subscribed to it & even liked some of my videos. Every like, every follower, every comment is like a great big hug! 

If you need more Crafty Inspo, then check out my shoppable lists here....

I utilise affiliate (aff) links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Rie

What are the best knitting needles?

 

The best knitting needles are ones that you use over & over & over again. They are the needles that glide easily with any project with any yarn. Bonus points if those needles are have interchangeable swivel cables & cables ends to make life easier, so you switch from the back to the front, sleeves etc with your project and not have to worry about dropping stitches or losing needles.

I absolutely recommend these KnitPro knitting needles, not only are they are incredibly beautiful, I love the style, the feel and how they all come together in the set. 

The knitting needles set that I'm using is The Gratitude set that is from the Mindful collection by KnitPro. They are an all inclusive set, knitting needles in a large range of sizes, with all the cables & accessories that you need.

The knitting needles are smooth gliding needles that are easily attached to the cables. The cables have a swivel action, so they won't tangle, bend or crimp in your knitting. If the cables aren't long enough then there are cable connectors included so make the cables longer. The matching accessories included in the cute case are cable ends, darning needles, cable keys (for attaching the cable to the knitting needle) and a large variety & styles of stitch markers.

This handy knitting set is the perfect gift for yourself or the new or seasoned knitter in your family. 

Check them out here for more information!

This has been a collaborative blog post, all images, thoughts & comments are my own.

Knitting Needle review

 

I'm showcasing & reviewing these gorgeous knitting needles, the KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needle Set.

The set includes 8 different sized knitting needles that are interchangeable with the cables that are included in the handy pouch. 

There are 4 cables included; 2 x 80cm (I'm using 1 in these photos), 1 x 60cm & 1 x 100cm.  Also included within the kit, are 8 end caps, 4 cable keys, 1 set of cable connectors, 1 set of wool needles & 1 set of stitch holders.  

The cable end caps are handy when you want to try on your knitting for size & fit, you can unscrew the needles & screw on the end caps as it stops the knitting from coming off (& coming undone). 

The cable keys are what you use to screw on & unscrew the knitting needles to the cables so they're not too loose when you're knitting.

The cable connectors are used when you need to add extra length to your cable, so you can join two cables together. They're fantastic for those wider projects like blankets and other types of projects.

The wool needles are super handy to have to weave in those ends and I really like these type as the 'eye of the needle' is easy to thread and doesn't snag on the yarn or project.

The stitch holders are always useful and I love the colours that these ones come in.

Things I really love about these KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needles:

~ they have a lovely smooth firm grip, not slippery at all

~ they are evenly balanced 

~ the cables are easy to use & change (& join) 

~ the cable doesn't kink at all

~ the gorgeous range of colours 

~ the handy box & notions that come with this kit

~ and best of all, there is just something joyous & magical about matching your needle to your yarn!

I love using these Zing interchangeable needles rather than 'straight needles' as the cables are soft & flexible and don't whack my boobs when I'm knitting. 

They are also handy when you pop your knitting down, the needles are NOT sittings straight up in the air and therefore won't get snapped or broken.

To be honest, I switched to interchangeable knitting needles when I had my second baby as I was knitting whilst breastfeeding and the straight needles would constantly tap,tap,tap the baby on the head whereas when I switched to interchangeables, they didn't tap the baby as they were no where near the babies head! 

I also love using these interchangeable knitting needles for projects when I'm knitting in the car as they aren't wide or pointy at all, so they are un-obtrusive and the knitting can easily be pushed to the centre of the cable & the needles stuck into the balls so they don't get in the way when I'm getting in & out of the car.

Overall, I recommend these needles, they would make a great present as they're boxed up so prettily or they'd be the perfect gift for yourself as everything is stored neatly inside the box. 

I'm so glad to know have this full colourful kit as owning a clickety clack rainbow makes my heart sing!

Head over to and check out the KnitPro Zing Interchangeable Needle Set now, you won't be disappointed! 

This has been a collaborative blog post, all images, thoughts & comments are my own.

Interchangeable Knitting Needles – Review, How To Knit

Are you a novice knitter? Then you might want to know what kind of needles you need for your new hobby. Today we would like to show you how useful interchangeable knitting needles are. We will also answer a few common questions that you might have about interchangeable knitting needles, let’s get started. 

Are Interchangeable Knitting Needles Good?

Yes, they are. Interchangeable knitting needles are very easy to use and give you flexibility when it comes to different kind of projects and yarn choices. 

Whether you just want to knit a cuff in a smaller size or you want change the size of needle for a colourwork section, the interchangeable circular knitting needles make this change very easy.

An interchangeable knitting needle is made out of two needle tips that are connected via a cord.  They are very similar to a circular needle; the only difference is that you can easily change a needle tip to a different size.

How Do You Use Interchangeable Knitting Needles?

The interchangeable knitting needles are used in the same way as circular knitting needles. 

They are good for all kind of knitting projects, whether they are knit in the round or knit flat.

If you would like to find out how to attach the cable to the needle tip, make sure to watch our video tutorial. 

What's The Best Knitting Needle for Beginners?

Most knitters will learn their first steps with straight knitting needles, as they can be rested against the body and they give stability whilst knitting. 

They are a great tool to learn on, but in the long run we recommend every knitter to try out interchangeable circular knitting needles. 

Modern patterns are mostly knit seamlessly and therefore require you to knit in the round. As this is not possible with straight needles, it is worth to get used to knitting with circular knitting needles early on.

Top 5 Reasons, Why Interchangeable Knitting Needles Are Great

As previously mentioned, you can use interchangeable knitting needles for any kind of project. They are the most versatile tool when it comes to knitting. 

Here are our top 5 reasons why it’s totally worth it to try them out:

1. You can be flexible when it comes to needle sizes and it’s a great investment in your hobby. Purchasing an interchangeable knitting needle set instead of individual circular knitting needles in different sizes and lengths is more affordable.

2. Do you need a shorter cable for a section of your pattern? You wouldn’t need to transfer your stitches onto a different cable, you can just simply use a shorter cable with the same needle tips that you’ve been working with already. 

3. Do you like to knit on different kind of projects at the same time? With interchangeable knitting needles you can park a project on a cable whilst using the needles on a different project. 

4. Using an interchangeable circular knitting needle instead of a straight knitting needle will reduce the weight that your hands need to carry whilst knitting. You will be able to knit for more hours without getting tired hands.

5.  Do you need a really long cable for a blanket? You can even connect two cables to each other by using a cable connector. 

 

Conclusion

Interchangeable knitting needles are the go-to tool for many knitters around the world. They are very flexible and a smart investment for any passionate knitter. If you would like to see our full range of interchangeable circular knitting needles, make sure to visit our website. 

This has been a collaborative blog post.

Is your creative space working for you?

I have a confession to make, I don't like my sewing space. Ugh, I feel so selfish saying that but honestly I don't. This is what it looks like: 

My sewing space is small, really small. It's actually in my kitchen, if you look to the top right of the photo, you can see my stove, the kitchen table is to the right of the photo. It's not an ideal location but I found it's the only place that works for me. I often sit at the sewing machine & sew whilst I'm cooking dinner or sit at the kitchen table & pin fabric whilst the kids are eating their dinner. When the sewing machine was in a separate part of the house, it was never used. The sewing table is small, too small for my long legs and I can't shift the sewing machine to a more comfortable position so I quickly get a sore back and to be brutally honest, my sewing space often looks like this:

Such a cluttered space, everything gets dumped there because I get frustrated & crabby when I get a sore back from the ill 'fitting' desk. Also, because it's in the kitchen, I often get cold. I wish it was like back in high school when they had the decent heating and you'd kick off your shoes to get toasty warm feet, I'd love to have that in the kitchen, I wonder how much underfloor heating costs.

So, my frustration got the better of me. I packed up the desk into boxes, cleaned it up and sold it! I sold it within a day, way quicker than I had anticipated! So now I don't have a proper sewing space, it's currently a pile of boxes and my sewing machine is on the kitchen table. I've sat down and tried to design my ideal desk and hubby & I will be working on it over the next week or so (building it ourselves). I think I need some better lighting, increased storage and maybe a new chair too.

Tell me about your creative space. Is it working for you? Do you need to make any adjustments so it's a more pleasant place to be? Perhaps you have an actual dedicated sewing room! I'd love to hear about it!

This has been a collaborative blog post.

Favourite Craft Ideas, Craft Gifts & Craft Supplies

It's a miserable wet day today and I'm sitting on the couch, perusing the internet for all the best craft stuff, so I thought I'd share all the awesome stuff I found with you! Firstly, you could just jump straight on over to check out my curated lists OR you could have a peek below for some ideas!

Firstly, let's talk craft kits. I love craft kits, absolutely adore them. I love receiving them in the mail, cracking the package open and diving straight in. I love how everything is in there: pattern & all the supplies. I've created a list of all the best craft kits here for you to see, the above photo is a sneak peak of some of the kits.

Then, lets talk about a pretty home, we all desire it right?! Here's some quick inspo to make your humble abode even more cosy, link is here..

Do you have a penpal? I do, in fact I have five, two overseas and three within Australia. I'm always after cute things to send to them but of course, with postage being quite expensive, I need to keep an eye out for smaller stuff that fits into a regular envelope along with my letter. I'll share with you my not-so-secret Penpal ideas list here, hopefully you'll like some of the ideas and maybe send a surprise letter to someone special.

And just in case you need some ideas on what to make for the child who has an 18" doll in their life, cos yeah, that's me, check out these patterns.

Remember, there are more lists here and it's fun to make your own. I often browse the stores when I have free time and add them to my lists, as it makes birthday & Christmas shopping so much easier if I already have some ideas up my sleeve! In fact, if you have a curated list or even just a favourites list, share it with me, so I can do some extra drooling!

I utilise affiliate (aff) links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. 
If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you. 
So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links!
Many thanks, Rie

Coping with self isolation & social distancing due to Covid-19

Hey there!  How are you?  How is your self isolating going?
I'm at home with two primary school age kids and my husband, who has taken over the kitchen table to work.  Life is umm... unusual, weird, hectic, annoying, frantic, slow, messy, chaotic but we're home & we're safe.

I thought I'd share some fun ideas that you can do at home, I've been using my printer to keep us all occupied and have found some great links for you & your family too.

If you have younger kids, then you might like these:

Printable Kids Worksheet for Mindfulness, Gratitude & Curiosity by MakeSunShineCo

Homeschool worksheets from LilyGirlPaper 

If you have older kids, then these printable might be fun for them:

My Body by GrammasLittleShop - this is so neat, you print out the pdf, 

then you cut out all the individual body organs then assemble then!

For little kids, big kids and grownups:

Flying Squirrel Paper Puppet from ArtistInLaLaLand, it was so incredibly hard to choose only one to show you as they have a shop full of awesome stuff!

Rhino mask from LPobjects and other gorgeous 3d diy pdf projects including a unicorn, bears & koala just to name a few.

Cute puppets from Aniushop like this Poppycat DIY puppet

For you:

Take the time to write up some of your favourite recipes up onto cards for either yourself, your children, neighbours or penpals using this personalised template from TheLittleBride.

Write your loved ones or penpals some letters to cheer them up in this time of self isolation using either this gorgeous print from BreezyColorsDesign.

Now that you've done something for everyone else, why not take some time to do something for you.
Here's some suggestions on some patterns to print & create something for you:

Devon Pouch by SotakCo 

this is actually already printed & sitting next to my sewing machine already!

Wavy C2C by BrightBag  

I've got this one printed too, just waiting for the kids to be fully distracted before I start it!

Christmas Diorama Ball by HandMadeAwards 

yes, I know it's months until Christmas but this year, we've been given this opportunity to be really organised!

#standwithsmall

Ok, that's my suggestions for this week, do you have any printable/pdf suggestions that you'd care to share as well?
Covid-19 really sucks doesn't it.

I utilise affiliate links throughout my blog as a way to help me keep crafting. If you click on an aff link, I receive a very small amount from it at NO cost to you.   So please help me to keep CraftyRie up and running by clicking on my aff links! Many thanks, Rie

   

Photo Wall

Ok, you seriously need to see the new print that we just popped up on our bedroom wall.
The gorgeous print is from PhotoWall.

We were originally going to put a mural up on the wall but we (as a couple) struggled to agree on something together and also, our bed is weird! As you can tell from the photos, we have a purple ribbed bed, so a lot of stuff that we liked would have required a new bed but we like our bed and I love how the colours in this artwork complement the bed!

I thought I'd also share some of the other designs that I loved, like this greyish mural, the birds & branches would have looked great coming down from the ceiling.
We also loved this crisp clear twig mural, the bright white background and the branch/twig was really look lovely.

We ended up choosing this gorgeous print, it's called Golden Riptide.
We first thought it would make a fab mural over the entire wall but after staring at our bedroom wall for a bit, we decided it would look best as a print. I jumped straight onto the computer with the dimensions in hand and ordered the canvas print of it straight away.
Oh and before I forget, I also need to share with you the other design that really, really, really, really, really, really loved. It was this gorgeous bird one but hubs said no. He wouldn't budge, even though I practically begged him but that's ok as I'm super happy with the artwork that we chose together.

Now, I have a special deal for you. you can get 25% off from the PhotoWall website using the code: craftyrie2021  

Also, I have to tell you that I ordered it & received it four days!  That was super fast! I think it took longer to choose just one print than it did to receive it!

Yes, my bed is purple, hubby made it about 20+ years ago and he actually let me paint it purple!
Yes, I have a ton of books on my bedside table but it's actually less than half of what it normally is cos I knocked it over whilst putting the picture up!
Yes, I made those cushions .. you can check out how easy there were to make in this old blog post.
Yes, I made the granny square blanket, in fact it's about 30 years old!
Yes, the crappy flower artwork on either side of the really nice artwork is made by amateurs (ie me 7 hubs)!

Hang it.

Have you seen this website called Minted? It has the cutest art prints like the one above and the ones below.
I am particulary taken with this one (below) as it's something I chant every time I step out of the front door & I've noticed my husband does it too!  Do you have a similar chant?

Giveaway: Sticky9 magnets (using your Instagram photos)

Hi there!  Do you LOVE Instagram?  If you do, like I do, then you'll be wanting a chance to print some of your fantastic images  - well here is that chance!
Just enter below for your chance to win 1 pack of magnets to print your Instagram photos from Stickygram!  Cool huh!

Giveaway

I have a fab giveaway for you!  
How organised are you?   I'm not, I run my life on sticky notes & memory - so not too organised. It also doesn't help having a toddler who loves sticky notes either as he often runs off with my notes!

This giveaway will help you organise your life, if only for a year!  You can win your very own personalised planner by PersonalPlanner.com.au - how ace is that!

Eyes and web

Did you know that down here in Tasmania, there is more UV than in places such as Sydney & Brisbane.
Yep, it's true, that means that I need good sunglasses as well as a good supply of sunscreen on hand.