The idea of “DIY” is definitely in vogue, bringing an upswing in popularity of knitting and crocheting, and there’s no sign interest will wane anytime soon, says lifelong craftswoman Betty Hechtman.

“Pinterest and Etsy are two of the hottest websites online today, and they’re brimming with hand-knitted items, from socks and scarves to purses and pretty much anything that can be made from yarn,” says Hechtman, author of “Yarn to Go,” (www.BettyHechtman.com), the first in a new cozy mystery series scheduled for publication in July by Berkley Prime Crime Books.   

“The hand-knitted caps and sweaters that might have embarrassed us as kids are now a hip expression of artistry,” she says. “Young adults appreciate originality and craftsmanship, and they’re an innovative bunch. They’re doing amazing things with yarn!”

Surprisingly, she notes, crocheting is even more popular than knitting. It’s No. 3 on the top 10 U.S. crafts list compiled by the Craft and Hobby Association, with 17.4 million devotees. Knitting comes in at No. 9 with 13 million needle fans.

“What’s interesting is people say they’re drawn to yarn crafts because of the creativity,” Hechtman says, citing a Craft Yarn Council survey of more than 5,000 knitters. “But once they get into it, they say they realize it also helps with stress.”

 That’s just one of the unexpected benefits of time spent knitting and crocheting. Hechtman cites four more:

• Knitting (and crochet) actually produce beneficial physical changes! Spend enough time with your needles or a hook and yarn, and you can strengthen your immune system, lower your blood pressure, and change your brain chemistry to reduce stress hormones and increase the natural “happy” neurotransmitters, serotonin and dopamine. These findings were reported last year at an “academic study day” in England on the therapeutic benefits of knitting.

• It won’t leave you feeling groggy in the morning. Having trouble sleeping? Instead of reaching for a pill, pick up a yarn project an hour or so before bedtime. The calming repetition of knitting or crocheting slows restless, racing thoughts and helps us transition from busy day to quiet, restful night.

• Keep your hands out of trouble. Are you trying to quit smoking and don’t know what to do with yourself? How about biting your nails? Have you become obsessed with checking your social media? Crocheting or knitting keeps hands busy – and out of trouble – while you’re traveling, waiting at the doctor’s office or sitting at your kid’s soccer game. And, unlike smoking, nail-biting and wasting time on Facebook, the result of knitting and crocheting is a positive one. 

• Make new friends. An internet survey of 3,500 knitters found 90 percent made new friends through the craft. One of the beautiful aspects of yarn work is that you can do it alone or in a group. In fact, the opportunities to socialize seem to be driving the strong interest from young adults, who meet at bars, Starbucks and office lunchrooms for a good stitch session, according to the yarn council. People who are alone much of the time are more prone to depression and other mental health issues, getting together for a knit with friends is good for you!

About Betty Hechtman

Betty Hechtman is the author of “Yarn to Go,” the first book in the Berkley Prime Crime Yarn Retreat mystery series, as well as the author of the best-selling Berkley Prime Crime Crochet  mystery series. The eighth book, “For Better or Worsted,” comes out in November.  She has also written newspaper and magazine pieces, short stories and screenplays as well as a children’s culinary mystery. She has a bachelor of fine arts degree and has been active in handicrafts since she was a small child. Hechtman divides her time between Los Angeles and Chicago.

 I'd like to thank Betty for letting me share her article with you, and Ginny at News and Experts for getting in touch with me and sending an advance copy of Betty's new book.  There are a few titles ahead of it on my ever growing list, but I'll get to it before too long! Look for the review in next month or so. 
In the mean time,  get your hooks and needles going and enjoy that blissful feeling that comes from creating beautiful things with yarn (or creating things with beautiful yarn!)

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time friends,
Be Blessed and Stitch & Read with Love!

It's official.  I'm hooked on making things for babies.  I had no idea how fun and satisfying these little projects could be.  It makes sense though.  They're cute and small.  They don't take that long to finish so you get to enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.  They're usually soft and cuddly and make you say things like, "Isn't that adorable!" and "I've never seen anything so cute!"

Thanks to a pregnant co-worker I've discovered a whole new world of yarns and patterns to explore.  My problem now is I want to make everything that I see.  This is dangerous for me.  Especially lately as I seem to be excellent at starting, but not so good at finishing!!

The other potentially problematic issue is a shortage of babies.  I'm from a very small family, my baby days are long gone and my son is much too young to make me Nana (please, oh please, please, please don't make me a Nana yet!!).  At the library there are a few other age appropriate candidates for mommy-hood, but given the other necessary components I don't see it happening any time soon!  So once I've overloaded Goisa with gifts for her first baby I don't know what I'm going to do.

Today, just for fun I started making a little penguin from the baby book.  He's more complicated than the kitty, but I feel confident that he'll be adorable when he's done.  So far the patterns that I've used have been accurate and easy to follow.  Now, if I can just get myself focused on her "real" present.  I have a tendency to keep starting new things before I finish the old ones.  While that's not usually a problem the baby is on his way, and I'd really like him to enjoy his gift before he heads off to college!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  Don't forget about the giveaway!  You can enter once or once a day (check out the "tweet about it" option on the entry form). Good Luck!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Six: A Tool To Covet
Write about your favorite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.

I love finding just the right tool!  When I started crocheting I had one hook.  I still have it actually.  It's purple sparkly plastic with a big heart on the end.  I don't know what size it is since I still don't have a hook gauge, but I think it's maybe a US K or L.  I've made lots of great projects with that beauty and even though I haven't used it in ages it's handy with all the others just in case I feel nostalgic.

So what tool is the one I can't live without?  My all time favorite, go to item?  I don't have one.  I have several.  Because I always have several projects going and different tasks require different tools.  So I decided to show you my stand bys.  For crocheting I prefer a plain old metal Boye hooks.  I have them in lots of sizes and I like the shape of the head.  I've tried wood, plastic, bamboo and other brands of metal but the Boye is the one I always come back to.  For thread I have a steel size 4 with a bamboo handle that I simply adore.  I'd like to get more, but until I do I wrap the steel handles with yarn to make them more comfortable.

Even though I just started knitting I was lucky enough to be given a huge selection of straight and double pointed needles.  I haven't used any enough to have real favorites, but I do like the small straights for small work.  I have quite a few old plastic double pointed needles that are so stiff they're near impossible to use.  I know a set of interchangeables are in my future as soon as the budget allows! Speaking of budget, the sets of dpn's have the prices stamped on the outside of the plastic sleeves that hold them.  They range from 45 cents to 65 cents!!  What a deal! I wonder what year they're from?  Speaking of deals, I found a terrific bargain at the local discount store on the scissors.  I couldn't resist the classic stork and the forged design to add to my collection!

Getting new tools is always fun, but right now I am obsessed with stitch markers!  Last year my husband and I started fiddling with the idea of making them to sell.  I went ahead and set up an Etsy account for Crochet Nirvana / Nirvana Designs but we haven't opened our doors yet.  I wanted to make sure that we had enough

We don't have a date yet for our grand opening, but we're on our way!  I don't expect that we'll be retiring early from the proceeds, but who knows??  Everyone has to start somewhere!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  If you want to read more about the tools of the trade, enter 4KCBWDAY6 into a search engine of your choice or click here.  I can hardly believe that Blog Week is almost over!  Please be sure to visit me tomorrow for the final post.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Five (Friday April 26th): Something A Bit Different
It’s the annual challenge to blog in a way different to how you normally blog. You may choose to create a podcast, or vlog, create a wordless post or write in verse. You've already stretched your wings with an infographic, now it's time to freestyle.

I think today's topic - or lack the of - is the perfect opportunity to tell you a little more about me.  To keep it interesting I'm going to utilize the "writing in the raw" technique. If you're not sure what that is, check out Five Minute Fridays.  I used to participate every week, but because the focus of the blog did some changing it just hasn't fit in.  I miss it.  So today I'm doing my own version.

5 little known facts about Robin in 5  minutes.  The only rule is they can't have anything to do with crocheting, knitting, books or the library - because you hear about those things all the time!!

Ok - ready, set, GO!

1.    When I was a little girl - about 3 or 4 years old I met Johnny Cash at my family's guitar factory.  He scared me and at the time I wasn't impressed at all!

2.    My family owns Martin Guitars in Nazareth, PA.  If you're a musician of any sort - chances are you've heard of Martin. We've been making guitars since 1833.  I love my family, but have nothing to do with the factory - that's my half-brother's gig. I don't know how to play the guitar.

3.    I went on a trip to Colorado when I was little.  We went to Cripple Creek (I think?) and I still remember a gravestone I saw there:  Here lies Lester Moore, four shots from a 44, No Les, No More!

4.    I have the teddy bear that my father gave me when I was born.  His name is Theodore B. Bear.  The B stands for Brown. He sits on my dresser and keeps an eye on me like he has for more than 45

5.    I have my drivers license, but for the last four years have not owned a vehicle.  A little tough in semi-rural Massachusetts, but I make it work - and I really don't want to buy a car unless I really have too!

That's it - time's up!

Whew!  That was harder than I thought it would be.  Now you know a little more about me than you did before.  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  To read more blog posts on today's topic enter 4KCBWDAY5 into a search engine of your choice, or click here.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Four: Color Review
What are your favorite colors for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colors you seem to favor when yarn shopping and crafting.

Only after writing this part of your post should you then actually look to see what colors you have used in your projects. Make a quick tally of what colors you have used in your projects over the past year and compare it to the colors you have written about. Compare this, in turn, to the colors that are most dominant in your yarn stash – do they correlate?

Color! Bright and brilliant, soft and soothing, warm, cool, shocking, neon, pastel, variegated, ombre - I love them all!!  Well, I suppose that's not entirely true.  I do have my favorites. In fact since I was young my favorite color has been purple - a passion I attribute to a long-ago obsession with Donny Osmond (I know some of you out there know what I'm talking about!).  My initial thought then is that purple would be the color I gravitate to when shopping for yarn.  Not so.  As it turns out I am much more of an equal opportunity color shopper.  My yarn/thread budget is small.  This year I made two major purchases.  The acrylics were for my series - The Granny Square Project (you can find the links in the sidebar if you missed it when I originally published).  The thread I bought because I love working with it and I was tired of using white.  Looking at these pictures makes me smile as I imagine all the possibilities that they hold!

I would have thought that purple would dominate. It came in tied for second - from the bottom!!  Imagine that!  The next big shocker is green.  12% of my projects were made from some shade of green or teal.  I never would have guessed!  So what color did I spend the most time with this year?  Pink.

How about that?  21% of the projects I counted were predominately pink.  What's interesting too is the variety of shades that I have in my stash.  I have everything from the palest almost white thread to a hot pink neon cotton yarn. The color that I used almost as much as pink is white.  I made a white shawl, wrist warmers, a hat, a doily, and a thread cross.  White was also the base for lots of granny squares.  In fact, the one big project that I'm planning is a predominately white granny style blanket.

Collecting the information for today's post has been really interesting.  I learned a lot about myself and my habits.  It was great to examine where I've been over the past year.  Not just the colors, but the type of projects I've made.  I'm looking forward to see what other Blog Week bloggers found out about their colors.  If you want to read other blog posts on this topic, please enter 4KCBWDAY4 into a search engine of your choice, or click here.

That's it for today!  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!  Please stop in tomorrow and see what day 5 has in store.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Three: Infographic
There are many ways of conveying information on a blog; text and images being the two most widely used. Many infographics combine both these elements to provide a visual way of presenting text information.
Make your own infogaphic (no fancy imaging software needed, you can draw it on paper and photograph it if you want) to convey any element of your craft(s).

What do you think?  These are the top 150 words used on the blog.  The biggest surprise to me is something.  I would have thought for sure that crochet would appear more than anything else.  Putting together the infograph was a lot of fun.  I see them all over the internet, in the doctor's office and in periodicals, and while some of them can be quite interesting and even funny, I never thought of using them on the blog.  And then I remembered the chicks. 

It turns out that I've been creating my own infographs without even knowing it!  Now that I think about it, every pictorial/tutorial that I've made is a form of infograph!  How about that!?  Thanks to Blog Week I know what to call them and where to find websites that will help me make them for free!! I see lots of cool stuff in the future!!

That's it for today friends.  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me. Be sure to stop in tomorrow for a look at how we color the world with yarn!  To find other Knitting & Crochet Blog Week posts on today's subject, type 4KCBWDAY3 into a search engine of your choice or click here.

Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day Two: A Mascot Project
Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies the house/animal you selected. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project!

As soon as I finished reading today's task the idea of creating a project that contains both knit and crochet techniques came to mind.  Specifically, a sampler blanket.  Being the Bee that I am, I'm always excited to start something new.  The thrill of each new cast on or starting chain must be how the bee feels when he lands on a flower and prepares to sample the nectar for the first time. Ahhh, the anticipation.  How will it taste?  Will I like it?  How long will it take before I've had my fill and I'm ready to move on?  What's on the horizon?  Is that something I might like?  Will that one be better than this one?    I don't think there is anything that better exemplifies the desire to try new things than a blanket made of blocks showcasing examples of knit and crochet stitches.

With so many places on the internet to find patterns I figured that it would be a snap to find just the right one.  After all, there are lots of people who do both with equal skill and enthusiasm.  So I did what any modern girl would do.  I created a Pinboard and set to tracking down my ideal project.

Of all the patterns that I've seen, the Groovyghan is the one that most appeals to the Bee in me.  There's so much going on that it may be one project that I could create from start to finish without working on anything else!  It also seems to welcome the addition or substitution of knitting where there has only been crocheting. I'm longing to make a cotton blanket and I can already see my version of this one waiting on the back of the recliner when I snuggle down on Sunday nights to watch my favorite Mad Men!

There you have it friends!  Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.  Be sure to come back tomorrow and see what I come up with for Day 3.  For more posts on Day 2 of Blog Week, type 4KCBWDAY2 into the search engine of your choice or click here.

Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Day One: The House Cup.
A bit like Harry Potter, but not quite, this year’s Knitting & Crochet Blog Week is split into 4 houses. Don your favorite knitted or crocheted hat and let it guide you to which house you will be in.

The House of Bee: Bees are busy and industrious, but can flit from one interesting project to the next as bright and shiny things capture their interest.

The House of Manatee: Manatees are gentle, calm and cuddly. Relaxed and unflashy they represent the comfort and soft side of knitting and crochet.

The House of Monkey: Intelligent and with a fun loving side, Monkeys like to be challenged with every project presenting them with something new and interesting.

The House of Peacock: Peacocks take something good and make it brilliant. Buttons, embellishments and a bit of sparkle prove that perfection lies in the details – like a Peacock's Tail.

I like to think that I'm well rounded and have a little of each house mascot in me, and while that's probably true anyone who visits regularly knows that I am in constant motion flitting from one project to the next.  For me there's something so satisfying about starting a new project.  I love the challenge of learning and I push myself  into the unexplored territory of new techniques, stitches and skills on a regular basis.  It's not unusual for me to work on two or three different pieces in the same sitting.  I suppose this makes me a bit of a hybrid monkey-bee, but in the spirit of blog week I pledge my allegiance to The House of Bee!


When I started crocheting about  3 years ago I was at a point of transition in my life.  Having experienced my share of hardships made all the more tumultuous through a succession of poor choices I was finally moving in the right direction.  I was looking for something to do.  Something to keep me busy and entertained that didn't require much physical exertion (because I'm lazy) or cost much (because well you know why...) I  started dabbling in quilting, but it was a  display at the library of projects made by the knitting club that sparked an interest I didn't know I had.

Like most beginners, my first project was a scarf.  Day after day, row after row of the half-double crochet.  When I finished I was so proud! But I couldn't wait to try something new.  For the first year or so I was diligent in completing my projects.  I made lots of hats, fingerless mittens (both of them!), more scarves and even an afghan for my son. I was learning skills, building my confidence and delighting in the joy of making gifts for my family and friends.  I was a manatee. 

So what happened?  How did I go from manatee to bee?  I think there are a few reasons.  Blogging is the big one.  When I started the blog a year ago it was just a way to keep track of my projects. Then something awesome happened - you started visiting me.  How cool!  Even though I didn't know anything about writing and maintaining a blog I did realize that if I wanted you to keep coming back I needed more to write about than the one cardigan that I was still working on!   Early on I noticed that lots of beginners are hesitant to try new things.  I decided instead of just keeping track of my projects I would use the blog to show you what happens when I try something new.  By sharing my learning experiences I hope to encourage others to see  that they can do it too!

I think the other main reason for the manatee to bee metamorphosis  is I get bored easily.  I'm totally pumped up with the thrill of picking a pattern, choosing the yarn and getting things started, but once the project is established I tend to loose interest in doing the same thing over and over again.  My enthusiasm picks up as I near the end, but the middle can be a struggle.  I'm not sure why because I love working with the yarn, the way it feels in my hands, and watching the stitches grow one by one into something lovely. 

So today I am a bee.  And it's working for me.  Every project that I start is an opportunity to learn something new and an adventure to share with you.  I get to enjoy the thrill of kick off.  Because I have so many different things in the works to choose from I don't get bored nearly as easily as I used to.  The downside might be that it does take considerably longer to finish something.  Happily I don't often have deadlines so that's not much of a problem.  Do I miss being a manatee?  No, I don't think so.  Even though I'm busily bouncing from project to project I immensely enjoy what I'm doing.  Knitting and crochet bring me great pleasure and have become so much more than "something to do".  They're a way of life for me now, and because of the blog you are too.

Click here to discover more bloggers writing about Blog Week, or search for the tag 4KCBWDAY1 using your favorite search engine.

Blog Week starts tomorrow!  Here's a look at the topics we'll be writing and reading about:

Day One (Monday April 22nd): The House Cup.
A bit like Harry Potter, but not quite, this year’s Knitting & Crochet Blog Week is split into 4 houses. Don your favourite knitted or crocheted hat and let it guide you to which house you will be in.
Day Two (Tuesday April 23rd): A Mascot Project.
Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project!
Day Three (Wednesday April 24th): Infographic
There are many ways of conveying information on a blog; text and images being the two most widely used. Many infographics combine both these elements to provide a visual way of presenting text information.
Make your own infogaphic (no fancy imaging software needed, you can draw it on paper and photograph it if you want) to convey any element of your craft(s).
Day Four (Thursday April 25th): Colour Review
What are your favourite colours for knitted or crocheted projects. Have a think about what colours you seem to favour when yarn shopping and crafting.
Day Five (Friday April 26th): Something A Bit Different
It’s the annual challenge to blog in a way different to how you normally blog. You may choose to create a podcast, or vlog, create a wordless post or write in verse. You've already stretched your wings with an infographic, now it's time to freestyle.
Day Six (Saturday April 27th): A Tool To Covet
Write about your favourite knitting or crochet (or spinning, etc) tool. It can either be a tool directly involved in your craft (knitting needles or crochet hook) or something that makes your craft more pleasurable – be it a special lamp, or stitch markers.
Day Seven (Sunday April 28th): Looking Forward
One year from now, when the 5th Knitting & Crochet Blog Week rolls around, where do you hope your crafting will have taken you to? What new skills, projects and experiences do you hope you might have conquered or tried?

I'm looking forward to playing along.  It's a great opportunity to stretch your blogging muscles and meet like minded folks who share your passion for all things knit and crochet.  Visit Eskimimi Makes for all the details.  Once things get started, there's a great way to find the bloggers who are participating - using Post Tags.  All you have to do is type the tag listed below into your favorite search engine, and you'll be rewarded with a list of bloggers.  Neat huh?

I've got a big batch of pictures waiting to be edited, so it's time for me to get to work!  I hope you'll join in.  I think it's going to be a lot of fun!!

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

Let's face it.  Attaching new yarn is a pain.  When I started crocheting I did my best to avoid it.  Unfortunately that lead to  some small, plain projects.  Eventually I faced my fear and made a striped hat.  It's not real pretty, but it helped me get the hang of adding color to my world.  The hardest part was having faith that I didn't need to tie a knot.  I worried that everything was too loose.  I realized that after working a few rows the join tightened up on its own.  Hooray!  It took practice, but now I don't panic when I get to the end of a ball of yarn, or avoid patterns that have more than one color. Then I started knitting.  Now I have to learn how to attach new yarn all over again!  There are different techniques depending on what kind of needles you use.  It's challenging because it's new, but I'm sure that with practice it will get easier.  There is one thing that's the same - the loose ends.  No matter what you do or how you do it there are going to be ends that need to be woven in. This is my least favorite part of knitting and crochet.  I procrastinate and leave it until the end, and I always worry that it's going to come undone and my hard work will unravel right before my eyes.  I don't think I'm alone in this - am I?

Then I heard about the Russian Join.  It sounded really difficult, like it involved weaving and grafting and maybe even a little magic.  It also seemed too good to be true.  A clean join with no ends to weave in? Nonsense!  So for a long time I steered clear.  Until a few months ago when I stumbled across this post and decided to give it a try.  It was so easy, the results were beautiful and you know the best part - no ends to weave in!!  It's not appropriate in every situation, but now whenever possible this is my go to method.  Even if you don't think you'll like it, I encourage you to give this a try.  Just once, and see if it doesn't become a favorite in your bag of tricks!

Pretty nifty isn't it?  Once your yarns are joined and stitched into the fabric it's nearly impossible to tell where the breaks are.  Take a look at this fingerless mitt.  I actually had to mark where the join was after I did it

to knit straight through.  Now there are no lumps in the bottom of the sock and the only ends that need to be woven in are from when I cast on and after I bind off.

That's it friends!  I sure hope you'll take a few minutes to give it a try.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the instructions.  My goal is to make them as clear as possible - so your feedback is important.  I'd also love to hear from anyone who uses this type of join.  Your tips and pointers are always welcome, so don't be shy!

Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me.
Until next time,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!