Join us and find out how you can step into a new year full of creativity!

Whether you’re looking to learn something new, or are ready to build on your skills, we’re here to help you fill your year with creativity. Read on to discover inspiration for new projects, how to set yourself challenges, and connect with a wider community of crafters. 

What are your goals?

Get started by asking yourself what it is you’d like to achieve on your crafting journey. Is it to learn how to knit for the first time? Maybe it’s to try out some new crochet techniques, or to expand your skills by picking up a new craft.

Keep a notebook dedicated to tracking your crafting and goals, so you can keep notes of the projects you have, and mark your progress as you achieve each milestone you’ve set yourself. 

Take on a challenge

Crafty challenges don’t have to be about how many things you can create in one year! Make sure your challenges work for you and your lifestyle, here are a few ideas to get you started:

• I’d like to spend more time away from my phone screen in the evenings.
• I know how to knit, but would like to learn how to cross stitch.
• This year, I’ll master knitting cables.
• I’d like to make my first jumper!

If you do decide to challenge yourself by working on multiple projects over the year, our guest writer and crafter extraordinaire, Lydia Morrow, shared some advice for staying focused over on our blog.

Join the crafting community

One of our favourite things about being crafters, is the friendships we’ve made with other makers! Here are some of the ways you can share tips, tricks, and inspiration with fellow crafters and creatives:

Crafting Groups & Workshops

Workshops are a great way to meet other crafters and improve your skills! Check out your local haberdashery stores for any weekly craft nights available. Alternatively, why not start your very own craft group? Share your love of crafting with friends and family. You could even set up your own Craft-A-Long and work on the same project together.

Follow us!

Discover pattern inspiration, and share photos of your project’s progress with a community of crafters on Instagram and Facebook. 

Which project is right for me?

Before you start a new project, make sure your pattern is the right level of challenge: If you’ve mastered the crochet basics, a beginner kit might be too easy for you. On the flip side, if you’re a new crafter we wouldn’t recommend jumping into an intermediate level kit.

Have a read of our kit levels guide to take a look at the skills used in each level of our knitting and crochet kits, and find the right level for you.

Where to begin

Tips for beginner crafters

If you’re looking to pick up some knitting, crochet, or cross stitch for the first time, we’re here to help you with every step of your journey! The important thing is to start with the basics, and to be kind to yourself; learning something new takes a little time and patience, but nothing beats the feeling you get when you finish your first project. Find the tools and tutorials you need to start your adventure at our Beginners Hub.

Want to know more? Head to our blog for guides on getting started, knitting tips, and crochet tips. 

Kits for beginners

Here’s a small selection of some of our most popular kits for knitting, crochet, and cross stitch beginners:

Cup Cosy Mini Knitting Kit

This mini kit will help you learn the basics of knitting: how to start, the knit stitch, and how to finish. You’ll get used to holding the needles, and how to move the yarn.

Find your Club: Dinosaur Club Cross Stitch Kit

You’ll learn how to secure your fabric inside an embroidery hoop, then how to work back and forth across rows to sew crosses and build up your design. You’ll also have a choice of 2 types of pattern charts: 1 in colour and another with symbols to follow.

Skye Tassel Throw Crochet kit

This kit is ideal for beginners who want to get more familiar with different crochet stitches and techniques. With a simple pattern, this project will teach you how to create a large blanket, and add tassels to your finished project.

Need a hand?

Our mission is to make crafting simple, and provide everything you need to work on your new project. We have tutorial videos for knitting, crochet, and cross stitch to guide you through every stitch, and a team of been-there-made-that crafters on hand to answer any questions you might have - just drop us an email on hello@stitchandstory.com