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Guides for sewing and crochet.

Eight crochet hooks in a row on an oak table, from thin steel hooks to thick wooden ones, each set in a ball of yarn that grows from fine cotton to chunky wool

Crochet · November 1, 2026 · 5 min read

Crochet hook size chart: US and metric sizes with yarn weights

Every standard crochet hook size in millimeters with its US letter, the yarn weight each range suits, and what to do when the pattern's hook gives the wrong size.

Four cream crochet swatches in a row on an oak table, each worked in a taller stitch than the last, beside a wooden hook, terracotta stitch markers and a ball of indigo yarn

Crochet · November 1, 2026 · 5 min read

How to read crochet patterns: abbreviations and US vs UK terms

How to read a crochet pattern: the parts before row 1, US and UK stitch names, the abbreviations you meet most, what brackets and asterisks mean, and stitch counts.

A memory bear sewn from red and navy plaid flannel with a cream fleece face and paws, next to the folded shirt it was made from, paper pattern pieces, scissors, a pincushion and red thread

Sewing · November 1, 2026 · 4 min read

Memory bear pattern: how to make a keepsake bear from clothes

How to make a memory bear from a loved one's clothes: choosing shirts or knits, interfacing, cutting the pattern pieces, sewing, stuffing and safe eyes for babies.