Kati’s Favorite Things

I’m not a fan of “girls in white dresses or blue satin sashes,” — and I’d rather be inside crocheting with a cup of coffee than have “snow on my nose and eyelashes.” But I do have some pretty cool favorite things (and places to go for information). Here are Kati’s favorite things!

Crochet Resources

Craft Yarn Council is the source for the majority of abbreviations used in standard crochet patterns. A few magazines have differing style guides, but the tips and tools here are pretty universal. If you are stuck on an abbreviation in a pattern, look here first.

Crochet Guild of America is great for a number of things. There are lessons for crochet artists, patterns, information about the National conference, and even a Master’s course to hone your skills as a Master Crocheter or Crochet Instructor!

Ravelry is an amazing database for fiber art! If you’ve never been there, GO NOW! Endless patterns for crochet or knitting, a library to keep all your patterns in order, a place to sort your stash, even a way to look for what everyone else is making with that yarn you picked up yesterday. And the forums are endless! Free membership, so sign up now!

Free Pattern Databases

There are a number of databases for free crochet patterns. Here are a few great ones.

• www.allfreecrochet.com (You can subscribe to get free patterns delivered from this one.)
• www.crochetpatternsgalore.com
• www.crochetpatternbonanza.com

Crochet Tools

Clover Amour crochet hooks are my favorite traditional tapered hooks. They have strong padded grips, and unlike others, they are coated, so they slide well. Tapered hooks are good for amigurumi or fine yarn because they have a more pointed head and a rounded groove to make the yarn slide easily.

Susan Bates Bamboo hooks are my favorite inline hooks. Inline hooks are great for really fluffy or large yarn. They have blunter heads but a larger groove to grip yarn when pulling it through the stitch.

My favorite overall crochet hooks are Furls. Yes, they are more expensive. If you start with the inline wooden hooks to see how you like them, they are comparable in price to the Clover Amours. Then, if you love them as much as I do, you can step up to the Odyssey or other metal hooks.

Furls is a great hook because they are ergonomic and weighted to make for effortless stitches, and the hook is a hybrid of a tapered and inline hook, so they work well for all yarns and project types.

Glasseyesonline.com for all my safety eyes! They have them in any size or shape you can imagine! They have great clear ones, too, for when you want to paint your own! Glass Eyes Online also has this MAGICAL insertion tool for attaching the washers to safety eyes that have saved my nails!

My Light Box is my baby! I have the Amazonbasics Portable Photo Studio. It took my photography up about 100 notches. It has built-in LEDs, folds flat, closes completely to block unwanted glare, and is big enough to photograph all my projects.

There are a lot of DIY methods for making one, but this one has made my life so much easier, I will never go back to a box with a sheet in it.

Slip-n-Snip folding travel scissors. These are ADORABLE but also incredibly practical! They fold flat, hide the blades completely, so they are travel ready (I’ve taken them on airplanes), and they negate the risk of stabbing yourself if you keep them in your purse.

Blogging

I currently host my blog through Bluehost.com, using WordPress to design and maintain my blog. I changed over from Blogger, and I feel like my blog has really “grown up” in the process. If I were you, I would recommend getting away from the free blogs as fast as you can because until you are willing to take a chance on your business financially, you won’t have a reason to really go for it.

Bluehost.com is my blog host. It is the top WordPress host out there, and so far, I have nothing but good things to say.

Tailwind is an app that schedules Pinterest pins or Instagram posts to help you spend less time on marketing while increasing your audience. For more info on how to use Tailwind, read this post.

Etsyrank.com is where I go to track my SEO for my Etsy Shop. It is a great way to improve your Shop with free analytics.

Canva.com is where I go to make my images for the blog and for Pinterest. It is free (unless you want some of the premium options), and you can use it to great Etsy banners, Facebook banners, and Pinterest pins, plus add watermarks or filters to your photos.

Misc.

And, become some of you have asked, I get my nail wraps from BeneYOU (formerly Jamberry). They are a direct sales company not available in stores. That link is for the website of my consultant (and friend). The nail wraps last about 2 weeks, and I have a life-altering obsession with them. (And no, I don’t get commission on these. I’m just a nail nut.)

This post contains affiliate links. I do not endorse anything I do not use myself, so click without fear! Should you choose to purchase through my link, you will be contributing to my business, allowing me to publish more awesome free patterns.