Once a Month Cooking

A couple of friends and I have decided to do OAMC (Once a Month Cooking) for the summer. That means one or two days or hard work and the rest of the month with not much to do but put the meals in the slow-cooker or on the barbeque. I found a software that helps with this tremendously. It comes with 150 recipes. You can choose what meals or side dishes you want to include for that month. You also can add your own recipes and decide how many batches you want to do. It will even print out labels and shopping lists. The website is 30 Meals in a Day.
If you already do OAMC or are looking to start, this website will help.

Knitty.com's New Issue

One of my favorite knitting websites is Knitty.com. There are always great patterns and articles to read and try. Their site is easy to read and navigate. The patterns are created by the knitty community, so even you or I could contribute. I just love it.

Knitty just put out their new summer issue. There are some great patterns that will inspire you to get into the summer spirit. Happy Knitting!

How to Knit

There are many resources on the internet on how to... I myself spent many hours searching and learned to knit and crochet from these. I thought that it would be a good idea to share my knowledge with all of you.

The first site I went to was Knitting.About.com. It gives detailed, but easy-to-understand instructions. They also have a wealth of free patterns to learn from.

Another one that was really helpful was FreePatterns.com. This one was great for all different types of crafts; like sewing, quilting, crochet, cross-stitch and tatting. Also, if you are looking for conversion charts or how to substitute yarn; this site is great, too.

Now, for learning the terms and abbreviations, go to knitting-crochet.com. What a lifesaver this one was for me.

So, now you know the techniques and terms and you want to start on your very first "real" project. Not just another scarf or potholder. Here is my list of favorite sites for free (but still quite trendy) patterns:

FreePatterns.com
Knitting.About.com
Berrocco.com
Lionbrand.com
Knitty.com
Bernat.com
Craftown.com
Michaels.com

I hope this information is helpful to you on your journey to learn how to knit. Knitting is definitely one of my favorite forms of crafting. Good luck.