Craftaboo

08/14/2026

Here's a fun thing about crochet patterns. Nobody explains that the whole thing is written in shorthand somebody invented decades ago to save paper. They hand you a PDF full of letters and asterisks that look like ancient Egyptian and expect you to nod along like you were in the room when they decided "sc" meant single crochet. Which is why you're doing laundry right now instead of crocheting.

So I wrote a whole blog post about this exact thing. I made a practice swatch (the Practice Swatch of Doom, obviously) and translated every row into English, with a photo of each one finished so you can check yours against mine.

https://craftaboo.com/how-to-read-a-crochet-pattern-before-your-brain-closes-the-tab/

03/20/2026

Your blanket is done. The edges are not.

The moss stitch border is two stitches, one skip, repeat — and it makes a finished blanket look like you had a plan the whole time. New tutorial is up, and yes, we're also talking about why every moss stitch tutorial on the internet looks completely different from this one. Crochet chose violence with the naming on this one and I have thoughts.

Check it out below. 🧶

https://craftaboo.com/moss-stitch-border-tutorial-the-naming-drama-that-goes-with-it/

02/28/2026

Something went live on the site today that I've been working on for weeks, and I cannot stop staring at it. I started this because I was genuinely fed up with crochet bags that turn into a deflated mess the second you put your phone in them.

You know the ones. You spend hours making something beautiful and then it just... collapses. Sits there on the table looking defeated. I wanted a bag that had actual backbone, real hardware, a base that doesn't quit, and granny squares that don't look like they materialized from 1967.

The Ashford Lane Carryall is intermediate level, it's got more steps than a beginner pattern, and it is absolutely worth every single one of them. Full pattern is on my site, and there's a free companion guide over on the blog that walks through the whole thing without making you pay for the privilege of knowing what yarn I used.

https://craftaboo.com/granny-square-crochet-bag-pattern-that-stands-up-for-itself/

02/20/2026

You finished the squares. The pile is real, the panic is real, and the fact that nobody told you there were multiple ways to put them together is frankly a little rude of the internet.

There's a new blog post up, walking you through the slip stitch join from start to finish. Including which projects it actually belongs on and a full breakdown of every other method out there.

So you can stop guessing and start making decisions like a person with information.

https://craftaboo.com/a-crochet-slip-stitch-join-tutorial-that-finally-makes-sense/

02/12/2026

I need to show you something and you're not allowed to laugh. (You're going to laugh.)

This is a penguin hat. I crocheted it. On purpose. After fifteen years of holding a hook. The water bottle holder I made around the same time got called "scarves" by a stranger, and my first blanket ever? The dog ate it. Literally. She gave it zero stars.

New post on the blog today. It's not a tutorial. It's for every person who's ever ugly-cried over a row of single crochet and wondered if their hands are defective.

https://craftaboo.com/why-crochet-feels-so-hard-when-youre-still-learning/

02/07/2026

New tutorial just dropped: crab stitch borders for when your project edges look unfinished and you don't know what to do about it.

It's single crochet worked backwards. Your brain will hate it for about 30 seconds, then you'll realize it's the easiest way to make anything look like you actually planned the whole thing from the beginning.

https://craftaboo.com/crab-stitch-border-tutorial-how-to-make-clean-textured-edges/

01/31/2026

New pattern just dropped! Her name is Harlow, and she is gorgeous!

The Harlow Pillow is navy and gray stripes with texture that makes people ask where you bought it. Two panels, two stitches, one pattern that doesn't make you feel like an idiot for asking questions.

If you've been wanting to make home decor that doesn't look like it escaped from a church bazaar, this is your shot.

https://craftaboo.com/textured-crochet-throw-pillow-pattern-that-looks-store-bought/

01/24/2026

You know how patterns just casually say "start with a magic ring" like you were supposed to learn that in some secret crochet class you missed?

Yeah. That's why half the patterns you want to try are sitting in your "maybe someday" pile.

I made a tutorial that actually shows you what's happening instead of assuming you already figured this out. Video so you can watch it in real time, photos for every step, and no skipping over the confusing parts.

Once you know how to do this, you stop being locked out of basically every round project that exists.

Magic ring tutorial for crochet that doesn't require a PhD in yarn to understand what's going on. Video + photos for all learning styles.