Crochet Tips

Two of the three members of Writing Across the Lines love to crochet: myself (Jen) and Cymantha. Jen has created a variety of things, including a few Loki dolls, a bunch of Litwicks, and lots and lots of scarves. Cym is even more talented, having created a few dolls herself, amazing scarves, and beautiful blankets. We do have to say that we know our stuff. So, when I was thinking of what to post, I figured I’d give some tips on crocheting!

  1. Pick the right crochet hook.
    1. This has to be the most important tip. They have metal hooks, plastic hooks, hooks with grips, light-up hooks, wooden hooks, and afghan hooks. Personally, I prefer the plastic Susan Boye Luxalite hooks. They’re cheap (6 for $3!), they’re flexible (which many people don’t like, but I do), and they also have versions that are colorful (you can find them here). You want to find a hook that is comfortable to use, because crocheting can be a little tiresome for your hands, especially if you’re older or have arthritis.
  2. Learn your yarn.
    1. Like hooks, yarn comes in different shapes and sizes. You can go with the less-expensive Red Heart, which is a little scratchy, or go for premium yarn that is soft. I prefer the cheaper-yet-soft Caron Simply Soft yarn. It’s very shiny and easy to work with while still being very cost-effective.
  3. YouTube!
    1. If you encounter a stitch you might not know, look it up on YouTube! I taught myself how to crochet simply from watching YouTube videos and looking up tutorials. It’s so easy and it’s free. Don’t be ashamed to look things up.
  4. Ravelry
    1. Ravelry is a great place for free and beautiful patterns. That’s where I found my Loki pattern, as well as the one for my Litwicks. Most of them are very easy to do and the patterns are available for free. There are some that cost money, but you can filter those out if you’re not looking to pay for a pattern.
  5. Don’t stress.
    1. Crochet is supposed to relieve stress, so don’t worry if a pattern isn’t going exactly how you expect. If you find you made a mistake, “frog” it (rip it!). If it’s a small mistake, leave it. It makes your creation one of a kind. If crocheting is stressing you out, you’re doing it wrong.
  6. Turn on music or TV.
    1. This may not work for you, but I prefer to work with noise. Most of the time, I’ll put on a YouTube documentary and just sit and crochet. After a while, you learn to crochet without looking and you can watch the TV without worrying about your project. It helps the project past quickly.
  7. Have fun!
    1. You can create just about anything, so just have fun! Don’t be afraid to modify a pattern and try something new. Sometimes you end up with a project better than you thought.

 

craft, crafting, crochet, crocheting, diy, hooks, stress-free, tips

Tips on Moving

So, for those of you who don’t know, I am moving from a small apartment into a house. I am more than excited to move in, but of course, things happen. Nothing can go smoothly, can it? Here are some tips from what I’ve learnt of this move to hopefully help yours go more smoothly than mine.

  1. If you can, move a little bit at a time.
    1. Luckily, we decided to keep our apartment for an extra month past our move-in date. This helped greatly because of issues with the house. We are able to move in some boxes, which helped because we did not have enough room in the apartment to have all of the boxes. So we moved in little by little, and it has alleviated some stress.
  2. Don’t settle with problems.
    1. If there is something wrong with the house/apartment you are moving in to, you don’t have to settle. Every place you rent from will have a primary walk-through. Take pictures and make sure that they have any and all issues documented. This way, when you move out, you can prove that any damages were not done by you.
  3. Don’t buy boxes!
    1. It’s never fun to have to buy moving boxes. Instead, look on Facebook Marketplace! We have managed to find a great amount of moving boxes that people were giving away for free. There were tons of people trying to get rid of the boxes. Also, you could return the favor and offer yours up for free when you’re finished with them. Win-win!
  4. Change all the locks and garage door codes.
    1. Obviously, you’ll want to give a copy of the key and codes to your landlord, but one of the first things you’ll want to do is change all of the locks. You don’t know what the previous tenant/owner went through, and they may have retained a key. If you aren’t comfortable with a stranger possibly having access to your house, change everything.
  5. Mark all boxes.
    1. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s easily something you might forget to do. We started marking boxes, but then we were packing boxes so quickly that we forgot to mark them. This led to us wondering which boxes could be stacked on top of which boxes. We had no idea because some of the boxes weren’t marked. Learn from our mistakes!
  6. Keep an eye on Facebook Marketplace.
    1. There are so many reasons, besides boxes, to browse the Marketplace. You can get furniture, appliances, and more for much cheaper than they would be brand new. Obviously, you would want to be wary and make sure everything is cleaned and in good condition before purchasing. You can also use it to sell items you no longer need, which means less to move and more money in your pocket!
  7. Don’t forget to bring toilet paper and drinks!
    1. You could even add snacks to the list. There are things you cannot control, like thirst and bathroom breaks, while you are moving. Keep some drinks in the fridge and some toilet paper in the bathrooms. It would be horrible to go to the bathroom with no toilet paper.
  8. Anticipate your needs.
    1. Don’t leave everything to the last minute. You want to be sure you have everything you need for the move. You’ll probably need a dolly, a knife, and rachet straps (better than rope, albiet a little bit more expensive). If you have someone who can let you borrow their pickup truck, take them up on the offer! It’ll save you from having to spend money on a rental truck.

Hopefully, all of these tips will help make your move as painless as possible. Please, learn from our mistakes so that you don’t want to pull your hair out. Also, have fun! You’re embarking on a new experience, so make it fun!

apartment, help, house, moving, tips

Tips for Trying British Food

Hey everyone! As I work in a shop that sells British food, I figured I would give some tips to help you wade into the waters of UK snacks and candy!

  • Don’t be afraid to try something new.
    • One thing I learned when I started working here is that the British prefer things to be savory more than sweet. You’ll be hard-pressed to find plain salty chips. Instead, you’ll find Prawn Cocktail or Roast Chicken. Don’t let that dissuade you! They’re actually very tasty.
  • US Cadbury is NOT UK Cadbury.
    • Yes, you can find Cadbury in the US in stores like Walmart, but these will not taste the same as the imported kind. Hershey’s bought the right to sell Cadbury eggs (particularly at Easter time with the Creme eggs), but the formula was changed to make them taste a little more like Hershey’s. And trust me, there is a major difference. Always, if you can, go with UK Cadbury. You’ll thank me later.
  • You cannot buy the Kinder Surprise here in the US.
    • Unless you’re very lucky and a store manages to get some Kinder Surprise in, you’ll most likely see the legalized Kinder Joy “eggs” instead. This is because the FDA does not allow the import of candy that has a toy inside. The Joy managed to get allowed because the toy is separate from the candy. The taste isn’t the same, either. I have tasted both, and the Surprise is much, much better.
  • Learn to love sausage.
    • One thing that I have noticed working here is that British people LOVE their sausage, also called “bangers.” A popular dish is called “bangers and mash,” which is basically sausages over mashed potatoes. Another popular dish is sausage casserole. But not all sausage is alike! Some have more bread crumbs than others, so each one tastes different. However, all sausage is good!
  • Tea, tea, tea!
    • Yes, the stereotype is true. British people love their tea. In England, they can get bags of over 1000 tea bags for around $5 in our money, and they will go through that in a few months! I’ve had people tell me they drink over 6 cups of tea a day, and that is the norm!
  • Learn the lingo.
    • Chips are not the chips we think of. Those are crisps. Chips are what we call french fries. Bangers, as I stated, are sausages. Pudding is a generic term for desserts. Biscuits are cookies, and digestives are just another type of biscuit. Crumpets are like our English muffins. And, of course, the “loo” is the bathroom, but I’m sure you already knew that.
  • If you like spicy or Indian food, you’ll fit right in.
    • A popular item in England is curry. They put it over everything! There are different levels of spiciness for those of us who cannot take the heat. The love of Indian cuisine is a remnant of when India was part of the British Empire (though my research shows it still as a Commonwealth).
  • Fish is key!
    • Another popular item is fish. Being an island, the sea is always an important staple of food. The British are not much different. They love cod, haddock, kipper, and prawns. That’s why Prawn Cocktail is a very, very popular crisp flavor. Then you have the famous “fish and chips,” which are a very cheap yet delicious dinner!
  • If you get it wrong, you’re fine.
    • English people, from my experience, have always been very nice. They’ll always be happy to politely correct you and help you learn the proper terms and customs. I’ve rarely met a rude Brit, and I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find one.

 

 

For anyone who wishes to see what kind of British Food there is or wants to put an image to the name, you can visit my workplace’s website at The British Pedlar!

bangers, british, British Pedlar, crisps, curry, fish, India, lingo, prawn cocktail, work

New Orleans Tips

Hey guys! Sorry for the radio silence the past two weeks. Everyone here at Writing Across the Lines has been crazy busy. I have spent the past few days staying in New Orleans! So I figured I would give you guys some things that would make your trip to NOLA a little bit easier.

  1. Get a small purse or fanny pack.
    1. I know that sounds weird, but it will really help. I usually carry around a large purse, but with people bumping into you and the higher crime rate (it is a city, after all), it’s always handy to have a smaller purse that you can keep close and not have to worry about things going missing. Cross-body is even better, that way a thief can’t just grab your bag off of your shoulder.
  2. Bring walking shoes.
    1. I cannot emphasize this enough. I know it sounds obvious, but it’s really important. I brought shoes I thought were walking shoes and ended up with blisters. You will be doing a lot of walking to get anywhere of note, so it’s very important to be comfortable.
  3. Stake out parking early.
    1. There are quite a few parking lots in the city, and it’s always best to know where you’re going to park. One that I parked at charged around $20-$25 per day, which was the cheapest. You don’t want to end up using up all of your money for parking.
  4. Set aside quite a bit of money.
    1. We knew our dinner at K. Paul’s Kitchen would cost a bit, but even buffets and such cost $90 for three people. Breakfast cost almost $50. Anywhere you eat in the French Quarter or in the main part of the city will be expensive. And that’s just for food! Everything is much more pricey there, especially in stores. Which leads me to my next point:
  5. When feasible, buy from the French Market.
    1. This is especially true of the masquerade masks. They are often cheaper at the French Market than they are in stores, and you can have the same selection. It’s handy if you’re a mask collector like me. Also, take a first walkthrough before you buy anything. I once bought masks and ran out of money, then later found one I would rather have had. They also have some interesting hand-crafted items there, which is always cool to look at.
  6. If you can, bring extra camera batteries.
    1. There is so much to see and take pictures of that you’ll want to bring extra batteries or a power bank. You don’t want to see an awesome mausoleum and find out that your camera or phone is dead.
  7. If you plan on visiting a graveyard, plan it ahead of time.
    1. The most popular cemetery, St. Louis Cemetary No. 1, requires all visitors to be led by a tour guide, which costs about $20 or so. All of the other ones, as far as I know, are free and self-guided. We visited St. Louis No. 3, which was a bit of a drive, but it was huge and the graves were beautiful. There was even a mini castle, complete with stained glass! We even managed to find free parking right near the cemetery, which was an added bonus.
  8. Have cash on hand.
    1. A lot of places, including the French Market and the trolleys, will require cash. Just be sure to keep it in a safe pocket or a zipped-up purse to avoid a pickpocket.
  9. Don’t get a multi-day pass for the trolley.
    1. This was a tip from the conceirge at our hotel. They said that there is no benefit to getting a multi-day pass over a day pass, and it is very hard to find a place that sells them. Just get a day pass (only $3.00) which works for all of the trolleys in the city. Or, if you’re a senior, you’re better off just getting the reduced fare, which was $0.40 each way (as opposed to the regular one-way fare of $1.25).
  10. Know the best hours of your destinations.
    1. For example, if you wanted to visit the cathedral, you’ll need to know that mass is at 12 and 5 and they don’t want tourists taking photos or walking around during mass. Or if you plan to visit Cafe Du Monde (which you should! Beignets are amazing!), you don’t want to go during breakfast. It’s insane at breakfast time. Go later in the day, or go to the pop-up shop in the Riverwalk Outlets. Same delicious beignets, less line.

 

I hope that you guys will enjoy your trips to New Orleans and that these tips are helpful. Let us know if there are any other important tips we may have missed!

 

 

(Image courtesy of my mommy!)

cemetery, guide, new orleans, nola, tips, tips and tricks, trip, trolley

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