Tips & Tricks

When I am not doing Punch Needle, I am probably knitting. I learned when I was thirteen, and it is the hobby which started my fiber arts addiction.  I LOVE the feel of yarn running through my fingers. I love the colors, and texture, and all the different ways you can use yarn to make something completely new! As a lover of yarn, it's also very beneficial for me to have two hobbies which use the same medium. Did you know you can use craft store yarns for punch needle? Well, now you know!  Back to knitting. Here's a simple knit...

Periodically, I have the wonderful opportunity to travel around to demonstrate how Punch Needle works, and without fail, amazed onlookers ask this question, “How do the stitches stay in? Aren’t they going to just fall out?” It’s an age-old question, isn’t it? How can a craft which is so simple to learn and so forgiving when you mess up possibly have any durability? The answer can be found in the materials required for punching. Monks cloth or foundation cloth is the key to successful punching. This is a woven fabric which has exactly the right amount of weave to hold...

I have the joy of teaching lots of people how to do punch needle, and without fail I see the same three initial mistakes all the time. Luckily, using a punch needle is one of the easiest and most forgiving crafts there is, so if you find yourself making a mistake just rip that yarn out and try, try again!  Let's see what most people get wrong on their first try.  1. They lift the needle too high When you are punching, it is important to drraaaggg the needle across the fabric instead of lifting the tip to find the...

I discovered Punch Needle in 2018 while deep diving in the seas of Instagram. Technically, I had done punch needle with embroidery floss before as a kid when my mom purchased a kit for me, but I had no idea you could do the same thing with yarn! My crafty senses (think spidey-senses but for crafter’s) were tingling, telling me this would be a craft I would love. So I did what every other crazy craft person would do -- I asked for an advance on my birthday present and spent about $300 on supplies to get myself started.  Now,...