Our August Issue

Sometimes it's easier to watch a video than it is to read a pattern or sift through the thousands of product reviews online. I definitely have days when I can't sit still and doing either can take hours. That's where Annie's Creative Studio comes in!

Annie's Creative Studio (ACS) is an incredible source for any crocheter, whether you're just starting out or you've had a hook in your hand for years. It has product reviews, like the Tunisian Hook and Cable Review, that let you see the best ways to use the products and the best projects to use them on. You don't have to worry about buying a product off the internet and getting something so much smaller than you were expecting because you'll see exactly what the products look like on ACS.

All of the classes offered on ACS are taught by experts in the field, experts who love what they do -- they're passionate about these projects and it shows. I definitely recommend the video Learn to Crochet Socks with Rohn Strong. Socks are his specialty, and he walks you through the ins and outs of everything, from picking your yarn and hook to measuring your foot. It's a complete and comprehensive 101. ACS has skill-building videos for a variety of topics, like cables, mandalas and a variety of stitches, and they're all clearly labeled with the skill level each technique is.

And the very best part of these classes is that they fit in your schedule. You can start a video and stop it at any time, then go back to it later. If you stop watching a video and go back to it, you don't have to worry about losing it either because ACS lets you mark videos as favorites and creates a list with all of the videos you've seen.

If you need to see something done again, there are helpful rewind buttons at the bottom of the video screen that let you jump back 30, 60 and 90 seconds and let you skip the struggle of manually finding the exact part you wanted to see again.

There's so much more to Annie's Creative Studio! There are videos with tips and tricks, product reviews and how-tos for not just crochet, but for knitting, sewing, quilting, home and general crafts, too. There is an Uncluttered Crafter series to help keep your home organized, videos on the decorating trends, painting ideas and calligraphy how-tos, videos on arranging centerpieces and making citronella candles, and other incredible videos. So, ACS isn't just for you -- it can be for your whole family!