Overview: Stamped Cross-Stitch by Spazzy Crafter

Everything that comes in a stamped cross-stitch kit:

Embroidery floss

Printed instructions

Needle

Fabric (with the design)

Colored picture of the completed design

The basics and tips:

The easiest way to begin your project is to start from the middle and work your way out. The instructions tell you how many strands of each color you need for each part of the project. Basically, you embroider a bunch of small X’s on the fabric. The most efficient way to not lose your place on your project is to mark off on your instructions. You have to be careful not to get the fabric wet or dirty because it will fade the design. However, dampening your floss a bit on the end helps with threading the needle.

On embroidery hoops:

Depending on the size of the project, you might want an embroidery hoop. Hoops make it easier by allowing you to focus on small areas at a time. I also use them because they are better to hold onto than trying to work with everything laid out. Embroidery hoops don't always come with the kit, but you can find them at crafting stores or Amazon.

To use the embroidery hoop, unscrew the top of the hoop. Put the smaller hoop on the underneath side of the project. Then, put the bigger part of the hoop over the front. Snap the smaller and bigger parts together and tighten the top.

As a disabled crafter:

I need help with inserting the embroidery floss in the eye of the needle and separating the floss strands. My hands just don’t cooperate enough.

Using the Addi Express (Two Sizes) by Spazzy Crafter

Image: A round, black, plastic machine with red pegs (except for two white near the shuttle). There are a few rows of blue yarn on the pegs, and the yarn ball sits a few inches away. The background is a tile floor.

If you like to loom knit and are looking for a way to do it more independently, then the Addi Express (with 22 needles) and the Addi Express King Size (with 46 needles) are for you. They are a series of hand-crank knitting machines from Germany.
We should now talk about the price. The Addi Express and the Addi Express King Size price varies depending on where you get them and if you want them as a bundle. They can run anywhere between $170 to $430 USD.

Yarns that work:

It takes a lot of trial and error, but medium weight yarns are generally recommended. Since the machine is made in Germany, DK (double-knit yarn) might be the best; the US equivalents are gauges seven, eight, and nine. If you use thicker/thinner yarn, the machines will drop stitches. Performance can also vary between yarn brands and amount of tension.

What comes with:

Extra needles in case they break, one tapestry needle (per machine), stoppers (these are included with some machines), instructions, and the machines themselves. There is a row counter on the machine.

Using the Addi:

Cast on the yarn by starting at the first black peg on the right. All the pegs have a hooked top. Put the yarn in the hooked part, then put the yarn behind the next peg, and continue alternating going in front and behind the pegs until you make it all the way around the loom. Place the yarn strand in the shuttle and close the little door. Rotate the handle to cast on all the pegs and keep rotating until you get the desired number of rows. The tapestry needle is used to collect the stitches from the pegs when you’re ready to finish the project.

Pros and cons of the Addi Express:

The major pro for me to the Addi Express is that I only need help with the casting on and the binding off. It takes about a half hour to make a hat. It can also make panels for things like baby blankets; there is a switch for round or panel knitting.

The major con is the price. It can drop stitches because it doesn't come with a tensioner.

Extras for separate purchase:

A tensioner makes one-handed use easier
Suction cups for the legs (I haven’t tried them yet)
Clip weights might also help with dropping stitches

Image: The left side has a smaller machine with white yarn cast on and a ball of yarn nearby. The background is a quilt of varied colors with rounded shapes separated by small, checked squares. The right side of the image is the finished product... a white hat.

There are cheaper knitting machines out there (like the Sentro), but I haven’t tried them. Some come with a tensioner built in. 

Diamond Painting Overview by Spazzy Crafter

The best way for me to explain diamond painting is it reminds me a lot of paint by numbers. The differences are that the project is sticky, and (instead of using paint) you use drills also known as dotz. The drills come in either square or round. 

Image: A portrait of a Yorkie comprised of little colored squares. You can see a reference key along the bottom.

Below is a list of what comes in a diamond painting kit:

Canvas (or other material) that has a pre-printed picture on it with adhesive. On the canvas kits, there is a number and letter key. Card kits come with separate instructions.

Diamond painting pen

Small tray

Small bags with corresponding numbers to the key or instructions

Wax square

Tweezers (in most larger kits)

Image: A red square of wax sits on paper that reads "Sunnor Group". On the right side, a pink pen is pressed into the wax.  A person's finger is also visible.  

How-to:

The adhesive canvas has either paper or clear plastic on it. So, to start, peel the little piece of plastic off the wax. Take the diamond painting pen and dip the tip of it into the wax until the tip is full. Peel the corner of the canvas back until you see a number or a letter, then use the key on the side of the canvas to match the number on the bags. Open the bag with the corresponding number you want to start with, and put the drills in the tray. Use the diamond pen to pick up the drills by the shiny side; the flat side goes on the adhesive canvas. You do that until the project is complete. 

For me, the round drills are easier to use because you don't have to be as exact when sticking them on the canvas. The square drills, in my opinion, make a nicer-looking project.

Here are some accessories that might help:

Portable headlamp with magnification glasses for if you have trouble seeing the little diamond drills. 

I have never used it, but there is something called a diamond painting ruler. It is supposed to help you keep your diamond drills lined up. 

Does anyone else know of anything that will help make diamond painting easier? 

~*~

Additional Notes: 

If you have spasms, it helps to only put a few drills into the tray at one time in case you spill.

There are little storage containers for the drills that are similar to those for beads.

Gently shake the ridged tray to turn the drills face up, so you don't have to do it with your fingers.

Most drill colors have universal numbers so you can order more if you need.