The Trains Now Departed: Sixteen Excursions into the Lost Delights of Britain's Railways


Michael Williams - 2015
    Or a crumbling platform from some once-bustling junction buried under the buddleia. If you are lucky you might be able to follow some rusting tracks, or explore an old tunnel leading to…well, who knows where? Listen hard. Is that the wind in the undergrowth? Or the spectre of a train from a golden era of the past panting up the embankment?These are the ghosts of The Trains Now Departed. They are the railway lines, and services that ran on them that have disappeared and gone forever. Our lost legacy includes lines prematurely axed, often with a gripping and colourful tale of their own, as well as marvels of locomotive engineering sent to the scrapyard, and grand termini felled by the wrecker's ball. Then there are the lost delights of train travel, such as haute cuisine in the dining car, the grand expresses with their evocative names, and continental boat trains to romantic far-off places.The Trains Now Departed tells the stories of some of the most fascinating lost trains of Britain, vividly evoking the glories of a bygone age. In his personal odyssey around Britain Michael Williams tells the tales of the pioneers who built the tracks, the yarns of the men and women who operated them and the colourful trains that ran on them. It is a journey into the soul of our railways, summoning up a magic which, although mired in time, is fortunately not lost for ever.THIS EDITION REVISED AND UPDATED TO INCLUDE MAPS.

The Knotting & Braiding Bible: The Complete Guide to Creative Knotting Including Kumihimo, Macrame and Plaiting


Dorothy Wood - 2014
    Ideal for both experienced makers as well as younger friendship bracelet makers, Dorothy shows you how to master hundreds of knotting and braiding techniques to create stunning jewelry and accessories. Techniques cover kumihimo (braiding), plaiting, knotting (including macrame) and fusion, with techniques for adding beads, using different cords/wire and attaching findings. Easy to follow step-by-step instruction and photography will help you to learn each of the different techniques. Choose from a selection of project ideas to refine your new skills including jewelry, accessories and home decor to create beautiful gifts and home decorations.

Knit Fix


Lisa Kartus - 2006
    Beginners and seasoned knitters alike are promised that learning from mistakes improves the technique and inspires personal style and that sometimes the best solution is to let the mistake stand. This sturdy, spiral bound book explains the correct way to cast on and bind off, decipher charts, choose fibers, and more.

Beginner's Guide to Free-Motion Quilting: 50+ Visual Tutorials to Get You Started Professional-Quality Results on Your Home Machine


Natalia Bonner - 2012
    Learn how to quilt all-over, as filler, on borders, and on individual blocks…using loops and swirls, feathers and flames, flowers and vines, pebbles and more! Includes tips for choosing batting and thread, layering and basting, starting and stopping, and prepping your machine are included. After you've practiced, show off your new skills with six geometric quilt projects.

Steampunk Emporium: Creating Fantastical Jewelry, Devices and Oddments from Assorted Cogs, Gears and Curios


Jema 'Emilly Ladybird' Hewitt - 2011
    Join her as she records the adventures of intergalactic space pirates, undersea voyagers and Jurassic explorers -- all the while, dabbling in the details of which baubles best benefit the venturesome class.Discover within:20 beautiful and whimsical designs accompanied by detailed step-by-step images and meticulous instruction.Projects ranging from decadent jewelry, medals of great distinction, wine charms for imbibers and many devices of note.Superb instruction for a variety of jewelry, polymer clay and mixed media techniques you can use in all your adornment escapades.Let Steampunk Emporium outfit you for the unabashed adventure of a lifetime!

Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World


Clara Parkes - 2016
       Building on the success of The Yarn Whisperer, Parkes’s rich personal essays invite readers and devoted crafters on excursions to be savored, from a guide who quickly comes to feel like a trusted confidante. In Knitlandia, she takes readers along on 17 of her most memorable journeys across the globe over the last 15 years, with stories spanning from the fjords of Iceland to a cozy yarn shop in Paris’s 13th arrondissement.   Also known for her PBS television appearances and hugely popular line of small-batch handcrafted yarns, Parkes weaves her personal blend of wisdom and humor into this eloquently down-to-earth guide that is part personal travel narrative and part cultural history, touching the heart of what it means to live creatively. Join Parkes as she ventures to locales both foreign and familiar in chapters like:  Chasing a Legend in TaosGlass, Grass, and the Power of Place: Tacoma, WashingtonA Thing for Socks and a Very Big Plan: Portland, OregonAutumn on the Hudson: The New York Sheep & Wool FestivalCashmere Dreams and British Breeds: A Last-Minute Visit to Edinburgh, Scotland  Fans of travel writing, as well as knitters, crocheters, designers, and fiber artists alike, will enjoy the masterful narrative in these intimate tales from a life well crafted. Whether you’ve committed to exploring your own wanderlust or are an armchair traveler curled up in your coziest slippers, Knitlandia is sure to inspire laughter, tears, and maybe some travel plans of your own.

Get Your Crochet On! Hip Hats & Cool Caps


Afya Ibomu - 2006
    In "GET YOUR CROCHET ON!: Hip Hats"" and Cool" "Caps," Afya presents 20 step-by-step patterns of her most popular designs for women, men, and children. Chock-full of designs that are simple enough for a beginner but stylish enough for the most seasoned crochet artist, "GET YOUR CROCHET ON! "speaks to the crocheter in all of us and includes instructions for everything from choosing the right hooks and yarn to washing and caring for the finished piece.

Sew Subversive: Down and Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista


Melissa Rannels - 2006
    The three twenty-something co-owners of Stitch Lounge, an urban sewing studio in San Francisco, teach you, in plain, fun language, how to do it, whether you're hand sewing, machine sewing, or, in a few cases, simply wielding a pair of scissors.The first three chapters lay the ground work: Hand Sewing Basics, You and Your Machine, and Gearing Up, which includes Fabric 101, how to set up a sewing space, and a run-through first project on the sewing machine. Then the fun begins with Embellishing and Customizing projects, including adorning your pant legs with ribboning, turning a computer-scanned image into an iron-on that you can apply to a t-shirt or skirt, taking in a skirt, or untapering a pair of pants (the authors believe tapered pants are the devil's work). Then move onto Refashioning: The Next Life of Your Old Clothes and turn a t-shirt into a skirt, a sweater into a halter top or legwarmers, or a pair of pants into a hip belt. There are 22 projects in all, some of which only require an iron and/or pair of scissors, while others can be sewn by hand, for those readers who haven't yet made the sewing machine plunge.

The Weaver's Inkle Pattern Directory: 400 Warp-Faced Weaves


Anne Dixon - 2012
    Inkle weaving is a simple technique that offers ample opportunity for experimentation by beginners and experienced weavers. This book provides 400 patterns for loom enthusiasts and is the most comprehensive tool available to weavers.You’ll discover:*An overview of inkle weaving’s history and traditions.*Instructions for loom set-up and simple techniques.*An astonishing 400 woven patterns—some making their first debut.*Illustrated samples and charts.*Drafts provided throughout the entire guide.An incomparable guide, Anne Dixon offers all of the tips, tricks, and techniques to these traditional and modern patterns and introduces a bounty of new, innovative designs as well. Inkles can be used for a variety of projects ranging from belts and braces to trims and neckpieces. They can be stitched together to make bags, mobile-phone purses, cushion-covers, table-mats, and much more.Also included is a foreword by Madelyn van der Hoogt, the editor of Handwoven magazine and the author of The Complete Book of Drafting and The Weaver’s Companion (Interweave). She opened the Weaver’s School in 1984 and teaches weaving workshops throughout the United States and Canada.

Ami Ami Dogs: Seriously Cute Crochet


Mitsuki Hoshi - 2008
    The perfect go-to guide for every stripe of crochet artist, from the crafting commuter to the full-time hook-and-needler (and the perfect gift for anyone who could use an extra dose of over-the-top cuteness in their life), Hoshi’s Ami Ami Dogs is sure to knit smiles and tail-wagging into the fabric of any home it joins.

Eddie the Eagle: My Story


Eddie Edwards - 1988
     Short and stocky, sporting thick glasses prone to fogging, Eddie was nobody’s athletic ideal. Through struggle, sacrifice, even near-starvation—this British plasterer made his dream a reality: competing in the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary. Here, in his own words, is Eddie’s story—from the schoolboy stunts that developed his physical courage, to the menial labor that paid for training, to the qualifying jumps that had millions around the world glued to their television sets to watch him. Eddie the Eagle is the tale of an ordinary man’s extraordinary journey above and beyond expectations . . . a journey that rocketed this ultimate underdog to an Olympic legend.

Etsy Empire: Proven Tactics for Your Etsy Business Success, Including Etsy SEO, Etsy Shop Building, Social Media for Etsy and Etsy Pricing Tips


Eric Michael - 2014
    Etsy Empire is the first book to provide instruction on all aspects of building a successful Etsy business selling crafts and vintage collectibles.Complete primers on internet selling often cost in excess of $50. After all, why would a successful Etsy shop owner give other competitors instructions on exactly how to build the most profitable shop in their own niches? They wouldn't, right?Well, I was a successful Etsy seller for years, but I moved on to providing help for aspiring online business owners, so I have no reservations about telling you exactly how to sell more items on Etsy and build an Etsy shop that will provide you consistent paychecks and grow over time. Etsy Empire offers a unique combination of the most important Etsy tips for building your business:1. Build your brand. This is the most important task for Etsy sellers.2. Determine demand for your potential business for free.3. Learn how to double or triple traffic to your shop and sales items with Etsy SEO and Google SEO4. Use Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter to sell more items and engage your shop's fans - Social Media for Etsy5. Learn how to sell crafts and vintage collectibles on Etsy6. Etsy tips for packaging and shipping7. Learn valuable tips for improving Etsy photography and how to make your item descriptions convert into sales8. Etsy 101 - learn how to start your business from scratch and build into a successful online business9. Learn how to network with other successful Etsy shop owners10. How to design a great Etsy shop - create a professional shop banner, shop name and avatar

Loop-d-Loop Crochet: More Than 25 Novel Designs for Crocheters (and Kntters Taking Up the Hook)


Teva Durham - 2007
    Now, the influential needlecraft guru has become a “two-timer,” bringing the same ingenuity, innovative eye, and solid fashion sense that she’s always exhibited in her knitting design to the world of crochet. In Loop-d-Loop Crochet, Durham presents more than 25 designs that are as up-to-the-minute, style-wise, as they are thoroughly steeped in crochet stitchwork tradition. Each of the projects, which range from purses, skirts, shawls, and sweaters for the whole family to a hammock and a pair of brocade boots, epitomizes Durham’s signature design sensibility, which she describes as “a tension of opposites—rough-hewn yet delicate, stark yet feminine, organic yet structured.” Decked out in evocative color photographs (by Adrian Buckmaster), a diverse cast of models show off the finished garments. Beginner and advanced crocheters will find Durham’s novel approach refreshing and inspiring. And for newcomers just making the switch from knitting, Loop-d-Loop Crochet provides the perfect introduction to what Durham terms the “flip side” of needlecraft’s heritage. Crochet is a freeing experience, Durham says—a sentiment with which her many fans are certain to agree.

The FBI Career Guide: Inside Information on Getting Chosen for and Succeeding in One of the Toughest, Most Prestigious Jobs in the World


Joseph W. Koletar - 2006
    However, there were more than 150,000 applicants, and you can be sure the successful candidates had not only relevant backgrounds, but also determination and a genuine desire to embark on one of the most coveted, rewarding, and challenging careers in the world.Joe Koletar, whose own blue-ribbon career at the Bureau is second to none, shows how to get the job-and how to thrive once you've got it.In The FBI Career Guide, Koletar’s inside look at the real FBI reveals:Smart educational and career decisions to improve your odds of being hiredHow to meet and network with current FBI agentsWhat Special Agents do, day-to-day, in different roles and environmentsHow undercover investigations, SWAT team operations, and specialty assignmentsWhat agents earn, and what benefits they receiveThe prospects for advancement, and some typical (and not so typical) career pathsHow the job may affect your personal and family lifeThis book also reveals the common mistakes applicants make, and shows how to avoid them while also giving you detailed information on excelling in the Agent Training Program.Finally, Koletar offers profiles of real agents who have gone on to successful post-FBI careers, and will help you lay the groundwork for a rewarding life after the Bureau. Above all, The FBI Career Guide will help you find out if you've got what it takes to succeed -- and if you do, how to show it.

Young House Love: 243 Ways to Paint, Craft, Update Show Your Home Some Love


Sherry Petersik - 2012
    With two home renovations under their (tool) belts, 5 million blog hits per month, and an ever-growing audience since the launch of "Young House Love" in 2007, Sherry and John are home-improvement enthusiasts primed to pass on a slew of projects, tricks, and techniques to do-it-yourselfers of all levels. Whether an experienced decorator or a total novice, on a tight budget or with money to spend, any homeowner or apartment dweller will find ideas for his or her own home makeovers here. Learn to trick out a thrift-store mirror, spice up plain old roller shades, "hack" your Ikea table to create three distinct looks, and so much more.Packed with 243 tips and ideas--both classic and unexpected--every project pictured was exclusively executed for the book (so there are no photos that you've already seen on the blog). With more than 250 photographs and illustrations, this is a book that readers will return to again and again for the creative projects and easy-to-follow instructions in the relatable voice the Petersiks are known for. Adding a little wow factor to your home has never been more fun!