Even if you've never held a crochet hook before, Maggie Righetti's sound instructions and encouragement will help get you startd. If youre an experienced crocheter, you'll find dozens of tips for perfecting your techniques. This comprehensive, common-sense guide covers virtually everything you need to know about crochet:Selecting threads and yarnsDetermining gaugeWorking with the right toolsHow to interpret patterns and instructionsIncreasing and decreasingHow to fix mistakesBasic stitches (chain, double, triple, slip)Sixteen different fabric pattern stitchesAssembling the finished productHow to block, clean, and care for crocheted articlesand much moreEach technique is illustrated with clear drawings, charts or photos. Complet with a detail glossary of crochet terms, Crocheting in Plain English is one sourcebook no crocheter should do without.

     Featuring 22 crocheted dolls drawn from 16 beloved novels and plays, this easy-to-follow craft book is perfect for bibliophiles and crafters of all skill levels. Literature lovers can decorate bookshelves, proclaim a love of reading, and show off crafting skills with adorable amigurumi, sweet crocheted characters that are simple to make and impossible to resist! All that's needed are a few readily available materials and beginner crochet skills, and soon you'll be hanging out with your favorite characters from classic literature. Take tea with a charming Elizabeth Bennet. Decorate the Christmas tree with a grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge. Solve mysteries with the help of a pocket-sized Sherlock Holmes. Bring Prince Hamlet to a play. And just try to keep Huck Finn out of trouble!

     Packed full of expert advice on all aspects of quilting, patchwork and applique it holds the answer to all your quilting questions. This is the most comprehensive book on the market for patchwork, quilting and applique techniques and is ideal for both the beginner looking for trustworthy advice in a single volume and the committed quilter searching for authoritative reference for seldom-used techniques. It presents essential advice and instructions alongside a wide range of inspirational samples of work collected from international top-name quilters. It also features over 15 quilt projects including cot quilts, bed quilts, lap quilts, bags, cushions, wall hangings, table mats and runners, and other beautiful projects for the home. Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions, clear diagrams and stunning photography combine to create this must-have resource for quilters of all abilities. Techniques covered include quilting basics such as making a quilt sandwich, hand and machine quilting, basting and binding a quilt. Other techniques include big stitch, sashiko, free motion, corded and stuffed (trapunto) quilting. There are instructions for over 100 different patchwork blocks, with detailed instructions for different kinds of piecing such as English paper piecing, foundation piecing and strip piecing. Techniques for applique are also included which cover different types of applique such as needle-turn; reverse, inlaid and shadow applique as well as using freezer paper and fusible web.

    He was living his dreams and preparing for a future of success. But the day before leaving for New York, Ryan was in a life-altering car accident that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs. Paralyzed from the shoulders down, he found himself struggling to grasp just how fundamentally his life had changed.In this unflinchingly honest account, Ryan takes you along his journey of coming to terms with his physical limitations, redefining success, falling in love, believing for a healing that seemed all but inevitable, and ultimately learning to trust the purpose in suffering.If you have ever watched your dreams crumble before your eyes, endured prolonged pain and disappointment in your life, or wondered if there is more to life than what you are living… Ryan’s story may be just what you need to discover what matters most—in this life and the next.

    A collaboration between writer, filmmaker and artist Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher, this book brings together the best of the popular website learningtoloveyoumore.com, which asks ordinary people to contribute to assignments posted on the site and features responses that are surprising, touching, imaginative, and often hilarious.

    Crafters of all levels can easily crochet up a storm—or just make a simple snowflake or two. The designs range from simple ones requiring only a few rows to large intricate ones for more advanced stitchers. Starting with a review of crochet basics, a discussion of materials and finishings, the structure of snowflakes, and methods of blocking and starching your finished flakes, anyone can easily learn to craft one of these gossamer creations. Then onto the Snowflake Selector to browse for a pattern that matches your skill level. However, as you work through the book, you will improve your skills as you go along! These lovely flakes—intricate, delicate, and symmetrical—can be used as appliques, to hang in windows, or to adorn your Christmas tree. With full patterns and lots of project ideas for your finished snowflakes, you’re certain to find hours of enjoyment and inspiration from the next book in our bestselling series.

    Showcasing the same approachable attitude and insight that have made her books smash bestsellers, Lauren Conrad Celebrate shows how easy it is to throw a fantastic party.Filled with lush and inspiring original four-color photos and budget friendly tips, Lauren Conrad Celebrate offers advice about the basics to make planning any type of event a breeze, including suggestions for the perfect invitations, food, drinks, decorations, and gifts. Lauren shows how to put it all together for a diverse range of events that span the calendar, from a charming Baby shower to a festive holiday party. And she packs the book with creative full-color photos and stories from her own life, including her housewarming party, and her recent bridal shower and wedding.Just as her trusted advice has inspired women to look and feel their best, now Lauren Conrad brings out the fabulous party-giver in all of us in this elegant, must-have guide.

    But with the explosion of the Internet, a new generation of savvy, independent artists is connecting with buyers and making a substantial living doing what they love. How to Sell Your Art Online shows any artist how to make a successful living from their work. Cory Huff dispels the myth of the starving artist and provides the effective business strategies necessary to make artistic creations pay. He helps individual artists find their niche; outlines the elements essential for an effective website; and provides invaluable advice on e-mail marketing, blogging, social media marketing, and paid advertising—explaining how to tie all these online activities into offline success.Most importantly, he shares the secret to overcoming the biggest challenge artists face when self-marketing: learning how to tell their unique stories. Every artist has a reason for making art, but can’t always find the right way to express it. Huff provides exercises artists can use to clarify the intellectual and emotional process behind their art, and teaches them how turn that knowledge into stories they can tell online and in person—and expand their reach through blogs and social media to build their art business. Drawing from the stories of successful artists, thoroughly describing how art is sold today, and providing tips on how to build connections personally and electronically, How to Sell Your Art Online illustrates the countless ways artists can take control of their creative careers—and sell their work without selling out.

    Well-chosen, well-cared-for houseplants bring life to a room, both literally and figuratively. They add color, texture, motion, uniqueness, beauty—and they even improve air quality. They also fulfill our need to nurture and care for other living things. In Houseplants, expert grower Lisa Eldred Steinkopf gives you the advice and information you need to confidently bring a plant (or two, or more!) home and find joy in keeping it lush and healthy. Achieve success with your houseplants by:Making smart selections: Choose plants that are suited for your space and conditions.Savvy siting: Where the plant is placed is as important as what it is.Taking care: Proper maintenance goes far beyond watering; learn how to fertilize, groom, troubleshoot, propagate, and more.Becoming an educated owner: The book includes 125+ profiles of the most popular, cutting-edge plant species.Organized by relative ease of care, the plant profiles offer the common and botanical names, light preference, watering guidelines, whether and under what conditions it flowers, its size and growth potential, propagation tips, and available cultivars. Featuring stunning photography and a modern design, Houseplants is a must-have resource for every houseplant parent.

    With alphabet charts and easy-to-follow instructions for every design,  Subversive Cross Stitch: 50 F*cking Clever Designs For Your Sassy Side  includes everything you need to get your craft on from the original instigator of subversive stitching.

    And it's now in paperback! Walk step-by-step from basic to advanced methods Learn the easy way with more than 1000 close-up photographs featuring real hands holding real yarn Fix mistakes, shape garments, and find the answers to almost any crochet questionAvailable to customers in the U.S. and Canada only.

    With 100 recipes, from the breakfast favorites that consistently rate the highest in views on the author's popular YouTube channel (like her Overnight Oats, 6 Ways) to original twists on one-pan and pressure-cooker meals, this book is for those of us who want feel-good meals made healthy, delicious, and quick.Dzung's recipes take the familiar and turns it ever-so-slightly on its head: Marinara sauce gets extra umami with the addition of fish sauce, while mac and cheese becomes more than an out-of-the-box staple when made fresh with kimchi. Lattes get an extra kick from bold Vietnamese coffee and sweet, floral lavender, and quinoa pilaf is mixed with a creamy curry-miso dressing. Dzung also teaches readers how to stretch groceries so they spend a little less money, how to plan meals seasonally, and how to match main courses with sides so plates look impressive and taste great. With quick snack ideas, recipe hacks, foolproof instructions, and genius tips for pretty presentation, The Honeysuckle Cookbook will be the friendly hand busy young cooks need to hold in the kitchen.

    The recipes in That Sounds So Good are split between weekday and weekend cooking. When time is short, turn to quick stovetop suppers, one-pot meals, and dinner salads. And for the weekend, lean into lazy lunches, simmered stews, and hands-off roasts.Carla's dishes are as inviting and get-your-attention-good as ever. All the recipes--such as Fat Noodles with Pan-Roasted Mushrooms and Crushed Herb Sauce or Chicken Legs with Warm Spices--come with multiple ingredient swaps and suggestions, so you can make each
one your own. That Sounds So Good shows Carla at her effortless best, and shows how you can be, too.

    With twenty original patterns for gorgeous lace shawls, delicate camisoles, sweaters, hats, scarves, and socks, Wendy D. Johnson provides thorough instruction on the best lace techniques.At last - gorgeous lace projects that are not only sumptuous, but designed for your everyday life.

    The Internet has brought together large communities of people who share ideas, tips, and blueprints for making everything from unmanned aerial vehicles to pedal- powered iPhone chargers to an automatic cat feeder jury-rigged from a VCR. DIY is a direct reflection of our basic human desire to invent and improve, long suppressed by the availability of cheap, mass-produced products that have drowned us in bland convenience and cultivated our most wasteful habits. Frauenfelder spent a year trying a variety of offbeat projects such as keeping chickens and bees, tricking out his espresso machine, whittling wooden spoons, making guitars out of cigar boxes, and doing citizen science with his daughters in the garage. His whole family found that DIY helped them take control of their lives, offering a path that was simple, direct, and clear. Working with their hands and minds helped them feel more engaged with the world around them. Frauenfelder also reveals how DIY is changing our culture for the better. He profiles fascinating "alpha makers" leading various DIY movements and grills them for their best tips and insights. Beginning his journey with hands as smooth as those of a typical geek, Frauenfelder offers a unique perspective on how earning a few calluses can be far more rewarding and satisfying than another trip to the mall.