"I like how the author builds quite high expectations in the introduction of the book, and manages to fulfill them fully throughout the book.""I am amazed at his ability to focus on teaching people, like me, who have done basically nothing with cameras other than point and shoot. There is a wealth of useful and understandable information in this book,...""I've been photographing for years since first SLR in 1960s and yet I found much of interest and some I was unfamiliar with. I especially appreciated the clear, concise presentation."" Even us 'know-it-alls' are surprised by the information that cleared-up some uncertain items that had existed too long.""As a former photography student who learned almost nothing over a two year period, I can now say that I fully understand the terminology and possess the technical skill to take better photographs and possibly revisit my dream of becoming a sports photographer." Whether You are New to Photography,making the transition from Film to Digital Photography, or just want to improve your skills, this book will save you TIME and MONEY! No more intimidation! If you understand how Digital Cameras work, every photo becomes a learning experience. Many people are walking around with expensive cameras that they barely know how to use and others are missing great photo opportunities because they have been misinformed by well-meaning friends. This book is based on the premise that a solid understanding of photographic equipment results in a faster learning curve and better photos. The technology is actually quite simple when it is broken down and clearly explained.Without an understanding of cameras, you are at the mercy of others in all your buying decisions. You will only scratch the surface of your camera's capabilities until you take on its manual settings. You need to read this book because: It will take the confusion out of Photographic terminology by clearly defining every important term used. Your learning will be enhanced by 120 charts and photos that will simplify discussions and help you to remember what you learned. You will learn why buying a camera based on Megapixels alone is a bad idea. You will learn how sensor size and lens selection affect image quality more than any other factors. Strange photographic terms will loose their mystique once you learn how they were carried over from film photography. ˃˃˃ You will also learn: How digital images are created and stored.Which file format to use when editing photos.Which file format to use when sharing photos.How to select a lens for your DSLR camera.How to properly adjust exposure.Why a zoom lens can be a very good investment.Why you should care about focal length, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO as well as what these terms mean. ˃˃˃ About the author: Al Judge is a professional photographer living in Sedona, Arizona. His works are displayed in several locations around town. He is a best selling author with more than a dozen photography books. Don’t waste any more time! Scroll up and grab a copy today for little more than the cost of a cup of coffee!

    You can crochet cool stuff that will make everyone envious--things to spice up your wardrobe and your pad, or gifts to amaze your I could never do that friends. Choose from nearly thirty projects ranging from elegant to earthy--from a chic shrug to a recycled denim rug and from fun plush toys to sweaters too good for boys.In hip style, this guide covers: * All kinds of yarns and materials, and the tools of the trade* The basic stitches, shaping, finishing techniques, blocking, and more* Simple projects that give you close-to-instant gratification and more complex ones that take some commitment* Suggestions for customizing every design and personalizing every projectIntone your creative mantra and get your hooks into a terrific project. With Not Your Mama's Crochet, you won't just make unique, chic items--you'll make a statement.

    Whether you want to proudly announce to the world that you're a nasty woman or remind others that a woman's place is in  the revolution, you’ll find edgy slogans, sharp one-liners, and cheeky images that make fabulous wall art or wonderful handmade gifts. An illustrated basics section will get you started, with information on materials, tools, techniques, and framing your finished pieces.

    Cecily Glowik MacDonald and Melissa LaBarre have brought you the best in designer knit hat patterns all in one beautiful and fun-loving collection. Inside you’ll find:*Expert advice to spark the interests of a variety of skill levels with special attention paid to exploring cables, lace, color, and texture.*Twenty-five contemporary designer hat patterns that range from the distinctly feminine to the sporty gentlemen, including cloches, berets, beanies, tams, snoods, and more!*Tips and tricks on how to maximize the use of specialty yarns and accessories to add a little panache to your designs.All the designs in Weekend Hats are ideal projects for travel, gifts, or sneaking in between larger knit projects. Whether you’re interested in comfort, style, or just knitting enjoyment, Weekend Hats is your all-in-one resource for creating want-to-wear knitted caps.

    Profane, funny, and smart, Haley Pierson-Cox's THE IMPROPER CROSS STITCH invites the modern crafter to bring personality and humor to their cross stitch projects. From a fully designed "Damn it feels good to be a crafter" to the beautiful Art Deco inspired "fuck," Haley's patterns are fresh, lively and just what the crafter ordered.In this book, she'll introduce readers to the joys of stitching the naughty, the profane, the irreverent, and the just plain awesome. First, she starts with a basic lesson in cross-stitch technique, no previous experience required. Then, once readers know your way around an embroidery hoop and a skein of floss, the books moves on to the designs―35 in total, ranging from hip, to nerdy, to ironically domestic―where Haley encourages crafters to embrace their inner snark with gleeful abandon.Her easy to follow instructions and colorful designs can make a cross stitcher out of anyone. In all her years of crafting, Haley's learned many things, but this simple fact remains one of the most important: There is absolutely nothing in this world quite so satisfying as enshrining something deeply inappropriate within the delicate stitches of a cross-stitch sampler. It's truly one of life's great delights!

    Toy knits designer Hrachovec presents more than 40 super-cute, humorous patterns for miniature toys, plus techniques for tiny knitting; ideas for using the tiny knits as wearables, decorations, and gifts; and instructions on how to convert a pattern for a tiny project into a bigger toy.

    Step-by-step photographs illustrate how to cast on and knit two socks together on one long circular needle, whatever the pattern or shape. Lonely, abandoned single socks are now a thing of the past!

    Literary Knits features 30 knitting patterns inspired by beloved characters from classic books; from "Pride and Prejudice" to "Moby Dick, The Catcher in the Rye" to "The Chronicles of Narnia"--and many more in between.Inspired by some of the most beloved characters from favorite books, including an elegant Daisy Cloche inspired by "The Great Gatsby" and a late '50s-inspired Holly Golightly Dress imagined from "Breakfast at Tiffany's," the more than 30 knitting projects in this unique collection will inspire knitters and book lovers alike.Each knitting pattern includes precise instruction and robust information on yarn selection and substitution. Beautiful photography throughout offers ideas and inspiration for all ages and skill levels, including supporting photos for tricky or less commonly-known techniques. Diagrams, assembly instructions, and schematic illustrations ease completion of each project. A generous mix of knitting patterns for women, men, and kids."If you're a book lover who knits, or a knitter with an appreciation for vintage patterns, "Literary Knits" is a timeless collection of one-of-a-kind knitting projects.

    But never more engagingly told than in HUNDRED MILES TO NOWHERE" --Will Weaver, author of Sweet Land and The Last HunterA singer-songwriter moves from New York City to rural Minnesota for love, and finds somewhere, and someone, in the middle of nowhere. When Elisa Korenne took a month's break from New York City to be the resident singer-songwriter in middle-of-nowhere Minnesota, she didn't intend to stay. Then she fell in love with the local outdoorsman/insurance guy. One cross-country romance later, Elisa gave up subways, theater, City Bakery cookies, and her Brooklyn apartment to become the 1,153rd resident of New York Mills, a rural town ninety miles from the nearest metropolitan area, Fargo. She had to resort to moonshine to stay sane.The barista knew her weekend plans before she did. The postmaster set up gigs for her behind her back. Chris expected her to eat roadkill for dinner. And you wouldn't believe the uproar when the Finnish Lutherans in town learned she was Jewish. Despite a gun-toting Millenialist neighbor and the furnace dying at twenty-six below, Elisa moved to Minnesota and married Chris anyway. Then a tornado threatens to destroy the home she had finally made for herself.Hundred Miles to Nowhere is A Year in Provence for the Prairie Home Companion crowd, or Coop for fans of indie music.

    This study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    Media favorite Allison Hoffman—whose delightful creations have graced the sets of Conan, Martha Stewart, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and more—explains how to craft and customize these Japanese dolls at every stage. Youll learn everything from depicting the face of the person youre designing to getting the clothing, hair, and accessories just right. The possibilities are infinite . . . and infinitely fun!

    Some make our hearts and hands sing, some get the job done without much fanfare, and some cause nothing but frustration and disappointment. The gorgeous pair of socks that emerged from their first bath twice as long as when they went in. The delicate baby sweater that started pilling before it even came off the needles. The stunning colorwork scarf that you can't wear because the yarn feels like sandpaper against your neck. If only there were a way to read a skein and know how it would behave and what it wanted to become before you invested your time, energy, and money in it. Now there is! With The Knitter's Book of Yarn, you'll learn how to unleash your inner yarn whisperer.In these pages, Clara Parkes provides in-depth insight into a vast selection of yarns, giving you the inside stories behind the most common fiber types, preparations, spins, and ply combinations used by large-scale manufacturers and importers, medium-sized companies, boutique dye shops, community spinneries, and old-fashioned sheep farms. And, because we learn best by doing, Parkes went to some of the most creative and inquisitive design minds of the knitting world to provide a wide assortment of patterns created to highlight the qualities (and minimize the drawbacks) of specific types of yarns.The Knitter's Book of Yarn will teach you everything you need to know about yarn: How it's made, who makes it, how it gets to you, and what it longs to become. The next time you pick up a skein, you won't have to wonder what to do with it. You'll just know-the way any yarn whisperer would.

    Alabama Stitch Book brings us a collection of projects and stories from her clothing and lifestyle company, Alabama Chanin, known for the cutting-edge twist it puts on tried-and-true sewing, quilting, and embroidery techniques, applied mostly by hand to recycled cotton jersey.This long-awaited book from Chanin begins with her story. After living in New York and Vienna for over 20 years, she began to transform cotton T-shirts into high fashion using the needlework skills she learned as a child in Florence, Alabama. When she moved home, Chanin hired local women (many of whom had worked in the state’s now defunct textile factories) to stitch her couture collections with her.What follows is a step-by-step guide to the stitching, stenciling, and beading techniques used in the 20 projects showcased in the book: T-shirts, skirts, and corsets that are sold at chic shops around the world, plus a journal cover, sampler quilt, and tablecloth, among others. Also included are a pullout stencil, perforated postcard for bead-embroidery, and reusable patterns. Throughout are Robert Rausch’s beautiful photographs set against the back roads, farms, and homesteads of the rural South.

     “How fairy tales are told and remembered has a great deal in common with knitting traditions. It is no mistake that we describe storytelling as knitting a tale, or weaving a story, or spinning a yarn.”—Alice Hoffman, from the Introduction of Faerie Knitting Featuring fourteen original fairy tales, Faerie Knitting is an entrancing collection of stories of love and loss, trust and perseverance. Seamlessly woven into the plot of each tale is a magical garment or accessory inspired by the bravery and self-reliance of the tale’s heroine and brought to life through an imaginative and bespoke knit pattern. From the Blue Heron Shawl and the Love Never Ending Cowl, to the Three Wishes Mittens and Amulet Necklace, each project is as wearable as it is magical. Lush, atmospheric photography captures the enchanted faerie domain while beautifully rendered charts and instructions are well suited for beginner and advanced knitters alike. Presented in an elegant linen case with foil accents that evoke the fairy tale tradition, Faerie Knitting is a rare gift for creators—and lovers—of magic.