Book picks similar to
Knits from Nature by Jenny Kee


crafts
crochet-and-yarn-work
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The Knitting Goddess: Finding the Heart and Soul of Knitting Through Instruction


Deborah Bergman - 2000
    Learn, for instance, about Isis, the mother goddess of Egypt, and knit a red stole that grants power to its wearer. Other stories and projects include Athene and a scarf called a smoke ring, Penelope and a warm beautiful sweater, and more. Wonderful for beginners as well as the more advanced knitter, this one-of-a-kind approach to knitting will teach readers not only how to master the craft, but will also entertain, inspire, and inform.

Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace


Doris Chan - 2006
    And nothing is cooler than doing it yourself–quickly and easily. Inspired by vintage patterns, Doris Chan presents twenty fresh, fantastic designs for beginner and advanced crocheters alike. Chan’s designs brilliantly translate old-fashioned lace patterns into fun, funky attire by substituting bright, chunky yarns for delicate fibers and increasing gauge and hook sizes. The result is a lovely, intricate lace pattern that only looks like it was difficult to produce. And because almost all the patterns are designed to be crocheted from the top down seamlessly, there is little to no finishing, piecing, or sewing required.If you’ve never tried to crochet before, Amazing Crochet Lace is a wonderful introduction to the charm and beauty of lace. And if you’re a pro, you’ll be thrilled with the lovely, fresh designs you can create with the skills you already possess.

One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit


Leigh Radford - 2009
    Radford’s fascination with the creative potential of these raw materials is evident throughout One More Skein, where she melds the alternative approach to knitting and felting she introduced in AlterKnits and AlterKnits Felt with the magic she worked with a single skein of yarn in the bestselling One Skein. One More Skein features 30 diverse projects that can be completed with one or two average-sized skeins of yarn or multiple bits of leftover yarn. Projects include an earflap hat sized for the whole family; fingerless mitts; sweaters, britches, and capelets for baby; hemp jewelry embellished with jump ring “beads”; a felted, pleated sleeve to dress up a vase; and a multicolored blanket worked from assorted stash yarn. All of them are quick and relatively easy to make, without sacrificing beauty or ingenuity.

Crochet Stitch Dictionary: 200 Essential Stitches with Step-By-Step Photos


Sarah Hazell - 2013
    This essential book presents 10 color-coded stitch sections: Basic stitches, Fans & Shells, Bobbles & Clusters, Spike stitches, Post stitches, Mesh & Filet, Cable stitches, Tunisian stitches, and more!Learn each stitch with written, charted, and step-by-step photo instructions that clearly explain where the yarn goes each step of the way. In addition, each stitch pattern shows a large finished swatch in actual size.You'll enjoy the colorful and eye-catching "candy-box" sampler pages that start every section. Crochet Stitch Dictionary offers excellent useful instruction and inspiration for all crocheters.

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.

Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls


Martha Waterman - 1993
    Everything you need to know to design and knit your own shawls is provided, including detailed instructions for eight shawls.

400 Knitting Stitches: A Complete Dictionary Of Essential Stitch Patterns


Potter Craft - 2005
    But every knitter from age 5 to 95 needs a good dictionary of stitches.  400 Knitting Stitches is a comprehensive guide that invites knitters to experiment with a variety of new stitch combinations. The book is conveniently divided into eight categories: knit-purl, crossed and cables, slipped, lacy,double, twisted, cast-off, and fancy stitches.  Making a romantic lacy wrap or a classic cable sweater? Whatever your style, there's a stitch in here for you.  Each of the 400-plus featured stitches is accompanied by easy-to-follow written and charted instructions,as well as a full-color photograph. A section on basic knitting information and techniques at the front of the book makes this volume even more invaluable. From advanced knitters experimenting with their own designs to beginners looking for clear instruction and explanation, 400 Knitting Stitches is an essential reference for knitters of all kinds.

The Big Book of Knitted Monsters: Mischievous, Lovable Toys


Rebecca Danger - 2011
    And in the closet. And anywhere else you've stashed yarn. They're friendly little monsters, and they're ready to come out and play! Popular designer Rebecca Danger presents 20 patterns for the most adorable monsters ever to climb off a pair of knitting needles. All are shown in two colorways, and most are done in two yarn weights, to help you pick the perfect yarn to suit your monster's personality.

No Idle Hands: The Social History of American Knitting


Anne Macdonald - 1988
    . . What is remarkable about this book is that a history of knitting can function so well as a survey of the changes in women's roles over time."--The New York Times Book ReviewAn historian and lifelong knitter, Anne Macdonald expertly guides readers on a revealing tour of the history of knitting in America. In No Idle Hands, Macdonald considers how the necessity--and the pleasure--of knitting has shaped women's lives.Here is the Colonial woman for whom idleness was a sin, and her Victorian counterpart, who enjoyed the pleasure of knitting while visiting with friends; the war wife eager to provide her man with warmth and comfort, and the modern woman busy creating fashionable handknits for herself and her family. Macdonald examines each phase of American history and gives us a clear and compelling look at life, then and now. And through it all, we see how knitting has played an important part in the way society has viewed women--and how women have viewed themselves.Assembled from articles in magazines, knitting brochures, newspaper clippings and other primary sources, and featuring reproductions of advertisements, illustrations, and photographs from each period, No Idle Hands capture the texture of women's domestic lives throughout history with great wit and insight."Colorful and revealing . . . vivid . . . This book will intrigue needlewomen and students of domestic history alike."--The Washington Post Book World

Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments


Nicky Epstein - 1999
    This book contains hundreds of ideas and instructions for using knitted appliques, borders, cords, embroidery, and enhancements such as fringes, tassels, pom-poms, and ties. Step-by-step instructions, line drawings, and charts present more than 350 patterns for all types of embellishments. A special section includes techniques on how to incorporate these patterns into projects. Photographs provide guidance and inspiration to novices and experts.

Mary Thomas's Knitting Book


Mary Thomas - 1938
    . . Mary Thomas's Knitting Book. It's a veritable encyclopedia of knitting, clearly and definitively explaining and illustrating every method, operation and stitch, and a good number of the patterns you are ever likely to need or use. After an engaging history of the craft and its implements, Miss Thomas carefully lays the foundation of knitting in the opening chapters ― how to hold needles, wind yarn, gauge stitches, control tension, etc. ― and builds gradually upon it in the following sections. These explain in lucid progression every operation in common knitting, from basic knit stitch and purl, casting on and casting off, shaping by decreases and increases to turning, triangular shapes and mitres, and knitting on the diagonal or bias. For the reader who has mastered these fundamental procedures, Miss Thomas devotes the remainder of the book to fancy knitting stitches and techniques, including color knitting by stranding and weaving; pattern weaving; knitting woven, by frame with its complement of stitches (plain, raised, rib, etc.), looped, beaded, embroidered by chart, using cross stitch, honeycomb, etc.; and making patterns for garments and working out their details (armholes, belts, buttonholes, collars, hems, necklines, pockets et al). To put what the reader learns into practice, she offers instructions and patterns for making various Shetland shawls, gloves, and socks. More than 250 technique diagrams clearly illustrate every operation and pattern as to position of hands, yarn, and needle, so the knitter will have no trouble in following along. For all knitters, whether beginner or adept, a chapter of helpful knitting hints on blocking, picking up dropped stitches, lengthening, knitting up, mending, taking-back (correcting), etc. completes these invaluable and personalized lessons.Unabridged republication of original (1938) edition.

One-Skein Wonders


Judith Durant - 2006
    They really should be used, but for what? Here are 101 original and charming solutions to the perpetual one-skein problem. Contributed by yarn shops across the United States, these patterns include hats, mittens, scarves, bags, socks, baby sweaters, belts, headbands, a cell phone carrier, and even a tea cozy and a set of coasters, each using just a single skein of yarn.With patterns arranged by yarn weight, you'll easily find broad ranges of possibilities for your particular yarn orphans. Each pattern includes the names of the contributing yarn shop and the designer and an image of the completed project.

The Baby Knits Book: The Ultimate Collection of Knitwear Designs for Newborns to 3-Year-Olds


Debbie Bliss - 2002
    A collection of gorgeous knitwear designs for infants and toddlers - from sweaters and jackets to blankets, booties, and hats.

Knitting 24/7: 30 Projects to Knit, Wear, and Enjoy, On the Go and Around the Clock


Véronik Avery - 2010
    They knit while traveling or commuting, while waiting for their kids, while socializing. Times like these call for projects that are easily transportable and have stitch patterns that are simple to memorize. Véronik Avery has created 30 such projects for Knitting 24/7, a collection of stylish clothing and accessories that make use of those “in-between” times when we’re busy, yet our hands are free. Ranging from sweaters, scarves, and shrugs to hats and mitts, the projects represent both what women want to wear and what they actually have time to knit. The book’s gorgeous color photographs capture women in a range of settings—a morning at work, a dinner with friends, a relaxing weekend afternoon—evoking the time of day when each wardrobe item might be worn.

Knitting for Anarchists: The What, Why and How of Knitting


Anna Zilboorg - 2002
    Anarchists generally do not like to do what they are told."