Jillian Moreno leads you through every step of yarn construction, with detailed instructions and step-by-step photos showing you how to select the fiber you want (wool, cotton, silk, synthetic), establish a foundation, and spin a beautiful yarn with the structure, texture, and color pattern that you want. In addition to teaching you the techniques you need for success, Moreno also offers 12 delicious original patterns from prominent designers, each one showcasing hand-spun yarns.

    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.

    . . 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

    People who experience it become obsessed. Qiviut makes perfect hand-knitted lace, as demonstrated by the Alaskan artisans of Oomingmak Musk Ox Producers' Co-op. This book presents how-tos for knitting and designing lace.

    Over the next 12 months the collection of crochet animals expanded week on week until Edward's Menagerie was complete with 40 unique patterns.These cute animals with larger-than-life personalities are made using simple crochet techniques and the step-by-step instructions enable a complete beginner to get hooking straight away. Each animal also has a universal pattern where you can change your hook and yarn to create four different sizes, making 160 different possibilities.Be warned that these unlikely characters made using a supersoft yarn in a sumptuous natural colour palette will become your new best friends as you hook your way through the whole menagerie!

    Whether you are a beginner or have been sewing for years, this book is packed with all the information you need to get the most out of your sewing machine, simply by changing the feet.• Everything you need to know about feet attachments, from basic feet such as the zigzag foot to specialty fabric and technique feet that will help you invent new design ideas for your sewing projects.• Work effortlessly with a full range of fabrics, learn great time-saving tricks, and experiment with a range of decorative effects by following the authors' creative "ideas files."• Includes a guide to needle, thread, and fabric choices and buying advice for choosing basic, mid-range, and top-end sewing machines, embellishers, and sergers.

    The knitted dog is indeed the ideal companion: There's no feeding, barking, shedding, or vet's bills, and he'll live forever! Knit Your Own Dog is the irresistible guide to knitting the perfect pup. With patterns for 25 different pedigree pooches, Knit Your Own Dog lets you choose the dog you want, whether it's a pretty Poodle or a loyal Labrador. Or knit them all for a pack of canine fun! The patterns are easy-to-follow for both new and veteran knitters. It should take only a few evenings to create a covetable companion for life. And yet each pattern is extremely detailed and includes all of the distinguishing features of each breed, from the startling blue eyes of the Siberian Husky and the long, woolly curls of the Old English Sheepdog to the lolling tongue of the German Shepherd. Accompanying the patterns are a brief description of each breed, as well as expert tips on choosing yarns, stuffing and sewing the dogs, and adding personality to your creation. Beautiful color photographs of the finished dogs, as well as detail shots, both inspire and instruct. Knit Your Own Dog is the perfect book for knitters and devoted dog lovers. Breeds include: Afghan Hound, Basset Hound, Border Collie, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi, Dachshund, Dalmatian, English Bulldog, English Bull Terrier, French Bulldog, German Shepherd, Jack Russell, Labrador, Miniature Schnauzer, Old English Sheepdog, Poodle, Portuguese Water Dog, Pug, Red Setter, Rough Collie, Scottish Terrier, Siberian Husky, West Highland Terrier, Whippet, Wire-haired Fox Terrier.

    Learn to determine your cost of goods, set prices, identify the competition, and understand the ins and outs of wholesale and retail sales. Explore the various sales venues available, including independent craft fairs, Web sites such as Etsy, and traditional stores, and learn to maximize your visibility and sales in each one. Want to start your own website? Chapin shows you how to style and prop your crafts for photography and explains how the most popular Web marketplaces operate. You’ll find everything you need to turn your talent into profits.

    Each chapter focuses on a different technique, inviting you to dip in, experiment, and then apply your newfound skills to create a custom piece designed by these crochet luminaries. You’ll learn Hairpin Lace from Stitch Diva Jennifer Hansen, discover the intricate color work of tapestry crochet from Carol Ventura, and explore free-form crochet with renowned fiber artist Prudence Mapstone. Filled with expert instruction, inspiring stories, and projects created exclusively for this book, Crochet Master Class is your guide to the incredible range of crochet possibilities. Techniques include:Filet Crochet • Hairpin Lace • Tapestry Crochet • Aran Crochet • Entrelac Crochet • Fashion Crochet • Tunisian Crochet • Woven Crochet • Double-Ended Crochet • Tassels • Bullion Stitch • Overlay Crochet • Bead Crochet • Bruges Crochet • Painted Crochet • Free-Form Crochet • Irish Crochet • Wire Crochet

    The founder of her own popular line of food-inspired fashions, Twinkie Chan has whipped up a feast of head-turning scarves, mittens, hats, and more so that her many fans can learn to make her culinary creations at home.You'll find recipes for food-themed scarves that feature sushi, salad, gingerbread men, buttered toast, eggs and bacon, ice-cream cones, popcorn boxes, and more. You'll also learn how to make a pair of strawberry fingerless mittens, a chocolate cupcake hat complete with a cherry on top, and even a coconut-lemon cake tissue box cozy. Twinkie Chan's Crochet Goodies for Fashion Foodies is divided into three chapters--Sweet Things, Fruits and Veggies, and Savory Stuff--and comes complete with an illustrated how-to section, lists of "ingredients" for each project, easy-to-follow, step-by-step directions, and full-color photos and illustrations. Beginning and experienced crafters alike will go wild for these quirky, colorful, wearable confections.

    Each animal is assembled using several basic crochet stitches even beginners can easily master and the results, from a winsome little lamb to a wide-eyed lemur, make for delightful yarn friends.

    With step-by-step instructions, this essential manual details the basic steps of spinning and then advances to the more complicated spinning wheel, showing how to use the spindle to make specific types of yarn, explaining traditional spindle spinning techniques, and detailing five simple projects designed to instill confidence in creating a variety of yarns with this simple tool. Combining fascinating historical narratives, traditions, and cultures from around the globe with vivid photography, this all-encompassing tour of the spindle also boasts easy-to-follow, contemporary techniques and styles that affirm the tool's enduring legacy.

    Ten original and enjoyable knitting projects--each complemented by a meditation exercise.

    Plus, the projects are cute to boot!” —Sue Daly, founder of the Renegade Craft FairNo more spending more than you can afford on clothes! Chic & Simple Sewing shows you how to make modern, stylish, and fun clothes you’ll want to wear every day. Plus, you’re in control. You pick the fabrics, the cut, the size—all tailored just for you, not mass-manufactured on an assembly line. For about the price of two or three commercial sewing patterns, this book will give you full-size patterns to make the more than 20 garments, including a classic shift, A-line skirt, and figure-flattering wrap dress. What are you waiting for? Your new, one-of-a-kind wardrobe awaits!

    A chapter on understanding color principles offers novice spinners the skills needed to easily work with color while providing advanced spinning techniques for the expert dyer. A gallery of finished pieces as well as appendixes on dye workshops and metric conversions are included.