Pack your crafting bag, chart a course to the nearest yarn shop, and pick your traveling companion by looking for the telltale needle holes in her purse. With wry humor and a contagiously obsessive love for everything knitted, Pearl-McPhee takes you on a hilarious tour of the Land of Knitting and introduces you to the wacky, wonderful people that choose to inhabit it.

    This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations.Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick reviewThe skill demonstrated is defined and described Detailed color photos demonstrate each stepStep-by-step instructions accompany each photoHelpful tips provide additional guidance

    Scarves, Shawls & Shrugs is the first in a new series by renowned designer Iris Schreier that showcases the many possibilities of working with just two skeins of yarn. Mixing yarn types, weights, and colors, she presents a dazzling array of stylish and sophisticated wraps. Schreier created about half the projects herself, while other prominent designers provided the rest.  The projects range from easy to unique and offer new ideas for blending yarns and creating pieces with high appeal, beautiful drape, and practical functionality.

    You’ll also discover beautiful bibs, blankets, and sleep sacks, plus adorable stuffed toys, blanket buddies, and more. These beautiful projects were contributed by designers and crafters around the world, and each comes with complete step-by-step instructions and a photograph of the finished piece.

    The method is simple and magical — knit the project large and loose, wash it in hot water, and see it transformed into a soft and cozy garment or accessory. Kathleen Taylor encourages you to explore the possibilities of felted knitting with 25 spectacular projects that include mittens, slippers, hats, bags, stuffed animals, and more. Embellish your life with unique and stylishly comfortable creations.

    While there are literally dozens of ways to get yarn on and off the needles, most knitters stick with the methods they learned as beginners, missing out on the opportunity to create edges that are more functional and long-lasting as well as decorative, adding distinctiveness to their finished knits.In Cast On, Bind Off, master knitter Leslie Ann Bestor offers a one-of-a-kind reference to more than 50 different ways to begin and end a knitting project - from the charming bobbles of the picot approach to the tidy, refined edges of the tubular method. For each method, she provides detailed instructions with step-by-step color photography, advice about best uses, and tips for making the most of the technique's strengths and appropriateness. At-a-glance charts pinpoint the right cast on or bind off for various types of knitting and cast on/bind off pairs that work especially well together.Today's knitters are branching out and exploring new knitting styles - from chunky cables to delicate lace - and all they are missing is the perfect cast on or bind off technique to create edges as beautiful, professional, and functional as the stitches that come between. Cast On, Bind Off is an indispensable tool for every knitting bag - a trusted reference that will ensure each project is polished and pleasing .... from start to finish.

    Using ten chic garments and more than 150 stunning sample swatches as examples, she covers the top techniques for turning wool yarn into vibrant and dense textures. Before and after shots show how different fabrics react to the process, and there are patterns, stitches, and techniques for lace, mosaics, cables, plaids, checks, and quilting. Create bobbles, appliqués, and ruffles; combine yarns; and use clamps, marbles, cords, braids, and more to form three-dimensional shapes in the felt. Epstein also presents her unique ideas for transforming old clothes and accessories, using one sweater to demonstrate many design possibilities. An array of attractive home décor projects completes the collection beautifully.A Selection of the Crafter's Choice Book Club.

    You’ll learn what makes good sock design, and then dive into knitting 18 spectacular, brand-new patterns featuring the widest variety of techniques.With patterns divided into two sections by top-down and toe-up construction, Sock Knitting Master Class explores such techniques as cables, twisted stitches, lace, stranded colorwork, entrelac, shadow knitting, and intarsia worked in the round. Plus, you’ll discover inventive ways to start and end socks, shape heels and toes, and knit the soles. On a bonus enclosed DVD, Ann showcases all you need to know to knit fun, inventive socks, including a few special tips from this master sock knitter.Sock Knitting Master Class is an all-star assembly of the most inventive, exciting designers working in socks including Cookie A, Kathryn Alexander, Nancy Bush, Cat Bordhi, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Anne Hanson, Melissa Morgan-Oakes, Meg Swanson, Anna Zilboorg, and many more. And you’ll also learn how each yarn contributes to the overall design from Clara Parkes.

    Using only simple knit and purl stitches, knitters can create eye-catching pieces with incredible texture. Entrelac introduces both the history and how-to of this fun style, along with 20 patterns for a variety of garments, home décor items, and baby accessories. Comprehensive instructions and a wide array of swatches provide endless possibilities in lace, colorwork, and much more.

    Essential reading for handspinners, wool growers, and other fiber craft enthusiasts, this guide gives special attention to fleece characteristics, methods of preparation and spinning, and best end use. Everything from baby-soft merino to silky lincoln to sturdy karakul--the full range of nature's miracle fiber--is represented here with expert advice on selecting top-quality fleeces; cleaning wool efficiently and thoroughly; teasing, flicking, combing, carding, and other preparation methods; and spinning and plying a variety of yarn styles. Actual fleece locks are shown in full-size photographs. Knitting, crochet, weaving, and other techniques illustrate the importance of matching wool type to end use.

    Now there is! Parkes demystifies the generic (non-breed-specific) wool yarn you'll find at your local yarn shop, showing you how to best determine what every yarn longs to be.What do I knit? Parkes went to some of the most creative and inquisitive design minds of the kniting world to provide more than 20 patterns that highlight the qualities of specific types of wool.The Knitter's Book of Wool teaches you everything you need to know about wool - and its journey from pasture to pullover. The next time you pick up a skein, you won't have to wonder what to create with it. You'll just know.

    Characterized by their dense, dark yarns, rich pattern combinations, and dropped shoulders, these simple square garments provide the modern knitter with a template for a wide variety of classic designs. Detailed, step-by-step line drawings and photographs, sidebars, and formulas help the reader build a foundation of skills. Pattern graphs and instructions for six of the author's own designs are included.

    A designer from the region, Alice Starmore explores the history and techniques of the art and provides instructions for over 15 of her own knitwear designs. 100 color photos.

    Kristeen Griffin-Grimes brings to life her signature aesthetic through timeless techniques for a stunning encore knitted pattern book. Organized into vignettes that travel from morning to night, these captivating projects invite knitters to imagine their own daily lives enhanced by these lovely designs.French Girl Knits Accessories includes sixteen intermediate-level knitting projects covering a full range of accessories for women. Designed with French savoir-faire, the projects include shrugs, hats, gloves and mittens, wraps and stoles, and socks and slippers. Want to add more romance with lace and ribbon? Desire a perfect pleat or fold? Sidebars and techniques include simple how-tos for these details and more. Throughout this collection of small projects, you'll find an emphasis on clean modern lines and style woven with vintage and romantic fashion inspiration.

    Melissa Leapman, known for her knitting references, shares 300 of her favorite stitch patterns developed over her long career. With basic step-by-step knitting instruction, information on how to most effectively use a stitch dictionary, and a wealth of original stitch patterns, this book will appeal to all levels of knitters looking for a comprehensive, yet portable volume. The book includes stitch patterns in five categories from imaginative novelty stitch patterns to traditional knit designs. Each stitch pattern includes a gorgeous photograph as well as written and charted instructions.