It does all this through just four very simple mending techniques: exterior patches, interior patches, slow stitches, darning, and weaving. In addition, the book addresses the way mending leads to a more mindful relationship to fashion and to overall well-being. In essays that accompany each how-to chapter, Katrina Rodabaugh explores mending as a metaphor for appreciating our own naturally flawed selves, and she examines the ways in which mending teaches us new skills, self-reliance, and confidence, all gained from making things with our own hands.

    Representing the creative work of 26 notable designers, it includes gorgeous photography, a dozen favorite "Beyond the Basics" columns that provide in-depth information on essential techniques, and step-by-step instructions through every aspect of knitting and finishing. Even relatively inexperienced knitters will find this archive of classic design to be an indispensable reference tool for years to come.

    They come in many colorways and fiber contents--and they're everywhere. Best of all, they're versatile; you can use these fabulous fibers for a lot more than socks. You can make shawls!Learn how to work from a knitting chart; instructions for 15 striking shawls are charted "and "written outGet tips for choosing the right yarn--from fiber content to color--plus tips on using stitch markers, making shawls bigger, and moreMake great gifts; find a variety of knitted-shawl patterns to suit yourself and your friends

    . . a sort of David Sedaris-like take on knitting-laugh-out-loud funny most of the time and poignantly reflective when it's not cracking you up." --Library Journal on Yarn HarlotStephanie Pearl-McPhee returns to pen another hilarious and poignant collection of essays surrounding her favorite topics: knitting, knitters, and what happens when you get those two things anywhere near ordinary people.For the 60 million knitters in America, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) shares stories of knitting horrors and triumphs, knitting successes and defeats, but, mostly, stories about the human condition that ring true for everyone-especially if you happen to have a rather large amount of yarn in your house.Pearl-McPhee maintains a popular blog at www.yarnharlot.ca. Divided into sections relating to each essay's content, such as women, politics, family, and overcoming boredom, Free-Range Knitter will entertain yarnsmiths who enjoy sharing in the collective experiences of the woolen and silky skein.

    Born in 1937, he spent much of his youth in Big Sur, California, where his parents bought a cabin from Orson Welles and transformed it into the world-famous Nepenthe restaurant, a gathering place for artists and bohemians. After attending a boarding school run by the disciples of Krishnamurti, an Indian guru, he studied painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, then traveled to England, where he made his home. After an inspiring trip to Inverness, Scotland, Fassett began designing knitwear for Bill Gibb, and then the Missonis, Vogue magazine, and private clients like Lauren Bacall and Barbra Streisand, and, in the process, revolutionized the handknitting world with his explosive use of color. Further explorations led him to needlepoint, mosaics, rugmaking, tapestries, yarn and fabric design, costume and set design, and quilting. Now in his seventies, Fassett continues to produce new work and to travel worldwide to teach and lecture. In this intimate autobiography, Fassett shares rich, detailed stories about his lifelong creative journey as well as hundreds of glorious photos taken along the way. Praise for Kaffe Fassett: Dreaming in Color: “Kaffe Fassett is to color what Julia Child was to French cooking.” —Knitters Review “Lavishly illustrated with photographs from his life and work and dishing on everyone from Dustin Hoffman to Princess Margaret, Dreaming in Color describes a charmed life filled with creativity, big personalities, travels and not a little serendipity.” —Vogue Knitting “Shapes and patterns are everywhere; they lie waiting for the person who wants to see them. It's the bricolage aspect behind his work and, arguably, Fassett himself: arranging disparate things to create something dynamic and new.” —Vogue Knitting “This book would be a beautiful gift to receive or give. It is like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”—Examiner.com “A glance through his new autobiography shows that this is a man who, in design terms, hit the ground running and has never stopped.” —Selvedge magazine“Dreaming in Color, lavishly illustrated with 500 color pictures, is a feast for the eyes.” — Shelf Awareness “Reading this book is like peeling an orange on a gray winter’s day—every single one of your senses is sparked as you get sprayed with infectious creativity.” —Knitty.com “Kaffe Fassett is a luminary in the world of textiles and knitting, spreading the gospel of color in his books and travels.” —The Houston Chronicle “It is a beautiful book, no question. Beautifully designed, thoughtfully composed, well-written, Kaffe takes you on his creative journey. We all—quilters, knitters, needlepointers, and just plain art lovers—are indeed very fortunate that he would share all of this with the world.” —Getting Stitched on the Farm “Fassett is a kind of Harrison Ford of the knitting world….” —The Washington Post “Kaffe Fassett is a luminary in the world of textiles and knitting, spreading the gospel of color in his books and travels.”—The Houston Chronicle “This book is a gorgeous coffee table treasure but it so much more than the vibrant photos, it is a moving and interesting autobiography and I am so glad it has been published. What a treat to read, hold, soak in and enjoy.” —Susan B. Anderson “Brimming over with beautiful eye-candy and intimate details, this colorful book is sure to charm and inspire.” —Love of Knitting magazine “One of the book’s many virtues is how effectively Fassett conveys his enthusiasm about his work to the reader. ‘I’m st

    A Basic Stitch Guide and clear, easy-to-follow instructions are included.

    It also includes handy tips on how to adjust the sizes to fit a larger or smaller foot. You’ll be an expert in no time! The designs feature mock cables, beaded cuffs, several rib patterns, stripes, garter blocks, a toeless pedicure sock, and spiral tube socks and a hat for preemies.

    Quilting expert Ricky Tims presents an imaginative, new piecing technique that quilters will adore! Convergence quilts feature two or more fabrics cut into strips, sewn together, then cut and pieced again.

    Sachiko Umoto’s engaging, relaxing techniques include a primer on drawing basics, plus detailed steps for creating animals from start to finish, including deer, sheep, horses, giraffes, dolphins, and more. Learn about essential materials, then discover the best methods for starting and adding onto a drawing, and incorporating shading and color. Sachiko’s instructions are so easy to follow, you’ll be creating a whole menagerie in your sketchbook in no time. Create a marching dog, a sleepy bear, and a bouncy bunny. Trace or copy the designs, then enhance them with unique doodles and details to make them your own. Add color for even more punch. Sachiko’s illustrations will inspire you to incorporate drawings into art journal pages, book art, planners, scrapbooks, and cards. Connect with the world and share your creations with friends and family. Using these techniques, you’ll discover how to:Draw cute character faces that come aliveEasily incorporate details such as fur, patterns, wings, and hornsGet ideas for taking your illustrations further with cute poses and facial expressionsBe inspired by ideas for drawing animals in their surroundingsAdd fun scene-setting extras, such as footprints, food, plants, and moreTake this book with you wherever you, and have fun practicing drawing the cutest animals around. Grab a pencil and get started! Discover how the Illustration School series of books makes drawing enjoyable and stress-free. Using Sachiko Umoto’s fun, easy techniques for sketching quirky animals, plants, landscapes, and people in the Japanese character style, you’ll fill pages with charming illustrations that are uniquely you.

    Brimming with lavish photographs of bold, graphic fabrics, The Liberty Book of Home Sewing offers 25 irresistible and easy-to-make projects that allow readers to incorporate a touch of Liberty elegance into their home. Simple enough for beginners, the projects range from feminine totes and aprons to handy pincushions and book covers, full-sized quilts, chic throws, plush cushions, and more. With color step-by-step illustrations, detailed instructions, and plenty of inspiration, plus an exquisite fabric cover, this enchantingly beautiful book will be treasured by longtime Liberty fans and young crafters alike.

    The most comprehensive, step-by-step, hands-on creative workbook for creating art with Sharpie markers.

    Among landlubbers as well, these sweaters are perennially popular, but, especially in this country, it is often hard to find practical instructions for the patterns that are traditional in Britain. Here is a book that presents fully 82 different genuine folk patterns for both the lighter weight Jerseys and the heavier Guernseys, and diagrams many more patterns that you can use in your knitting. The author gives the names of the stitches and patterns traditionally used in making Jerseys and Guernseys, and she tells you exactly how to knit every sweater in this book using those patterns and stitches. Here you will find patterns taken from sweaters found in Yorkshire, Norfolk, the west coast of Ireland, the Scottish Hebrides, and the Aran Islands. These are sweaters that have often been handed down from father to son for several generations, they wear so well. Instructions for these sturdy sweaters are given row by row for knitting fronts, backs, sleeves, and necks, in the traditional fashion. Each set of instructions is accompanied by a diagram of the pattern and, often, by a photograph of the finished sweater. All of these sweaters can be worn by either men or women, but the author has also provided full directions for making two sets of sweaters and cardigans expressly adapted for ladies' wear. Mrs. Thompson also includes interesting information about the people who gave her the patterns for this book.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

    Hoopla rebels against the quaint and familiar embroidery motifs of flowers and swashes, and focuses instead on innovative stitch artists who specialize in unusual, guerrilla-style patterns such as a mythical jackalope and needlepoint nipple doilies; it demonstrates that modern embroidery artists are as sharp as the needles with which they work.Hoopla includes twenty-eight innovative embroidery patterns and profiles of contemporary embroidery artists, including Jenny Hart, author of Sublime Stitching; Rosa Martyn of the UK-based Craftivism Collective; Ray Materson, an ex-con who learned to stitch in prison; Sherry Lynn Wood of the Tattooed Baby Doll Project, which collaborated with female tattoo artists across the United States; Penny Nickels and Johnny Murder, the self-proclaimed Bonnie and Clyde of embroidery; and Alexandra Walters, a military wife who replicates military portraits and weapons in her stitching.Full-color throughout and bursting with history, technique, and sass, Hoopla will teach readers how to stitch a ransom note pillow, mean and dainty knuckle-tattoo church gloves; and create their own innovative embroidery projects. If you like anarchistic DIY craft and the idea of deviating from the rules, Hoopla will inspire you to wield a needle with flair!With a foreword by Betsy Greer.

     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.