Approachable and insightful, Judith Durant provides clear instructions and step-by-step photographs that showcase swatches for each technique. From working shaped lace to adjusting necklines, you’ll soon have a go-to strategy for successfully tackling knitting challenges of all shapes and sizes.

    Add to that a sense of fun, and you have the sew-it-yourself Stylish Dress Book. Complete with stunning full-color photos, this Japanese sewing book (in English) gives you instructions and pull-out patterns for unique Japanese fashion—26 relaxed and comfortable yet elegant dresses and tops—pretty, timeless pieces that can be worn year after year, by women of all ages and sizes. The detailed diagrams and easy-to-follow instructions take you step-by-step from layout to finished garment. The no-rules looks pictured in this book are perfect for today's carefree fashion sensibility and will inspire you to have fun with fabric and style. Simple lines make these garments perfect for women of all ages and all sizes. This book includes a complete western-sized sewing pattern for each design that is easily adjusted to fit your body form. The concise diagrams and simple instructions allow you to develop your unique style with ease and confidence.

    It enables you to have complete control over style, design, and color of your garments. And once you learn the basic practice, you can knit almost anything you can think of. What stands in most people’s way is getting started. How do you learn to knit socks? Where do you find knitting patterns? This book answers all of those questions and more. What will this book teach you? • Getting started knitting socks • How to find the right knitting tools and correct needles for knitting your socks • How to pick the best knitting yarn • 10 Most popular sock knitting patterns • How to size your socks • How to knit socks from the Top-down • How to knit sock from the Toe-up • Sock Cast-on techniques, such as, Long Tail cast on, Eastern/ Turkish cast on • The Double Point and Circular Needle methods • Tips on how to knit long lasting, beautiful socks • And so much more!.. Even if you have never picked up a pair of knitting needles before, you can easily start knitting your way towards a pair of perfect socks with this book. It even includes a Glossary of Knitting Terms as an added BONUS, so as you expand your projects to other designs and find other patterns, you will never be in the dark. This book also includes 1 basic top-down sock pattern and 7 additional popular sock patterns for you to work on. While this book is intended to get you started in the world of knitting, it can easily serve as a refresher for even the most experienced knitter! Whether you want to get started or want to get back to basics and hone your skills, "Knitting Socks for Beginners" is the book for you. From Tube socks to Fair Isle socks, you have all the information and knitting patterns you need. Socks are not necessarily the easiest thing to knit, but the techniques used to make a pair of socks introduces you to everything else you need to know about knitting. This book will guide you through every stage of the knitting process and help you create a pair of perfectly knitted socks, in just three days! There is no better book for learning the basics of knitting. This acts as the perfect springboard for more complex knitting projects, with all of the techniques, tips, and terms spelled out to keep you on the right track. If you are looking for a great book about sock knitting, look no further. Get your copy of "Knitting Socks for Beginners" today! Check Out What Others Are Saying... "This is a brilliant book for beginners. I've never tried knitting before but now can't wait to get started. The author goes through every step of the knitting process in fine detail. The book is very well written and has excellent photographs and diagrams. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to try sock knitting for the first time." - Lesley H "I've been thinking of knitting for quite a awhile now. I'm glad I stumbled on this book. I'm a total newbie so this book is perfect for me. "Knitting socks for beginners" gives step by step instructions to get started at knitting socks. Has tons of info- tools, needle size,yarn types. Great help for the beginner.

    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.

    Anarchists generally do not like to do what they are told."

    Using basic crochet stitches you can create stunning, contemporary designs for home decor items and accessories. C2C projects also stitch up super-fast so if you've been put off tackling a crochet blanket because it would take too long, this is the technique for you! Author Jess Coppom has brought a really fresh take to this style of crochet with a collection of 15 modern projects all made using the C2C technique. Choose from patterns for six different afghans or blankets including a monochrome chunky throw and a beautiful Mexican style blanket. Other projects include pillows, a bathroom rug and some stunning items to wear such as a poncho, shawl and cowl. Why not make some C2C projects for yourself and then stitch up some treats for friends and family?

    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

    Forced to change direction, Kate took a radical new creative path. Handywoman tells this story.This is not a book about Kate's triumph over adversity. Rather, it is her account of the ordinary activities and everyday objects that stroke and disability made her see differently. From braiding hair for the first time to learning how to knit again; from the lessons of a working-class creative childhood to the support of the contemporary craft community; from the transformative effects of good design to developing a new identity as a disabled walker; in this engaging series of essays, Kate describes how the experience of brain injury allowed her to build a new kind of handmade life. Part memoir, part personal celebration of the power of making, in Handywoman Kate reclaims disability as in itself a form of practical creativity. Kate Davies is an award-winning knitwear designer and author writing on many topics from disability and design to textile history and women’s history. She’s published eight books about hand-knitting, lives on the edge of the Scottish Highlands and is inspired by her local landscape every day.

    But few grow them successfully in their own gardens because they haven’t learned the simple techniques that make it possible. Expert flower grower Lisa Mason Zeigler introduces us to the long-blooming stars of the spring garden, the hardy annuals – those flowers that thrive when they are planted during cool conditions (instead of waiting until the warmth of spring).  Forget Some-Like-It-Hot, she advises, and give them a cool start. Plant them in the right spot at the right time, nestle their roots deep into rich organic soil, and stand back. In no time at all, you’ll have a low-maintenance, vibrant spring flower garden that keeps on blooming when other annuals are dead and gone.

    Once you have enjoyed experimenting with these fun taster projects, there are many more Twenty to Make books available on lots of different craft subjects.We hope that experimenting with these projects will inspire you to try out some of the Twenty to Make titles that these projects have been taken from, when you have had some fun making these tasters! There are projects both for beginners and more experienced crafters to try; from stitching a simple but effective Christmas place setting in felt, and making a lovely pair of button earrings using pretty shell buttons; to crocheting a flower, or a gorgeous beanie hat, and trying your hand at sugarcraft, with a cute dog, a hippopotamus, or a fairy. You could also knit a scarf for the special person in your life, or a cute and cuddly teddy bear for a child. These exciting projects are sure to appeal to a wide range of crafters and will make lovely gifts for family and friends alike. Have fun and happy crafting!Projects include Christmas bunting, sugar dogs and other animals, crocheted flowers, tiny bag made from Jelly Roll scraps, knitted mug hugs, granny squares, knitted baby bootees, a stitched fabric brooch, Steampunk style bracelet, friendship bracelets, earrings made from buttons and much more.

    The traditions of the quintessential knitting cultures of Iceland, Shetland, Norway, and Sweden are examined, from descriptions of the wools and yarns to the history of the clothing traditionally made from them, including breathtaking photo montages of these classic vintage styles. Exploring a range of techniques and knitwear construction, the projects in this guide feature knitting in the round, steeking, lace, cables, Fair Isle, twined knitting, and embroidery and show how to create pieces such as cardigans, sweaters, blouses, scarves, and hats. Note: The paperback edition is now out of print, but the book is still available in epub ebook and kindle formats.

    Using paper templates to guide your pattern, you can expertly fit your quilting shapes together before you even start sewing. All Points Patchwork takes you far beyond traditional hexagons and accommodates triangles, diamonds, octagons, and even curved shapes. Simple instructions for decorating clothing, bedding, and home decor open up astounding possibilities for quilters of all levels.

    In five chapters centered around the tenets of slow knit­ting—sourcing carefully, making thoughtfully, thinking environmentally, experimenting fearlessly, and exploring openly—Hannah Thiessen challenges knitters of all skill levels to view their practice in a new way. Each chapter contains explorations of fiber types; profiles of well-known yarn types, makers, and yarn suppliers; and garment patterns inspired by the featured fibers. With contributions from knitting superstars Norah Gaughan, Bristol Ivy, and many others, Slow Knitting proposes an approach to knitting that is both minimalist and all-encompassing, and emphasizes what makes knitting a meditation, a passion, and a unique necessity.

    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.

    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.