Two, and you have a unique handbag or cover-up. Knit more circles, and you can make show-stopping scarves, capes, sweaters, afghans—even a stunning lace dress. Only Nicky Epstein, always on the cutting edge of knitwear design, could dream up these innovative garments and accessories that all start with a simple shape. In her bestselling book Knitting Block by Block, Nicky elevated the humble block to outstanding fashion, but that was just the beginning. Now she takes on a new challenge and shows you how to make a statement with circles. Mix and match to your heart’s content with 100 circles and 20 inspiring projects that feature everything from cables to rich colorwork, delicate lace, and over-the-top embellishments in Nicky’s signature style. You’ll find step-by-step techniques on how to knit circles, both in the round and flat, plus expert guidance on customizing the projects, with unique cut-and-paste circle templates to design your own styles. With this groundbreaking book, you’ll never look at circles the same way. Once again, Nicky Epstein has outdone herself, opening up a world of creative possibilities with a gorgeous knitting reference that will have you knitting in the best of circles over and over.

    It is also an exploration of how mending can be a gently healing practice in our daily lives and a small act of rebellion in a world where many things are discarded without thought.Mending Life encourages us to cherish our things by repairing them rather than discarding them. It also encourages us to change our consumption habits so that with small mends here and there, we extend the life of our garments and other household items. This handbook is for beginners but also offers more advanced techniques to those with some experience in mending. You'll learn basic techniques such as patching, but will have options to take it a step further with decorative sashiko stitching; you'll also learn how to darn socks and mend sweaters, as well as things like a tear in a bedsheet or down jacket. And along the way, the authors share heartfelt stories about the powerful act of mending, which strengthens not only the object we are repairing, but ourselves as well. Vibrant, full-color illustrations are woven throughout the handbook. Mending Life is a timeless, practical guide to cherishing and caring for our belongings.

    The patterns for 30 iconic clothing and accessory items inspired by popular TV shows, books, films, comics, and more--including Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Firefly--are presented alongside full-color photographs showcasing completed projects, such as:* Lieutenant Uhura's sexy Star Trek minidress* Hobbit feet slippers* Firefly-inspired scarf, socks, hat, and jacket* Tank Girl socks* Hermione Granger's secret beaded bag* Manga-inspired leg warmers* The Big Bang Theory-inspired his and hers sweater-vests* Lord of the Rings-inspired shrugIn addition to a wardrobe of costume finery, hobbyists will also find instructions for practical projects such as an e-reader cover or a laptop bag crafted of checkered fabric that serves double-duty as a chessboard and carryall, as well as patterns for plush toys inspired by Star Trek, robots, and the comic book Squee! Wear (and knit!) your nerdiness on your sleeve with Knits for Nerds.

    Jessica Alexandrakis has traveled the world with her on-to-go sewing kit and small stash of fabric, creating strikingly modern patchwork along the way. Now she shares everything she's learned about this addictive, beginner-friendly technique. • Sewing kit essentials that you can slip in your bag so you'll always be ready to stitch • Color theory and stash organization tips for dramatic effects or scrap-happy results • Creative patterns to combine hexagons, half-hexagons, diamonds, stars, squares, and triangles • 10 step-by-step projects, including the hand-pieced Laptop Bag, Tanuki Stripe Throw, Falling Stars Baby Quilt, and Jessica's signature Travel Quilt • 10 customizable quilt patterns with 40 vibrant color palette suggestions Whether your style is classic or modern, Jessica offers a range of stunning projects, from small home accessories to full-size quilts, for all skill levels. So leave the sewing machine at home. Take your quilt to go.

    In this fun guide, Nicole Smith shows you how to draft a pattern for a custom fit and shape it into one of four basic silhouettes: wrap, straight, flared, and high-waisted. Each skirt can then be easily redesigned into seven distinct looks — one for each day of the week. Suitable for beginners and expert sewers alike, Skirt-a-Day Sewing will inspire you to express your unique personal style as you stitch up great new pieces for your wardrobe.

    We'll have you in stitches in no time Discover how to* Select the right fabrics and threads* Design your masterpiece* Use quilting software* Save time with rotary cutters and other cool tools* Quilt by hand or machine* Get creative with applique

    McClellan's recipes offer tastes of unusual preserves like Blueberry Maple Jam, Mustardy Rhubarb Chutney, Sorrel Pesto, and Zucchini Bread and Butter Pickles. Organized seasonally, these pestos, sauces, mostardas, chutneys, butters, jams, jellies, and pickles are speedy, too: some take under an hour, leaving you more time to plan your next batch.

    In Tudor, England, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was under house arrest, her needlework carried her messages to the outside world. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry, World War I soldiers coping with PTSD, and the maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World, to the AIDS quilt, Hmong story clothes, and pink pussyhats, women and men have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Threads of Life is a chronicle of identity, protest, memory, power, and politics told through the stories of needlework. Clare Hunter, master of the craft, threads her own narrative as she takes us over centuries and across continents—from medieval France to contemporary Mexico and the United States, and from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland—to celebrate the age-old, universal, and underexplored beauty and power of sewing. Threads of Life is an evocative and moving book about the need we have to tell our story.

    The bullet method will provide you with a to-do list that is so foolproof that you will never miss a task or appointment again. When you learn the basic principles of the method, you can delve deeper into the process and allow it to help you organize your daily life, take note of past accomplishments, and plan your future.Zennor Compton's The 365 Bullet Book is an easy-to-follow and essential guide to learning the bullet system. There's an exercise for every day of the year and each takes 365 seconds or less to complete. With simple, clear instructions, this book will show you how to incorporate the bullet method into your life as gradually or quickly as you like. The joy of bulleting is that it is both holistic and completely customizable to your own aesthetics and habits, so you can create your own journal from scratch and put into practice as many of the hundreds of ideas and techniques as your like such as habit trackers, sleep logs, handwriting exercises, and much more!Whether you're a doodling devotee or a to-the-point minimalist, The 365 Bullet Book is your indispensable guide to an elegantly organized life.

    make crocheting one of today's hottest hobbies. This VISUAL guide makes it easy to pick up a hook and a ball of yarn and get stitching, with clear, step-by-step presentations of techniques accompanied by detailed color photos that show readers exactly what to do. The book's more than 20 patterns-everything from blankets to mittens to a man's necktie-appeal to hip, modern crocheters.

    Several projects are easy enough for children to make for their own toybox, but you'll want a bunch of these irresistible cuties for yourself, too! Socks Appeal is a finalist in the 2010 Foreword Book of the Year Awards.

    Now Nick Bantock gives a short course in visual creativity in Urgent 2nd Class. A tour through the techniques and materials which constitute his signature style, Bantock shares with readers numerous ways ways of using old paper ephemera -- maps, letters, postcards, ledgers, scraps, photos, and many more items -- to create their own idiosyncratic art. Written for people of all artistic skill levels, the materials mentioned are all easily found and inexpensive, and the processes are simple enough to do at home (and with access to the most advanced machinery used in the book, a photocopier). An inspirational guide to the simple artistic techniques which can alchemically transform ephemera into remarkable works, Urgent 2nd Class is the handbook for a new generation of visual poets.

     Stop tossing your carrot stumps, loose cilantro sprigs, lettuce and cabbage stalks, and apple cores in the trash! The expert advice in No-Waste Kitchen Gardening, gives you all the instruction and tricks you'll need to grow and re-propagate produce from food waste. You'll be astonished at how much food waste you can re-grow. You'll also find some helpful general information about growing indoors and maintaining your re-grown plants. Two-part photo instructions show first what the root, chunk seed, or leaf should look like when you re-plant it, and second, when to harvest or re-plant it in soil to continue growing.  Edibles big and small, quick to grow and those that take a big longer, are included, so you can pick and choose which projects to take on. A few of the many plants profiled include:Green onionsTomatoesMelonsAvocadoesPotatoesCarrotsCut back on your food waste, cultivate your own food easily, and maybe even share gardening with a new generation, all with the advice from No-Waste Kitchen Gardening.

    Author Cristin Morgan of Marigold + Mars outlines the basics of 10 classic embroidery stitches and then teaches you how to use them to create 20 beautiful and practical projects for hoops, for the home, and to wear. New and experienced embroiderers alike will be delighted by the fresh motifs and bold color palettes and empowered by the easy step-by-step instructions and templates, which show that with just a few simple stitches, some basic materials, and an idea or two, you can stitch just about anything. A glossary of more than 50 additional patterns and motifs will inspire you to personalize your projects and use your newfound embroidery skills in fresh and imaginative ways. As an added bonus, the book includes an envelope with 10 carbon transfer papers for quickly transferring patterns to fabric.   If you received a first printing of this book that includes transfer papers that do not work, please email us at abrams@abramsbooks.com or call (212) 206-7715 to receive replacement papers.

    Decorating should be fun and inspiring, so there are no style diktats; no “this-must-go-with-that”. Modern vintage is all about trusting your instincts and taste and using a bit of imagination in seeking out the right items to create a perfect balance of old and new. In the first section of the book, Inspirations, Emily offers up imaginative and varied examples of furniture, lighting, textiles, decorating, and collections & display. In the second section, Style, she shows you exactly how to pull the look together, applying her decorating philosophy so you can cook & eat, live, sleep, and bathe in tune with Modern Vintage Style.