This is knitting with attitude. Choose from nearly thirty designs, follow the simple directions, and knit fun, trendy items to dress yourself, your friends, your home, a baby, or even a pet. This guide covers must-know techniques, tools of the trade, customizing designs, and more. Get clicking and express yourself with hip, hyper-chic designs any fashionista would covet.
Forget ugly afghans and dainty doilies and think luxurious throws and sumptuous sweaters. You can crochet cool stuff that will make everyone envious--things to spice up your wardrobe and your pad, or gifts to amaze your "I could never do that" friends. Choose from nearly thirty projects ranging from elegant to earthy--from a chic shrug to a recycled denim rug and from fun plush toys to sweaters too good for boys. In hip style, this guide covers: * All kinds of yarns and materials, and the tools of the trade * The basic stitches, shaping, finishing techniques, blocking, and more * Simple projects that give you close-to-instant gratification and more complex ones that take some commitment * Suggestions for customizing every design and personalizing every project Intone your creative mantra and get your hooks into a terrific project. With Not Your Mama's Crochet, you won't just make unique, chic items--you'll make a statement.
The art of felting, the process of working wool fibers together to form felt, is the ultimate in craft creativity because no two items turn out exactly alike. The first book to cover knitted or crocheted felting, needle felting, and wet felting, Not Your Mama's Felting will have you creating fashions, accessories, and gifts that will have your non-felting friends asking, "How did you do that?" Fun and funky, this guide includes: * The essentials: all about fiber, the tools of the trade, wet felting, needle felting, fulling, and dyeing * Patterns and step-by-step instructions for approximately thirty projects, including an assemble-your-own wallet kit, a bad-boy hoodie, a loopy boa, a chunky bead necklace, needle vases, and more * Tips to customize each design * Basic knitting and crocheting instructions so that even non-needleworkers can make all of the projects Does the smell of wet sheep turn you on? Long to escape to your own private yurt? With Not Your Mama's Felting, you'll be a felt-loving material girl in no time.
When you learn to awaken your family’s creativity, wonderful things will happen: you’ll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you—your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials—you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun! Amanda Soule has charmed many with her tales of creativity and parenting on her blog, SouleMama. Here she shares ideas and projects with the same warm tone and down-to-earth voice. Perfect for all families, the wide range of projects presented here offers ideas for imaginative play, art and crafts, nature explorations, and family celebrations. This book embraces a whole new way of living that will engage your children’s imagination, celebrate their achievements, and help you to express love and gratitude for each other as a family.
To Knit or Not to Knit is a unique Dear Abby/mini-knitting essay collection, offering humorous tales of triumph and terror on the needles, with a witty nod to the famous and infamous throughout history. As Mrs. Wicks happily quotes everyone from William Shakespeare to Beatrix Potter, she adds her own wit and wisdom to answer a variety of questions on knitting ranging from, Is there a quick fix for dropped stitches? to My boyfriend says my passion for knitting is stronger than my passion for him—what should I do? A number of Mrs. Wicks’ own patterns are sprinkled throughout, along with her sound advice for stitches dropped and love gone wrong. Ever the optimist, she advises her readers to pick up their needles, dust off their hearts, and cast on without looking back. Knitter and non-knitters alike will enjoy this literary look at life lessons offered through a wooly lens, from Pablo Narudo’s poem “Ode to My Socks” (hand knit of course), to Ogden Nash’s witty words on the frustration of being married to a knitter, To Knit or Not to Knit is a quirky, enjoyable read, making it the perfect gift for the passionate knitter and thoughtful reader alike.
Leading designer Debbie Bliss takes you, lesson by lesson, through the techniques and stitches of knitting, from casting on the first stitch to creating an intricate Fair Isle cardigan. Presented as nine workshops, each lesson builds on the skills already learned to ensure steady, confident progress. As well as teaching new skills, each workshop finishes with projects specially designed to put them into practise. The first lesson looks at materials and equipment, then takes you through most of the basic stitches and techniques. Subsequent lessons cover simple stitch patterns, Aran knitting, entrelac, and finishing and design techniques. Each lesson also presents a collection of stitches that builds into a library, and projects range from clothing for the family to cushions and a throw for the home. Packed with hundreds of colour photos and illustrations, this is an ideal how-to for beginners and a valuable reference for more experienced knitters.
Hello, Crafternooners! Maura Madden invites you to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of crafting.... Named after a monthly event that comedian and crafting superstar Maura Madden began hosting in 2002 as a way to get her friends together, meet new people, and have a good time making some cool stuff, Crafternoon is both an entertaining how-to guide and an irreverent social manifesto. Organized by month and theme, Crafternoon explains how to create and host a fun-filled casual gathering (including recipes for snacks and decorating tips) that celebrates the art of crafting. Knot nautical-themed crafts to wear, quilt new additions to your home decor, make the perfect gift for any holiday, or feel free to BYOP (bring your own project). All crafters are always welcome and encouraged to bring guests, and if your knitting or clay-shaping skills are a bit rusty, that's fine, too -- there are instructions aplenty! A must-have for anyone who wants to get their craft on, this quirky guide offers a twelve-month blueprint for a year of connecting with friends old and new, and enjoying a possibly messy, but always fulfilling afternoon.
This heartfelt, deeply personal memoir explores how a celebrated filmmaker and activist and his conservative Mormon mother built bridges across today’s great divides—and how our stories hold the power to heal. Dustin Lance Black wrote the Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk and helped overturn California’s anti–gay marriage Proposition 8, but as an LGBTQ activist he has unlikely origins—a conservative Mormon household outside San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Anne, was raised in rural Louisiana and contracted polio when she was two years old. She endured brutal surgeries, as well as braces and crutches for life, and was told that she would never have children or a family. Willfully defying expectations, she found salvation in an unlikely faith, raised three rough-and-rowdy boys, and escaped the abuse and violence of two questionably devised Mormon marriages before finding love and an improbable career in the U.S. civil service. By the time Lance came out to his mother at age twenty-one, he was a blue-state young man studying the arts instead of going on his Mormon mission. She derided his sexuality as a sinful choice and was terrified for his future. It may seem like theirs was a house destined to be divided, and at times it was. This story shines light on what it took to remain a family despite such division—a journey that stretched from the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court to the woodsheds of East Texas. In the end, the rifts that have split a nation couldn’t end this relationship that defined and inspired their remarkable lives. Mama’s Boy is their story. It’s a story of the noble quest for a plane higher than politics—a story of family, foundations, turmoil, tragedy, elation, and love. It is a story needed now more than ever.
