Learn how to crochet with this complete beginner's guide

With just a little yarn and a crochet hook, you can enjoy a relaxing new hobby while creating beautiful gifts, garments, and decor. This crochet book for beginners shows you how to get started with step-by-step instructions and illustrations for 30 fundamental crochet stitches and techniques—plus a collection of fun projects to help you practice your skills.

What sets Crochet for Beginners apart from other crochet books:

• The basics of crochet—Learn the different types of hooks and yarn, essential and nice-to-have tools, and explanations of important crochet terms.
• Skill-building stitches—Start with the most basic stitches and work your way up to more intricate ones as you learn techniques like following a pattern, joining pieces, changing colors, and more.
• 10 beginner projects—Put everything you learn into practice with easy crochet patterns for beginners, including a beanie, a crochet tool holder, a circle bag, and a blanket.
• Develop your crochet skills with this beginner-friendly guide to success.

100 Essential Embroidery Stitches is a handy directory of 100 need-to-know freestyle embroidery stitches to refresh or add to your embroidery skills. Embroidery is like 'painting' with thread and this book gives you all the techniques you will need to create your own works of art. Whether you are new to embroidery and want to widen your repertoire or just need a comprehensive reference guide to look things up, you'll find everything you need to improve your embroidery skills and feel confident tackling a wide range of projects. Organised into five main sections, the 100 stitches lend themselves to a variety of different uses. Running stitch, backstitch, chain stitch, split stitch and stem stitch are used for outlining, while others are used for filling and making textures, patterns, motifs and borders. Each stitch is rated for difficulty and is laid out with a decorative stitched sample and clear step-by-step instructions. There are also sections that cover other essential knowledge on tools and materials and preparing to stitch. Main sections include: Lines and outlines, Bands and borders, Isolated stitches and motifs, Filling stitches, Couching and laid work.

Contains 10 magical chapters featuring a range of designs including the Celtic fairy queen, Chinese dragons, beautiful mermaids and a majestic unicorn. Glittering metallic threads and gleaming beads are incorporated into many of the designs for a truly magical finish. The projects range from full-sized pictures to cushions, greetings cards, sachets and bags, and quick-to-stitch gifts and accessories. It also features easy-to-follow colour charts and complete step-by-step project making-up instructions.

Stumpwork is a highly decorative and imaginative embroidery technique, which typically uses raised and padded stitches that are rich in texture. This practical book explains how to create your own piece of stumpwork embroidery. Beginning with an introduction to the appropriate materials, equipment and tools, it instructs on a wide range of stitches and techniques, and illustrates them with ten delightful projects. It then explains how to design your own piece of stumpwork before advising on finishing, presenting and caring for you work. Written by a leading embroiderer, this beautiful book will inspire and encourage you to try this exciting technique and create your own exquisite designs.

In this collection of Embroidery Stitches, I have endeavoured to place before those artists who are interested in needlecraft an exposition of the most useful and artistic stitches that have formed a part of my own work during several years' study and practice of Art Embroidery. Some of these will be familiar to Needle-artists: others will serve to exemplify how, in process of working, fresh stitches may be evolved from old ones or how, when originality gains ground, entirely new stitches become apparent and workable.Keywords: Embroidery Stitches New Stitches Art Embroidery Needle Artists Needlecraft Originality Exposition Exemplify

From picnics to garden themes, this book features lovely, happy cross stitch charts for both beginner and advanced sewers. The featured patterns can be used for any number of projects. Many of them are smaller in size and would be ideal for home crafting projects such as cards, pictures, cushions, sachet bags, or pincushions. The cohesive floral theme makes it easy for the sewer to create larger and more elaborate patterns. Crafters are sure to enjoy this collection of pretty, colourful designs.

This book presents the hypothesis that the Bayeux tapestry, long believed to have been made in England, came from the Loire valley in France, from the abbey of St. Florent of Saumur. This is based on a number of different kinds of evidence, the most important of which is signs of a St. Florent/Breton influence in the portrayal of the Breton campaign in the tapestry, about a tenth of the whole.

This is a cute and cuddly collection of over 30 teddy bear designs bringing together the talents of six leading cross stitch designers.Choose from classic vintage bears, cute nursery teddies or fun and quirky bug bears.Stitch beautifully detailed pictures, charming cards and special gifts for all your friends and family, including album covers, cushions, apron pockets and coasters.It features clear colour charts, full making up instructions and irresistible photography for each adorable design. Additional project ideas are also provided for making the most of the teddy bear designs.

For the15% of the population who usually are left out of stitching instruction manuals, this book is a wish-come-true. Sally Cowan, a left-handed professional dressmaker, writes sympathetically for left-handed sewers. Forty varieties of straight, back, caught, blanket, buttonhole, chain, knotted, cross, couching, satin and laid filling stitches all are illustrated by 96 clear drawings of progressive steps.

Prepare to be bewitched by this original collection of fantasy-inspired designs from one of the cross stitch world's favourite designers, Joan Elliott. A wealth of imaginative designs, including wizards, witches, dragons and unicorns, are intricately brought to life with luxurious metallic threads and glittering beads. In this work, conjure up a variety of enchanting projects, ranging in size from small cards, gift bags and keepsakes to larger framed pictures, hangings and cushion covers. The easy-to-follow making up instructions, clear colour charts and stunning photographs help to achieve a magical result every time.

Stitch your very own garden.

Explore your stitching versatility with this comprehensive guide by learning to use any thread and embroidery stitch you desire! Jennifer Clouston shares how to make the most of the thread you already own by introducing hundreds of stitch and fiber combination options to create your own unique flower garden.

From textured stems and leaves to colorful bunches of flowers- your end result will look and feel like a true artistic and organic garden.

• Includes step-by-step illustrated instructions for over 80 embroidery stitches and 400 stitch combinations
• Embroider beautiful flowers, stems, leaves, twigs, and more
• Learn to use different fibers to create a striking, textured organic garden

This is a must-have collection for anyone who loves to create a cross stitched card or keepsake to mark life's important celebrations. Over 200 charted designs offer tremendous variety both in subject matter and project choice. When you have time, stitch one of the many cards or a memorable keepsake; make a quick-to-stitch card or tag when you need something now! Full instructions are given for making the cards and tags, as well as keepsakes such as a photo album, ring pillow and gift bag.

One of the biggest trends in textiles at the moment is the use of the embellisher - a simple-to-use machine that is very popular amongst craftspeople and contemporary textile artists. This book, includes a detailed and comprehensive techniques section, then six chapters exploring different aspects of needle punching with step-by-step projects and a gallery of inspirational ideas, illustrated with sumptuous photography. This is the ideal introduction to this popular new technique.

A dazzlingly inventive tale of troubled legacies, desire and unsung power, inspired by The Scarlet Letter. Glasgow, 1829: Isobel, a young seamstress, and her husband Edward set sail for New England, in flight from his mounting debts and addictions. But, arriving in Salem, Massachusetts, Edward soon takes off again, and Isobel finds herself penniless and alone. Then she meets Nathaniel, a fledgling writer, and the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows during the Salem witch trials - while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. Nathaniel and Isobel grow ever closer. Together, they are dark storyteller and muse; enchanter and enchanted. But which is which?

This adorable cross-stitch kit gives kawaii fans everywhere all the materials they need to stitch super-cute designs! Few can resist the charm of kawaii style (the Japanese word for "cute"). This kit includes everything you need to cross-stitch kawaii masterpieces including: - 32-page book with cross-stitching instructions and patterns (pretty pineapple, blushing berry, mellow melon, sour lemon) - 3 pieces of 4" x 4" cotton Aida cloth - 3-inch embroidery hoop - 2 tapestry needles - 4 skeins of embroidery thread

This is a classic collection of eight idyllic rural scenes for cross stitchers to enjoy from a selection of favourite designers.Each design encapsulates a moment of rustic tranquillity, from a charming cottage brimming with summer flowers, to a bluebell carpet blanketing a woodland scene.Choose from a selection of smaller designs, ideal for making decorative gifts and embellishments for the home, including drawstring bags, cards, coasters and pot lid designs.With clear colour charts, photographs and easy-to-follow stitching instructions it's easy to pick up your needle and threads and escape into the peace and beauty of the countryside.

A collection of 365 different sashiko patterns to sew - one for every day of the year. Sashiko sewing expert, Susan Briscoe, demonstrates 365 different sashiko patterns, one for each day of the year - sew all 365 to make a beautiful sashiko quilt featuring all the designs Each sashiko pattern is stitched onto a four-and-a-half-inch square piece of fabric making it very accessible to sew one swatch every day. You can record the date of each sample you stitch in the book to create a record of your sewing. All of the stitch patterns are illustrated with a photograph of the stitched sample showing some stitches in different coloured thread (this is used by the author to identify which stitches to do first), next to a diagram showing the stitch direction and the order of the stitches on the grid. All the patterns are sewn on four-and-a-half-inch fabric swatches which can then be pieced together to create the ultimate double bed sized sashiko sampler quilt. But as well as sewing the samples separately to make them into a large bed-sized quilt, the patterns can also be repeated to create larger designs over a wider surface area to make wall hangings, throws, table mats and smaller quilts - with this collection of 365 designs the possibilities are endless. Sashiko embroidery is a decorative sewing technique from Japan which was traditionally used to reinforce clothing and other textiles. It is an ideal stitch for visible mending and has become incredibly popular over the last few years. The technique of sewing horizontal and vertical stitches makes extremely attractive geometric designs that can be adapted to suit a wide range of sewing projects. Susan Briscoe is an expert in Japanese sewing techniques and has travelled to Japan numerous times. She is the author of the best-selling Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook and runs regular workshops teaching sashiko sewing. This is the first time all of these 365 designs will appear in one book. Susan has included the Japanese name and pattern type in the text and has grouped specific design patterns together so you can see how they develop and use the collection to build your skills and knowledge of sashiko patterns.

'Part how-to guide, part manifesto - a gentle exhortation that encourages us to reconnect with our damaged belongings and ourselves.' TOAST magazine For Molly Martin, it all started with a pair of socks. Her favourite pair. When the heels became threadbare, her mother got out her darning mushroom and showed her how to reinforce the thinning stitches and bring them back to life. She has been stitching and darning ever since. In The Art of Repair, Molly explores the humble origins of repair and how the act of mending a cherished item carefully by hand offers not just a practical solution but nourishment for the soul. Using her own beautiful illustrations, she guides us through the basics of the craft - from piecing and patching to the ancient Japanese art of Sashiko. This book will stay with you long after you put down your needle and thread. It offers an antidote to our increasingly disposable lifestyle, encouraging us to reconnect not just with the everyday objects in our environment but also with ourselves.

For Italian immigrants and their descendants, needlework represents a marker of identity, a cultural touchstone as powerful as pasta and Neapolitan music. Out of the artifacts of their memory and imagination, Italian immigrants and their descendants used embroidering, sewing, knitting, and crocheting to help define who they were and who they have become. This book is an interdisciplinary collection of creative work by authors of Italian origin and academic essays. The creative works from thirty-seven contributors include memoir, poetry, and visual arts while the collection as a whole explores a multitude of experiences about and approaches to needlework and immigration from a transnational perspective, spanning the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century.

At the center of the book, over thirty illustrations represent Italian immigrant women's needlework. The text reveals the many processes by which a simple object, or even the memory of that object, becomes something else through literary, visual, performance, ethnographic, or critical reimagining. While primarily concerned with interpretations of needlework rather than the needlework itself, the editors and contributors to "Embroidered Stories" remain mindful of its history and its associated cultural values, which Italian immigrants brought with them to the United States, Canada, Australia, and Argentina and passed on to their descendants.