The aim of this book is to bring the age-old art of crotchet into the 21st century. Gone are the days where all it was good for was creating placemats and jumpers for your teapots. Aimed at the intermediate crochetier, this book assumes you are already proficient in the basics and are looking to increase your creative output through the use of interesting colour and design. With an insight into ten bespoke patterns that can be easily followed, starting with a cute racoon and progressing to the more advanced sloth. The aim is to introduce you to new ways of approaching crotchet; you will be able to confidently create your own unique animals and patterns upon completion of the book. Each animal created teaches a new technique, from establishing a simple ball; we progress through more elaborate designs with each unique pattern learning new skills and new ideas. Annotated through out with pictures, and scattered with top tips, with links to videos of each stage you can feel confidant that the resources are here to crotchet out of a hole. Easily adaptable, these designs will give hints about new aesthetics for seasonal versions as well as more interesting use of colours to create exciting pieces and inspire a new generation of crochetiers.

Italy has grappa, Russia has vodka, Jamaica has rum. Around the world, certain drinks--especially those of the intoxicating kind--are synonymous with their peoples and cultures. For Mexico, this drink is tequila. For many, tequila can conjure up scenes of body shots on Cancun bars and coolly garnished margaritas on sandy beaches. Its power is equally strong within Mexico, though there the drink is more often sipped rather than shot, enjoyed casually among friends, and used to commemorate occasions from the everyday to the sacred. Despite these competing images, tequila is universally regarded as an enduring symbol of "lo mexicano."
"Tequila Distilling the Spirit of Mexico" traces how and why tequila became and remains Mexico's national drink and symbol. Starting in Mexico's colonial era and tracing the drink's rise through the present day, Marie Sarita Gaytan reveals the formative roles played by some unlikely characters. Although the notorious Pancho Villa was a teetotaler, his image is now plastered across the labels of all manner of tequila producers--he's even the namesake of a popular brand. Mexican films from the 1940s and 50s, especially Western comedies, buoyed tequila's popularity at home while World War II caused a spike in sales within the whisky-starved United States. Today, cultural attractions such as Jose Cuervo's "Mundo Cuervo" and the Tequila Express let visitors insert themselves into the Jaliscan countryside--now a UNESCO-protected World Heritage Site--and relish in the nostalgia of pre-industrial Mexico.
Our understanding of tequila as Mexico's spirit is not the result of some natural affinity but rather the cumulative effect of U.S.-Mexican relations, technology, regulation, the heritage and tourism industries, shifting gender roles, film, music, and literature. Like all stories about national symbols, the rise of tequila forms a complicated, unexpected, and poignant tale. By unraveling its inner workings, Gaytan encourages us to think critically about national symbols more generally, and the ways in which they both reveal and conceal to tell a story about a place, a culture, and a people. In many ways, the story of tequila is the story of Mexico.

Quick and simple, this easy-to-read, small-format guide is the ultimate starting point to introduce yourself to the hobby of woodburning! Perfect for any beginner, jump right into learning about what pyrography is, safety, types of equipment, pens, burning techniques and other foundational topics. Get a complete overview, and with the suggested lists for further reading and project books, get started! Michele Y. Parsons is a pyrographer, woodcarver, founder and owner of Parsons Wood Artistry, instructor, and author of Leather Pyrography. With her expert instruction, you'll learn and understand everything you need to know about pyrography so you can start woodburning the right way, right from the beginning.

Whether you want to cook a BBQ on the beach, at a campsite, in your garden or even on your balcony, James Whetlor showcases over ten different BBQs you can actually build yourself. You’ll never use a store-bought instant BBQ tray again as James guides you through the DIY BBQ section with handy illustrations, photographs and tips and techniques. BBQs include a Konro – a small portable Japanese grill, a Washing Machine Drum BBQ, a Tandoor oven made from a flowerpot, an Open-faced Grill made from bricks or breeze blocks, a Simple Dutch Oven, and a Whole Pig Smoker. There’s even an Oil Drum BBQ – a versatile and simple take on the traditional oil drum barbecues used the world over. And once you’ve mastered the art of barbecue building, there are 50 stunning recipes that you will turn to time and time again. Including Sri Lankan Black Pork Curry, Mushroom Tacos and Thai Fishcake Skewers as well as the show-stopping recipe for cooking a pig in the pig smoker – this is a fun and affordable way to take your BBQing to the next level.

For decades, civil rights activists fought against employment discrimination and for a greater role for African Americans in municipal decision-making. As their influence in city halls across the country increased, activists took advantage of the Great Society—and the government jobs it created on the local level—to advance their goals. A New Working Class traces efforts by Black public-sector workers and their unions to fight for racial and economic justice in Baltimore. The public sector became a critical job niche for Black workers, especially women, a largely unheralded achievement of the civil rights movement. A vocal contingent of Black public-sector workers pursued the activists' goals from their government posts and sought to increase and improve public services. They also fought for their rights as workers and won union representation. During an era often associated with deindustrialization and union decline, Black government workers and their unions were just getting started. During the 1970s and 1980s, presidents from both political parties pursued policies that imperiled these gains. Fighting funding reductions, public-sector workers and their unions defended the principle that the government has a responsibility to provide for the well-being of its residents. Federal officials justified their austerity policies, the weakening of the welfare state and strengthening of the carceral state, by criminalizing Black urban residents—including government workers and their unions. Meanwhile, workers and their unions also faced off against predominately white local officials, who responded to austerity pressures by cutting government jobs and services while simultaneously offering tax incentives to businesses and investing in low-wage, service-sector jobs. The combination of federal and local policies increased insecurity in hyper-segregated and increasingly over-policed low-income Black neighborhoods, leaving residents, particularly women, to provide themselves or do without services that public-sector workers had fought to provide.

The Mandala Kitchen sheds light on which foods and lifestyle choices can either promote or damage your gut health, and offers a collection of easy, delicious and nourishing recipes to heal your gut and as a result strengthen your immune system, improve your mood and assist in weight loss. All the recipes have been designed to be time saving as well as family friendly. Includes A Gentle Start - a meal suggestion to start healing your gut; Lunchbox- ideas and recipes for on-the-go gut health; Gut healing recipes for children- child-friendly meals.

"Fully illustrated, the charm of his English Roses comes across on every page, even if the reader has to imagine their scent." - The Irish Garden "Experts will appreciate the notes on each rose's breeding." - Historic Gardens Foundation Informative, accessible and stunningly illustrated, David Austin's English Roses introduces the reader to the world of rose propagation and care. The book focuses on English Roses, bred by David Austin to combine the sumptuousness of Old Roses with the strength and practical virtues of Modern Roses. It will be greatly prized by rose-growers and rose-lovers everywhere, whether professional or amateur. Also available: Climbing and Rambler Roses ISBN: 9781870673655 Modern, Shrub and Species Roses ISBN: 9781870673716 Old Roses ISBN: 9781870673693

A woodcarving book devoted solely to magical little gnomes and other charming creatures! The perfect source of inspiration for beginning and experienced whittlers and carvers alike, Learn to Carve Gnomes, Trolls, and Mythical Creatures boasts a menagerie of 15 woodcarving projects that range in difficulty from easy to more challenging. With complete plans and step-by-step instructions and photography, use just one knife to carve charismatic characters and objects, from a mushroom house, unicorn, and gnome to a wizard, dragon, fairy, cauldron, and much more. Sara Barraclough is a master carver and a regular contributor to Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine, as well as the author of the incredibly charming Weekend Whittling Projects.

'Big Vape is a dazzling story that crackles with the energy of a nicotine buzz, mixing tales of ground-breaking innovation with those of corporate greed and government dysfunction' Christopher Leonard, author of the New York Times bestseller, Kochland It began with a smoke break. __________ THIS IS A STORY OF AMBITION AND GREED James Monsees and Adam Bowen were two ambitious graduate students at Stanford, and in between puffs after class they dreamed of a way to quit smoking. Their solution became the Juul, a sleek, modern device that could vaporize nicotine into a conveniently potent dose. THIS IS A STORY OF BOOM AND BUST The business they built around that device, Juul Labs, would go on to become a $38 billion company and draw blame for addicting a whole new generation of underage tobacco users. THIS IS A STORY OF OUR TIME With rigorous reporting and piercing insight into a Silicon Valley startup, Big Vape uses the dramatic rise of Juul to tell a larger story of big business, Big Tobacco, and the high cost of a product that was too good to be true. __________ A propulsive, eye-opening work of reporting, chronicling the rise of Juul and the birth of a new addiction 'The rise and fall of Juul is an instructive tale and Jamie Ducharme does an excellent job detailing how one bad decision after another led the company astray in this deft rendition of grand start-up dreams gone up in smoke.' Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser 'Big Vape is more than just brilliantly reported and elegantly written. It is also a richly populated book - filled not just with human characters but with matters of science, finance, invention, ambition, ethics, hubris, and blazing ingenuity.' Jeffrey Kluger, bestselling co-author of Apollo 13

Model-making: Materials and Methods focuses primarily on the wide variety of materials that can be employed to make models; those which have been favoured for a while and those which are relatively new. The book looks at how these materials behave and how to get the best out of them, then illustrates a range of relatively simple methods of building, shaping, modelling, surfacing and painting with them. Useful features of the book include: The different uses of models in various disciplines The sequence of making; planning and construction, creating surfaces, painting and finishing Methods of casting, modelling and working with metals Step-by-step accounts of the making of specially selected examples Simple techniques without the need for expensive tools or workshop facilities A 'Directory' of a full range of materials, together with an extensive list of suppliers

These hearty one-pot meals, flavoured with fragrant spices, are cooked and served from an elegant, specially designed cooking vessel, also called a tagine. In Ghillie Basan’s collection of deliciously authentic recipes you will find some of the best-loved classics of the Moroccan kitchen. Try the sumptuous Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios, and the tangy Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemon, Green Olives and Thyme. Also included are less traditional but equally delicious recipes for beef and fish – try Beef Tagine with Sweet Potatoes, Peas and Ginger or a tagine of Monkfish, Potatoes, Tomatoes and Black Olives. Hearty vegetable tagines include Baby Aubergine with Coriander and Mint, and Butternut Squash, Shallots, Sultanas and Almonds. Recipes for variations on couscous, the classic accompaniment to tagines, are also given plus plenty of ideas for fresh-tasting salads and vegetable side dishes to serve as part of your Moroccan-style feast.

Master the art of double knitting to produce reversible, double-layered, multi-coloured knits. In its simplest form, double knitting is a form of colour work that creates a dual-layered, two-sided fabric, without there being an unattractive or float-ridden ‘wrong side’. It is therefore different to any other knitting technique and can mystify novices and experienced knitters alike. Demystifying Double Knitting takes the mystery out of the process with step-by-step explanations of the key techniques, illustrated with detailed photographs. Once the fundamentals are mastered, you can then learn to move beyond basic stocking stitch and introduce texture, shaping and even non-mirrored designs to your work. Whether you’re new to the technique or simply want to understand it better, this book offers an accessible introduction to double knitting and a celebration of the creative opportunities it offers.

South Africans love the flavours of the Mediterranean: olive oil, lemons, herbs, vineripened tomatoes, fragrant spices, fresh seafood and succulent grilled meats get us excited. In Weber Mediterranean, master griller Jamie Purviance explores the cuisine of the region. Jamie’s recipes are simple to follow and take the guesswork out of braaiing, while his handy tips provide advice where it is needed. The short introduction includes how to make flat breads and kebabs, and what equipment you need for effi cient braaiing. Also included are cooking charts for fi sh and shellfish, lamb, beef, pork, poultry and vegetables.

The ways of life of four great ancient civilizations— Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Celtic—are illuminated here through their foodways. As these cultures moved toward settled agriculture, a time of experimentation and learning began. Cities emerged, and with them consumer societies that needed to be supplied. Food Culture in the Ancient World draws on writings of classical authors such as Petronius, Galen, and Cato, as well as on archeological findings, to present intimate insight into ancient peoples. This volume will be indispensable as it complements classical history, cultural, and literature studies at the high school and college levels and will also inform the general reader. The book begins with an overview of the civilizations and their agricultural practices and trade. A full discussion of available foodstuffs describes the discovery, emergence, usage, and appraisals of a host of ingredients. A subsequent chapter covers food by civilization. Chapters on food preparation, the food professions, and eating habits provide a fascinating look at the social structure, with slaves and women preparing and serving food. Accounts of the gatherings of slaves and freedmen in taverns, inns, and bars and the notorious banquet, symposium, feast, and convivium of the elite are particularly intriguing and crucial to understanding male society. Other aspects of ancient life brought to life for the reader include food for soldiers, food in religious and funerary practices, and concepts of diet and nutrition. Many Classical recipes are interspersed with the text, along with illustrations.

'An amazing read! I galloped through it' Lady Antonia Fraser 'Lawrence has done an excellent job of recreating this eccentric gardening guru's life' The Times 'My pick for gardening book of the year is this page-turning life story of Ellen Willmott' The Sunday Times 'Sandra Lawrence tells her story with brio and affection' Daily Mail 'Simply brilliant and a joy to read' The English Garden Ellen Ann Willmott was a remarkable woman whose achievements in horticulture, botany, landscape architecture, photography and more, should have made her one of the most well-known trailblazers of her age. Yet, both posthumously and within her lifetime, she instead became known as a bitter, cantankerous and eccentric miser, and her reputation has been forever stained by the image of her maliciously seeding other people's gardens with thorns. The beginnings of this prickly myth can be traced back to her conspicuous absence at what should have been the pinnacle of her career: the Royal Horticultural Society's inaugural Victoria Medal of Honour Award ceremony, at which she was due to be one of only two female recipients. Universally interpreted as the rudest of snubs, nobody has ever stopped to question why Ellen wasn't there, or if she was really as difficult and mean as she has been portrayed ever since. Author, Sandra Lawrence, has been granted unparalleled access to her archives, and with it has uncovered the secrets behind this thorniness. This is a book with it all: gossip, sisters, rivalry, squandered inheritance, forbidden love, bad marriages and, at the heart of it all, trailblazing talent.