Grab a crochet hook and go from beginner to pro in no time with this accessible guide. You want to learn to crochet, but somehow you always end up in a tangle of yarn and baffled by complicated advice. This beginner's guide goes back to basics, with clear step-by-step illustrations demonstrating how to tie a slipknot, chain stitch, increase and decrease your rows, and crochet in the round, plus many more skills and techniques. Once you've aced the essentials, move on to 15 clear, stylish and straightforward projects, from colourful plant pot covers to a chic crocheted blanket. As the projects get more complex, you'll practise and perfect the skills you've learned, and build your confidence. By the end of the book, you will be able to crochet a range of projects including a mobile phone case, a cuddly toy, a wall hanging and a bobble hat. So take some time for yourself, learn a new skill, and enjoy crafting gifts for your friends, family and home with this beautiful book by your side. Projects include: - Pompom hat - Storage baskets - Cushions - Cuddly toy - Market bag - Ear warmer - Cup cosy - Sleep mask

Kaffe Fassett uses the colorful Venetian island of Burano to form the backdrop of another stunning collection of new quilt designs from the Kaffe Fassett Studio. In this 22nd installment of Kaffe Fassett's ever-popular series of patchwork and quilting books, the quilts have been photographed on location in Burano, a tiny island in Italy's Venetian archipelago, famous for its lace making but also for its brilliantly painted houses in a myriad jewel colors. The colorful house walls, sometimes distressed and occasionally decorated with murals, form the backdrop, along with the canals, bridges, and boats of this special Venetian island, to another wonderful selection of Kaffe's new quilt designs. The collection of 19 quilts features both new fabric designs from the Kaffe Collective and some of his Classics. Bali Brocade makes a fantastic background to Kaffe's sumptuous Shimmer Star quilt with its ripples of pattern in contrasting prints. His two versions of a very simple quilt, comes in two very different colorways. Hot Steps is a riot of color, whereas by contrast its sister quilt, Cool Steps, in dusty blues, greens, and greys has an dreamy quality. Liza Prior Lucy's rich and dark Turkish Coffee quilt, with its hint of Eastern promise, fussy cuts Kaffe's new Turkish Delight fabric to brilliant effect. Kaffe Fassett's Quilts in Burano provides all the instructional text, diagrams, and templates to make the quilts, plus a section on basic patchwork techniques for less experienced quilters.

Stitch your own collection of stunning crocheted tiles with this selection of crochet patterns and charts inspired by beautiful decorative ceramic tiles. 100 Crochet Tiles features a wide range of crochet patterns and charts from a number of different, talented crochet designers. Choose from your favourite whether it's a multicoloured, middle eastern pattern or a geometric design in an understated colour way. Create stunning, colourful designs using crochet techniques including intarsia crochet, overlay crochet, mosaic crochet and tapestry crochet. All of the crochet stitches and techniques you will need to make the crochet patterns are included in the techniques section along with helpful step-by-step artworks and instructions. There are crochet charts for each of the tiles alongside the written crochet patterns. These crochet tile patterns are the perfect stash buster and a great way to use up small amounts of leftover yarn. As well as the tile patterns there are eight project ideas for ways to use the crochet tiles. These include cushion and pillow covers, afghans and throws as well as rugs, wall hangings and table mats. You can choose your favourite designs and make beautiful crochet gifts for friends and family.

Handmade bags are a great way to accessorise and express your individual style. They also make unique gifts for family and friends. This fantastic collection of bags features a range of styles and designs, showing you how to create 20 affordable, designer quality bags from the comfort of your own home. With a helpful techniques section and clear step-by step instructions, even a novice can create a stunning, bespoke bag in next to no time at all. From small evening bags to functional everyday handbags and capacious carriers, there's a bag to suit every outfit and occasion. Projects include: evening bag, clutch bag, messenger bag, carpet bag, retro handbag, knot bag, duffel bag, festival bag, backpack, tote, beach bag, shopper, inflight bag, and more.

As one of Britain's foremost knitwear designers, Jean Moss brings together an exclusive selection of 24 of her classic designs that includes something for knitters of all skill levels. Jean demystifies the techniques needed to knit beautiful pieces, providing simple but effective designer secrets on everything from casting on to simple finishing techniques. She shows you how a professional finish can be achieved, with only a basic understanding of how to knit and purl. Whether you are a beginner looking for simple but elegant knits, or a more experienced knitter who wants to make chic and glamorous clothes, there is something here for you. Choose from this wealth of timeless, stunning yet simple-to-knit pieces using tried and tested designer tricks-of-the-trade.

This title comes with simple, fully illustrated instructions that lead you step by step through the basics of knitting, from choosing the right needles and yarn to reading a knitting pattern, casting on, executing knit and purl stitches, binding off, seaming, and blocking finished projects. You'll also learn techniques for increasing, decreasing, and repairing mistakes. Even if you've never held a pair of knitting needles before, this easy-to-follow guide will have you knitting in no time!

Delight children and adults alike by creating a whole host of fun and fabulous knitted characters from this latest book by best-selling author, Sarah Keen. Inside you'll find 50 knitted dolls in costume and work attire, including graduates, a doctor, fire-fighter, painter and decorator, ballerina, bride and groom, spaceman, snowman, fitness enthusiast and hiker, to name just a few. All the projects are made from DK yarn, which is easy to wash, durable and child-friendly. They are perfect gifts for loved ones or as a treat to yourself.

Inspiration at your fingertips! Within the pages of The New Knitting Stitch Dictionary you will find not only 500 innovative knitting stitch patterns, but dozens of ideas popping through your mind. Cables may inspire designs for sweaters or blankets, cozy textures for scarves, colorwork for hats, mittens, and more. You will turn to this book again and again for fresh ideas! The stitches are divided into sections by type of stitch to make it easy to find what you want: texture, lace, cables, Aran cables, flower and leaf patterns, bobbles, lifted stitches, Fair Isle, intarsia, borders, and more. Instructions for each stitch are charted so that you can easily visualize the pattern and use it in your own design. You will find this stitch dictionary to be an invaluable reference on your knitting bookshelf.

Create exquisite embroideries with this inspiring collection of reusable iron-on embroidery motifs. Discover your favourite embroidery designs from the best-selling Transfer & Stitch series in this gorgeous, yet handy, folder edition. In the folder, you'll find an invaluable stitching guide with advice on tools and materials, essential stitches, transferring the designs and hooping up your fabric; and a separate transfer book with 140 stunning embroidery outlines of flowers, borders, insects, hearts and more - ready for you to cut out and iron straight onto your fabric. The stitching guide includes stitched examples of all the motifs to inspire your own embroideries, and inspiration for using the motifs to embellish clothes, cushions and other fabric items. Use a single motif, or mix and match several designs, to create embroidered wall art or to embellish clothes, gifts and items around the home. When you're finished, store your transfer in the folder where it can be reused multiple times to craft beautiful, embroidered masterpieces again and again.

Coveted by museum curators and private collectors alike, here is an opportunity to view an unprecedented collection of striking raffia artwork, all in one volume. These velvety embroidered raffia cloths and ceremonial applique skirts were created deep in the heart of the Congo by the Kuba people. They are the collaborative work of male weavers and female embroiderers whose efforts and painstaking techniques have resulted in intricate, eye-dazzling abstract designs that rival pop art, executed with a palette of vegetal dyes that is universally appealing. Each unique, these masterful works have inspired innumerable Western artists and designers including Paul Klee, Henry Matisse, Eduardo Chillida, Georges Braque, and Tristan Tzara. With more than 400 raffia cloths pictured, this book will inspire artists and graphic, fashion, and textile designers. Additionally, a value guide makes it an invaluable reference for collectors.

Learn the traditional American craft of creating painted floor cloths and then experiment with fabrics and papers to create beautiful floor quilts and floor pages. These colorful, painted canvases were developed in Europe in the early 1400s, used as alternatives to carpets and for table coverings in homes and churches. Durable and decorative, they were used widely throughout the 1700s and 1800s until they were replaced by linoleum in the late 19th century. Today, homeowners enjoy them for their handcrafted, artisan appeal. With more than 200 color images, this book includes step-by-step instructions for making floor cloths, floor quilts, and floor pages, as well as a gallery of inspiring finished pieces in a wide range of styles. Employing modern techniques and materials, these projects are easy enough for beginners but will also appeal to crafters who want to expand their repertoire.

The patterns and instruction you need to start crocheting and kitting today! Knitting and crocheting go hand-in-hand and are the most popular yarn crafts today. This one-stop guide to all things needles, hooks, and yarn will give you everything you need to know to get started knitting or crocheting. The book covers absolute basics such as selecting yarn, casting on, and even how to hold the tools and yarn, to understanding stitches, checking gauge, and deciphering patterns. Hundreds of projects, from beginner to advanced, include complete, step-by-step instructions as well as detailed illustrations and photos, and instructional videos online. It includes content from: Knitting For Dummies Knitting Patterns For Dummies Crocheting For Dummies Crochet Patterns For Dummies Get started today and you'll be knitting and crocheting like a champ in no time!

This compact compendium of 20 cross-stitch charts uses a limited and identical palette of threads for each project. There are 20 circular designs in the book, and each of the patterns is accompanied by a full-color and symbol chart for 14-count Aida or 28-count evenweave linen. Each design concentrates on a flower or a floral group that captures the very essence of the shapes and colors of the plant. The designs include seasonal wreaths, vases and jugs brimming with color, gardens with lovely cottages and birds, flowers in a landscape, and single beautiful blooms. Each project re-creates a little bit of nature.

Add sass to your quilt labels and gift tags with these humorous iron-on designs! Featuring cheeky sayings like: Yes, I made it. No, you can't return it., This took FOREVER., Just because it's handmade doesn't mean it's cheap., If you don't like this, can I have it back? and If I got paid by the hour to make this, you couldn't afford it. Featuring 100+ snarky designs you can stitch, color, or paint, these customizable iron-ons give your handmade treasure the label it deserves. Each design comes in multiple sizes and will transfer several times. Stitch, color, or paint these customizable iron-ons to give your handmade treasure the label it deserves! Perfect for adding (more) drama to family and friend get-togethers!Easy to use! Instructions and basic embroidery stitches included

Bracelets, buckles, buttons, and beads. Clasps, combs, and chains. Items of personal adornment fill museum collections and are regularly uncovered in historical period archaeological excavations. But until the publication of this comprehensive volume, there has been no basic guide to help curators, registrars, historians, archaeologists, or collectors identify this class of objects from colonial and early republican America. Carolyn L. White helps the reader understand and interpret these artifacts, discussing their source, manufacture, materials, function, and value in early American life. She uses them as a window on personal identity, showing how gender, age, ethnicity, and class were often displayed through the objects worn. White draws not only on the items themselves, but uses their portrayal in art, contemporary writings, advertisements, and business records to assess their meaning to their owners. A reference volume for the shelf of anyone interested in early American material culture. Over 100 illustrations and tables.

This book is all about patchwork knitting and crochet. Learn innovative methods to join simple knitted pieces into chic fashion and accessories, including skirts, jackets, scarves, hats, shrugs, pullovers, and more, that will inspire you. Over 130 photos and plans will guide you to complete 18 projects using simple square and rectangular knitted pieces. Join them together with basic crocheting techniques, and your fashion is complete! The highlight: The holes are so well-matched that a good fit is guaranteed. In addition, you can change or turn the individual pieces of the same size so that a completely different visual effect is achieved. You can even easily undo them from one piece and use them with another. Thus, in a simple and relaxed way you will achieve a refined result.

An irresistible felting book for cat lovers! From playful tabbies to fierce black cats, this book shows you how to create felted felines in every shape and posture: crouching, preening, stretching, napping and ready to pounce! Master Japanese felting artist and teacher (and a great cat lover himself) Housetsu Sato shows you how to become an expert in capturing a cat's essential form and character--especially at the kitten stage, when they are full of surprises. In this book Sato teaches you how to: Form the basic shapes and cat body parts Create a variety of familiar cat poses and postures Add realistic textures and markings to the fur Give unique expressions to your cat faces Along the way, he shows you how to infuse your felted friends with a playful sense of "cattitude," including how to incorporate fur from your real kitties into your felted models. Detailed instructions and photos for each cat piece, fur texture and marking make these projects friendly even if you are new to felting. Full-size templates help you form the correct shapes and proportions, and brief lessons in cat anatomy help you make your felted cats truly lifelike. Photos showing variations on the poses and markings make it easy to envision your own cat's likeness emerging from your hands.

Each title in the Easy Cross Stitch series provides a beautiful collection of designs to inspire and challenge beginning stitchers. These thematic resource books offer an easy-to-follow, full-color chart and a color key on every page. Full of vibrant floral cross-stitch designs, this crafting companion uses a variety of colors and endless shapes to capture the wonder of the natural world. Organized by color and by flower type, including popular varieties such as roses and lavender, this portable craft book is an ideal guide for anyone who wants to create decorative table cloths, cushions, or other household linens. Smaller designs that serve well on a greeting card or combine to make up a lovely sampler are also included.

Follow the adventures of Elliot the elephant who doesn't know which garment to wear, Fluffy the scientific fugu, Monhi the kitten who dreams of being a ballet dancer, and many more! You'll love to crochet and gift these 15 colorful crochet toys, guided by the author's detailed step-by-step instructions. For beginners in crochet, a complete technical guide will help you get started! There are 15 amigurumi animal projects in this book and each one has its unique personality with adaptable accessories. AUTHOR: Hoang Thi Ngoc Anh (Khuc Cay) is a crochet designer living in the south-west of France with her husband and daughter. She loves creating all types of cute characters by drawing and crocheting, which you can find on her Instagram @Lespetitesmainsdekhuccay. Her designs are inspired by her lovely 2-year-old girl and carry the essence of both Vietnamese and French spirits.

There's something extraordinary about a handmade shawl and the sense of warmth, love, and support in which it wraps the wearer, especially during hard times. As our world unravels in various ways, caring circles of knitters are stitching together blessings--in the form of prayer shawls--to send to friends and strangers in need. "The New Prayer Shawl Companion," the latest book in the best-selling Prayer Shawl series, supports and inspires these dedicated knitters with a host of new stories and patterns for boundless creativity.
Knitting enthusiasts, both amateur and professional, will embrace the 35 easy-to-follow prayer shawl patterns in the book--some designed for times of celebration, others for solace and remembrance. In addition to clear instructions, each pattern is accompanied by encouraging stories from other crafters, and blessings to knit by. Co-founders of the Prayer Shawl Ministry and lifelong knitters themselves, the authors offer readers bountiful design inspiration, stitching ideas, and patterns for creating beautiful shawls.

Throughout our country's history, quiltmakers have honored America's presidents in their quiltmaking. Featuring more than 330 images with insightful explanations, this book looks at the presidential quilts and patriotic quilts that have been made by American quilters. From the presidencies of George Washington through Barack Obama, the quilts-along with intriguing quilt-related comments from newspapers of the times-help us enjoy American history, and reflect on how quilt history has chosen to remember the US presidents. Also highlighted are 43 gorgeous newly-made quilts representing each of the United States presidents to date. Each measures twenty-four inches square, and is constructed in a pattern and fabric historically accurate to the leader's presidential term of office; their makers are quilt historians and enthusiasts affiliated with the American Quilt Study Group.