With designs, hints, and techniques from 50 experienced spinners and knitters, this guide offers instructions for handspun yarn and commercial substitutes.

A follow-up to the original Homespun Handknit--a perennial bestseller for two decades--this collection revitalizes the craft of handspun yarn for a whole new generation of spinners and knitters. Packed with modern and traditional spinning know-how and 25 sophisticated, easy-to-learn projects, the guide helps crafters create unique gifts and wearable fashion while refining their skills and enhancing their understanding of this popular art form. With designs from some of the most influential knitters and spinners working today--including Kathryn Alexander, Jeanine Bakridges, and Abby Franquemont--this inspiring resource features hats, mittens, scarves, socks, bags, children’s items, wraps, and home decor options to challenge fiber artists of all skill levels. Imparting essential and informative advice--on measuring yarns, reviewing woolen versus worsted, drive/tension differences, special techniques, and basic yarn dynamics--and complemented by basic knitting and spinning glossaries, this refreshing contemporary companion to a much-loved classic is an indispensable addition to every craft lover's bookshelf.

The World of Knitting Right at Your Fingertips More than a how-to book, A Passion for Knitting goes beyond teaching the craft and introduces readers to the culture of knitting. In Part I, you'll find fully illustrated instructions for learning stitches and mastering technique, presented with unprecedented clarity. They're so simple that you really can learn without a teacher. With this book in hand -- and no prior experience -- you will be able to knit a gorgeous sweater, scarf, or throw. Next, Part II welcomes new knitters to the worldwide knitting community, exploring the myriad benefits this popular craft has to offer. This section, unique among all other guides, invites readers to Tap into the power of knitting as a means of reducing stress and expressing creativity Meet the design "gurus" and other stars of the knitting world Discover opportunities for fellowship and networking with other knitters in clubs, conventions, and unique cultural fiber tours to countries ranging from England to Peru Use their knitting skills to meaningfully support charities Learn about the fashion trends in knitting from Trisha Malcolm, editor in chief of Vogue Knitting

Knit classic silhouettes with that ultrachic Tricoter twist--bold, colorful, and sensationally stylish. In their fifth book, the Tricoter ladies focus on color work in 16 easy-to-make projects.

There’s never been a better time to be prepared. "This book is an indispensable basic manual for the real-life issues that await us in the decades to come. . . [A] treasure trove of practical wisdom."—James Howard Kunstler, author of The Geography of Nowhere Matthew Stein’s comprehensive primer on sustainable living skills—from food and water to shelter and energy to first-aid and crisis-management skills—prepares you to embark on the path toward sustainability. But unlike any other book, Stein not only shows you how to live green in seemingly stable times, but to live in the face of potential disasters, lasting days or years, coming in the form of social upheaval, economic meltdown, or environmental catastrophe. When Technology Fails covers the gamut. Inside, you’ll learn: The basics of installing a renewable energy system for your home or business How to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure How to keep warm if you’ve been left temporarily homeless Practical information for dealing with water-quality issues Alternative health and first-aid techniques Each chapter describes skills for self-reliance in good times and bad. Chapters Include: A survey of the risks to the status quo Supplies and preparation for short- and long-term emergencies Emergency measures for survival Prepping water, food, shelter, and clothing First aid, low-tech medicine, and healing Securing energy, heat, and power Metalworking Utensils and storage Low-tech chemistry engineering, machines, and materials Fully revised and expanded, When Technology Fails ends on a positive, proactive note with a chapter on “Making the Shift to Sustainability,” which offers practical suggestions for changing our world on personal, community and global levels.

Discusses subjects ranging from needle sizes and yarn weights to curling edges, chart reading, tight ribbing, and dropped stitches, in a question-and-answer format.

Learn how to become a laidback knitter-- one who enjoys the process as much as the product. Includes profiles, Web sites, patterns, and information on fibers, spinning, crochet.