With its soothing, meditative effect, handspinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations.
Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review
Detailed color photos demonstrate each step
Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo
Helpful tips provide additional guidance
Emerging knitwear designer Mathew Gnagy presents a fresh collection of fifteen projects for women and men with Knitting Off the Axis. The projects are both classic and stylish, incorporating clever combinations of textured stitches and design details.
Each of the fifteen patterns is designed in a one-of-a-kind way, focusing on knitting sideways or in an untraditional direction rather than the usual top-down or bottom-up construction. Knitting at different angles gives the projects unique shaping and fashion-forward silhouettes.
Learn new techniques for knitting sideways and every-which-way and make fifteen contemporary, wearable patterns with Knitting Off the Axis.
Written for anyone with basic knitting skills, this guide to making, shrinking, and using knitted felt includes 20 stylish, contemporary projects for the modern crafter. Beautiful photographs, step-by-step instructions, and illustrations walk the first-time felter through all the processes. Projects include soft and comfortable felted tops, purses and tote bags, colorful embossed hats, jewelry and accessories, slippers, pillows, modern home accessories, and a strand of felted lights. While the techniques and tools are simple, the shapes, colors, and materials of these pieces give them a sophisticated, urban feel that brings felt into the 21st century.
This contemporary collection of wraps showcases the work of 18 knitwear designers that include Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, and Jo Sharp. The designs for these ponchos, capes, stoles, and capelets vary from simple to challenging and explore shape and silhouette possibilities in a host of techniques, including stitch patterns, color work, lace, beads, crochet, and felt.
A glossary is provided, containing all the information necessary for even a novice knitter to successfully create one-of-a-kind fashions. The book also includes an in-depth section on designing and embellishing, making it a companion for future creativity. All knitters and crocheters, from the most demanding to those just embarking upon larger projects, will be inspired by these stylish designs that stretch the definition of a poncho.
This collection of 31 elegant and ingenious scarf designs tap the expertise of more than 25 knitwear designers who offer new ways to think about this most basic of garments. Designs by Kathryn Alexander, Debbie Bliss, Nancy Bush, Lily Chin, Nicky Epstein, Sasha Kagan, Sally Melville, and Kristin Nicholas are included, representing a varied exploration of techniques that provide innovative ways to think about knitting and crochet. Sections on knitting and crochet basics, making a scarf without a pattern, and a designer's notebook with templates for basic scarves and suggestions for design variations are provided.
Learn to pamper friends and loved ones with lavish and fun knitted gifts. Projects are broken down into four different categories by style and include hats, mittens, purses, wraps, tops, sweaters, and socks--all of which are simple to make and require minimal yarn. Tips are provided for embellishing each project with different fabrics, edgings, and stitching patterns, making personalization easy, even for novices. Beautiful photographs and color illustrations detailing how to create each piece, as well as contemporary designs and small, quick projects make this guide a must-have for the gift-giving knitter.
Educating knitters about fine yarns, this information-packed book features more than 20 stylish and contemporary projects to knit with lightweight yarns. Knitters will learn what fine yarns are, the many advantages of knitting with them, plus tips and techniques to make the knitting process even more enjoyable. Perfect for all skill levels, the projects in this guidebook show that garments knitted with thin yarns not only fit more precisely, but are more flattering to the figure and feel better against the skin. They also offer more versatility for fashion elements such as ruching, ruffles, gauzy layers, and drape. Crafters will find stylish and contemporary patterns, including a drapy silk top, a supple zippered cable hoodie, a bamboo skirt with stunning drape, a bohus-inspired pullover, a wrap dress, a ruffled scarf, and much more.
Four mini workshops with 24 patterns and spectacular photography in this compilation help knitters think creatively, find inspiration in their surroundings, and shape those elements into garment design. Stunning patterns are arranged by season, reflecting the colors and beauty of nature that inspire feminine designs. From an amber-beaded cardigan that captures the feeling of hay fields drying in the sun to a long, belted coat with a spray of coral roses inspired by flowers in local markets to an intarsia jacket that evokes memories of a fall hike in a forest, each pattern is rich with color, detailing, and romantic knitting style. The design workshops throughout this guidebook challenge knitters to find inspiration in their surroundings, build color palettes, swatch creatively through knitting and sketching, and finesse their style and fit.
Yarns made from plant fibers, modern synthetics, and silk take the spotlight in this collection of 21 classic knitting patterns for socks, scarves, hats, bags, vests, sweaters, and even a luxurious bathrobe. Some knitters are discouraged by the thought of baggy hemp sweaters and droopy cotton socks when they consider vegetable fibers, but this authoritative, fun, and light-hearted guide promises that, while wool has no equal when it comes to elasticity and warmth, the right tricks and techniques produce non-wool fashions that fit well, wear well, and hang beautifully. Knitters are taught to knit swatches to study the behavior of a yarn, to choose an appropriate pattern, and to master techniques for reinforcing stitches and inserting knit-ins of springier yarn to keep cotton, silk, and other fibers from sagging. Key information about durability, weight, pilling, and special handling is provided for acrylic, bamboo, cotton, hemp, Ingeo, linen, lycra, nylon, polyester, rayon, silk, soy, Tencel, and viscose yarns, and a chapter of helpful tips advises on needles to use (and avoid), how to start new balls and weave in ends, how to work intarsia and Fair Isle patterns, smart ways to control the cost of materials, and the right methods for washing, drying, and blocking the finished pieces.
Superbly fitted and fashioned in luxurious yarns, these imaginative patterns follow four thematic vignettes inspired by French daily life, film, and history. Each section features dramatically different types of yarns, colors, and stitch patterns combined with timeless, figure flattering silhouettes that are suitable for knitters of all skill levels. Using innovative seamless construction methods, the need for sewing seams has been nearly eliminated by fashioning patterns in one piece from start to finish, easily allowing for adjustments for a custom fit. A handy design workshop features in-depth tutorials that teach seamless construction methods and provide valuable technical information for both beginning and seasoned knitters. Perfect for all body types, the designs are figure flattering with curve friendly waist shaping, empire waist detailing, and stitch details such as lacing, openwork, lace edgings, and bell sleeves that highlight the silhouette.
Fall in love with knitting all over again with this intriguing pattern collection that blends captivating designs with flattering, feminine silhouettes. Knitters will be eager to start and delighted to finish each project that includes skirts, jackets, tank tops, pullovers, and accessories. An excellent showcase of texture, lace, and unusual pattern construction, each project is inspired by current and vintage fashion and the mathematical aspect of design. Featuring projects for every season, skill level, time commitment, and occasion, each collection is full of elegant finishing and the kind of impeccable detail that makes transforms each piece into a classic. This manual, packed to the brim with timeless yet fashionable patterns, also features beautiful photographs that highlight the detail and feminine silhouettes of each finished piece.
Inspired by the seasonal festivals and traditions of Japan, this blend of traditional Scandinavian knitting with distinctive Japanese influences explores the beautiful design elements steeped in folk customs. Created especially for women, these patterns are true to the Japanese ideals of high-quality design and materials. Twelve sweaters, oriented around the months of the year, are each knitted using nearly a dozen different techniques. With project names like "Sake and Soba," "Summer in Tokyo," "Rice Fields," "Flower Buds," and "Stone Garden," knitters will have plenty of inspiration. In addition to standard knit and purl combinations, the patterns feature double knitting, domino knitting, shadow knitting, lace, cables, entrelac, intarsia, and stranded two-color knitting. All techniques are described in detail with clear text and illustrations, and an illustrated glossary at the end of the book provides technical instruction needed for any project. Also included are Japanese ideographs that relate to themes that inspired the projects, a Japanese calendar, plus lush travel photography of Japan that will inspire any knitter.
Unconventional, rule-breaking socks are part and parcel in this unique guide to sock knitting that includes 15 new sock patterns. The skills of the average sock knitter are increased through design exploration and advanced stitch manipulation, treating the sock as a knitted canvas where elements are strategically and intentionally placed. New designs of floral lace patterns, angular geometric shapes, and unusual cables are presented along with detailed instructions on modifications to suit needs and aesthetics. The incredible range of style and complexity in this guide runs from sweet and simple to delightfully imaginative.
