AT THE LIBRARY

February 5, 2009

Craft Projects

The winter months provide many hours to devote to different projects and hobbies. The following new books highlight a few ideas for occupying free time until warmer weather visits us once again.

Those that enjoy woodworking or are new to the craft will find the projects in this book provide hours of enjoyment in not only building the puzzle, but having fun with the puzzle once it’s made. In addition to the fourteen patterns, there are suggestions on what types of wood work best and background on popular puzzle creators. This book is available at the Main Library.

This volume has eighteen quilting projects that can be sewn by hand. Many people today use a machine to make quilting faster, but here the author pays homage to this traditional way. Whether you are experienced in needlework, or if this is your first project, there is a pattern for you. To make selection easier, each is marked with a rating from beginner to expert. This book is available at the Main Library and Carnation Mall Branch.

Many books on crochet provide a variety of patterns, but this collection is dedicated to more than 200 decorative borders to be used for embellishments to projects. The chapters cover ribs and bobbles, ruffles, flora, fringes, and points and scallops. In addition to the edging swatches, are patterns for nine full-scale projects. The color photographs and easy to follow text give a variety of techniques that can be adapted to all yarn types and weights. This book is available at the Main Library.

As the author notes in her introduction, all of the patterns in this book can be made with yarn that is on hand, but she has chosen to focus on luxe yarns such as angora, cashmere, merino and silk to create a more glamorous feel to the pieces. Featured are beautiful pieces that range from dresses, to sweaters, to jackets. One helpful section is "Fitting Your Knits", which helps determine how to size all of the projects. This book is available at the Main Library.

One of the most interesting features of this volume is the section on how to make your own looms at home out of materials that are more than likely already on hand. There is a simple pattern for how to make a loom using a piece of wood, duct tape and combs. Another loom made out of pins and a foam board is a different tool that creates great pieces. The various weaving techniques are well covered in a separate section from the patterns which feature wearable items and home décor. An example of each project is shown in color photos. This book is available at the Main Library.