Tag: Thursday Thirteen

Today we continue with craft books. The fun thing about craft books is that they can serve as inspiration for art that one wants to create. I get ideas and inspiration when I read them and see pictures of things. It’s one of the reasons I love knitting and crochet magazines, because the full-color glossy pictures are fun to look at and imagine myself making the outfits. Even if I don’t make the specific item in the picture, the design ideas influence my own creations.

1. Epstein, Nicky: Crocheted Flowers; Sixth & Spring Books, New York, 2007
This is the publisher that handles a lot of the current Vogue books. They do a lot of Ms. Epstein’s as well. I love this book. She’s an amazing designer with a seemingly endless fount of ideas, and her instructions are easy enough that I, as a novice crocheter, can follow them. I’m sure that anyone without my 2D/3D hangups would find them super simple to follow along. I even made an enormous blue crocheted rose, as practice, that turned into a gift for a friend out of town. Fun stuff.

2. Knight, Erika: The Harmony Guides: Basic Crochet Stitches ; Sixth & Spring Books, New York, 2008
This is the second of my crochet reference books that I have in my main, working collection. This is an awesome book. I’ve heard excellent things about the Harmony Guides series; if they’re anything like this one then they’re well worth the investment. I had taken one crochet class and was able to follow the instructions in here; again, someone without my 2D/3D issues would find it very clear and easy to follow. Highly recommended.

3. Jacobs, Kate: The Friday Night Knitting Club; Berkley Books, New York, 2007
Here we switch gears entirely to fiction with knitting in it. (I’d say “knitlit” but someone thought of it first and came up with a series; see below.) (Wish I thought of it first, though!)
This was a gift from my sister-in-law and follows the lives of the people in the Friday Night Knitting Club. It’s a cool idea for a story!

4. Murphy, Bernadette: Zen and the Art of Knitting: Exploring the Links Between Knitting, Spirituality, and Creativity; Adams Media, Avon, MA 2002
If I were to write a memoir about my thoughts on knitting and spirituality, this would be the title I’d want to give it. I love it. Ms. Murphy wrote a deeply thoughtful, fun and accurate book about how knitting can connect us with the deeper vibration. Brava!

5. Roghaar, Linda & Molly Wolf: Knit Lit and Knit Lit Too; Three Rivers Press; New York, 2002
These two are awesome. Find out why you should “Never Knit Dog” and how one woman’s abduction in a war-torn country was turned into something much less sinister with the power of knitting. Highly, highly recommended. They also have KnitLit the Third: We Spin More Yarns – MAN, I wish I thought of these titles! ~grin~ I haven’t read the third one, but that’s a function of time rather than inclination. ~eyes TBR pile~

Moving on then…

6. Better Homes and Gardens, Knitting Year-Round; Better Homes and Gardens Books, Des Moines, 2003
I really love this book because it lays out a plan for knitting the entire year, including how to finish season-specific items in time for use during that season, but also so you’re not knitting a really heavy woolen sweater in the middle of July’s heat. Lots of fun.

7. Bush, Nancy: Knitting on the Road, Interweave Press, Loveland, CO, 2001
This is one of the first design books I bought, and I really love it. She’s got a lot of great thoughts about knitting while traveling, and all sorts of thoughts about portability. Lots of fun.

8. Carles, Julie and Jordana Jacobs: The Yarn Girls\’ Guide to Beyond the Basics; Potter Craft, New York, 2005
I got this book when I was part of Crafter’s Choice. It’s not bad, but it’s not something I’d say run out and buy immediately either. The authors are spunky and fun, and it’s a good idea generator.

9. Epstein, Nicky: Knitting On Top of the World: The Global Guide to Traditions, Techniques and Design; Nicky Epstein Books; New York, 2008
This is a gorgeous book. It’s essentially a coffee table book, due to size and glossiness, but Epstein as always delivers an expert product. She’s an incredible designer and I recommend checking this out – even if you only do so at the library, the pictures alone will make you swoon. Her thoughts and instruction on design interpretations around the world are worth the read.

10. Falick, Melanie; Handknit Holidays; Stewart Tabori and Chang, New York, 2005
I love this book, and the next one I have by her: Weekend Knitting; Stewart Tabori and Chang, New York, 2003. Falick edted for Interweave and her experience shows. These are professional, well-designed, and very informative – not to mention, fun. Highly recommend both of these.

11. Family Circle; Easy Sweaters; Sixth & Spring Books, New York, 2001 and Easy Afghans, 2003.
I like both of these as good, solid, simple compendiums of easy projects to make. They’re a good way to learn how to do structures and such, and I’ve made several of the afghans multiple times as gifts.

12. Griffiths, Melody: Knitting in No Time; Reader\’s Digest Association Inc., New York, 2006
A surprising and fun book. Mulitple quick-to-knit projects of all kinds, this is a great place to go when you need gift ideas or stash-busters.

13. Harding, Louisa: Knitting Little Luxuries: Beautiful Accessories to Knit; Interweave Press; Loveland, CO, 2007
I love Louisa Harding. She’s another of my favorite designers. This book is beautiful – full of lovely photographs of elegant knits from shawls to sweaters to unusual items. I like this collection because it gives you ideas for things to make with one or two skeins of luxury yarns, so that the project matches the quality of the fiber. Lots of fun.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s glimpse into my library, and that maybe I’ll inspire you to start checking out the wealth of information in craft books. Even better, maybe you’ll pick up a craft or two. Happy TT!

Welcome to another segment of my ongoing series, “A Writer In Her Library.” Today, I’d like to pull the focus a bit and talk about categorizations.

When one goes to a library, the books are organized according to some particular method. The most common are the Dewey Decimal System, as seen in many high school libraries and some public ones; and the Library of Congress System, as seen in, well, the Library of Congress, as well as many universities and some public libraries (for example, the Chicago Public Library System).

Both of these systems are useful, and a good way for Librarians to manage information. When I set up my library, though, I wanted something simpler and that fit the way I use my books. This leads me to an important observation about managing information that I’ve learned over twenty-five years managing offices and the information in them.

The critical part of any information management system, be it books, paper files, or online content, is getting the information back out of the system when it’s needed. Fifteen years ago, before Google was even a common term, (Google was founded in 1998), the internet was described as a global library where all the books were piled in the middle with no rhyme or reason. That’s one of the reasons Google has been so successful. Its search algorithms allow users to get more and more precise search results for information they need. There are other methods of doing so, Yahoo! being one of the most markedly different, but my purpose here is more to discuss the philosophy of organization rather than its specifics. I use Google as an example, though, because its key success factor is its ability to return the information that the user needs, when the user needs it.

That, fundamentally, is the purpose of any organizational system. Some of them require more training on the part of the user in order to use them (Dartmouth’s university library catalog in 1993 is one of the most complicated I have seen), but the fundamental purpose behind them is the same: organize data in such a way that it can be retrieved, as needed, in accordance with the need of the user. (So when you look up flowers, you don’t get baking flour, for example.)

What I’ve learned handling this process for various offices and people that I’ve worked with is that this last point is the most challenging. It doesn’t matter how well I understand file management. It matters how the people USING the files recall the data, because that is how they’ll look it up. Some people recall colors better. Some recall people and authors better. Some, like me, recall by date and subject.

In setting up my own library, something I haven’t taken the time to do until recently, I have complete authority over the subjects I pick. This is a rare pleasure. Usually, I’m working with a team and I need to set up the system according to how the team thinks rather than my personal preference. But now, with my books, I get to be boss and peon.

I was surprised to find out, then, that my cookbook collection had a lot more subject divisions than when I started to pull all of the books together. It was fascinating to start separating them into their relevant subjects and I found that I had more than I thought. I’m one short of 13, so it’s not a proper Thursday 13, but I share my subject headlines both from a sense of personal pride and fun in that I get to determine the subjects, but also in the rare chance that one or more of my readers might see something in my subject divisions that might inspire them with their own libraries.

1. Comprehensive Cookbooks

These are the traditional “cookbooks” that one thinks of when one thinks of the generic term: Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, etc. General, all-purpose, and comprehensive; the cookbooks in this category fill most of the needs of the home cook from main dishes to beverages and such.

One interesting thing I noticed is the books in this category tend to be organized in one of two ways: by meal or by ingredients. Some cover topics like Breakfast, Lunch or Light Fare, Dinner, Entertaining, Beverages, and Desserts; the second group covers topics like Meat, Fowl, Fish, Soups and Stews, Vegetables, Beverages, Cakes, Pies, Candies, Ice Creams and Frozen Custard, etc.

2. Cooking for Two/Working Adult Cookbooks

If you had asked me before I started collecting cookbooks when I thought the “cooking for two” idea came about, I would have said it was my own generation (Generation X) when we were in high school in the 80’s. The so-called nuclear family of Reagan and then the growing propensity of people to marry late and have children late would have engendered a need for such books.

Boy, was I wrong. My earliest book of the type is 1963. Granted, it’s not strictly for two people, but it’s called THE WORKING WIVES\’ (SALARIED OR OTHERWISE) COOKBOOK by Theodora Zavin and Freda Stuart. They discuss smaller portions and also the ideas of making items ahead and all sorts of time-saving ideas. I have also seen titles from the 1920’s on the same subjects, so my generation is hardly the first to realize that the primary cook of a household may, in fact, work for pay outside that household but still need to feed its members adequately.

3. Canning and Storage

It will come as no surprise to my long-time readers that I was probably born in the wrong century and would privately love to be a frontierswoman. In fact, I used to play in the Society for Creative Anachronism, otherwise known as the SCA, who at times describes itself as an organization for re-creating the medieval times but with plumbing and without the Plague.

I like the idea of canning and storage. While I haven’t had the time to devote to it or a large enough garden to make it cost-effective, my plan is to remedy that when we buy either our first or second home. In the meantime, I’m an armchair frontierswoman. I love reading about malic acid and fruit pectin, and know that apples can be used as a good natural thickener. Until I can really go to town putting up the fruit crop from my peach orchard, I’ll fantasize in my books.

Besides. My neighbor has a lovely mulberry tree and if I go late at night, maybe they won’t notice my ladder and bucket. Pardon me, I’ll be right back…

4. Family Cookbooks

It turns out I have several cookbooks compiled by family and for family. I find these at garage sales, through my family, and as fund-raisers. They’re an interesting window on how other people cook, as well as their favorite recipes.

5. Cook’s Illustrated

This is both a magazine and they do a hard-back annual compendium. I have one of the annuals, as well as a couple years’ worth of subscriptions. Of all the cookbook magazines, I like this one the best because they review multiple cooking methods for the same type of food, as well as multiple iterations of the same kind of dish (like, say, oatmeal).

6. Specific Technique and Equipment

This is fairly self-explanatory. It’s a category for the cookbook that came with our microwave or the blender, etc. I have a title called ELECTRIC BREAD, for example, that has recipes for using a breadmaker. Anything of that type goes in this section.

7. Meal-Specific Books

Again, pretty self-explanatory. It’s not the compendium as mentioned in section one, but it’s a book all about a specific meal – I have one entitled BRUNCH, for example.

8. Weight Watchers

It startled me how many Weight Watchers cookbooks I actually own. (They’re really good about making their cookbooks sexy, full-color, and food-porn, though I’m sure their marketing department wouldn’t describe them in those terms.) (But if I didn’t like food porn and sexy full-color exposes on my food, I wouldn’t NEED Weight Watchers, now would I?)

(Get your mind out of the gutter. I don’t mean porn with food, I mean food porn. As in, a sexy spread about Zanzibar Chocolate Ice Cream that won’t add twenty pounds to your ass just by reading the recipe.)

9. Vegetarian

Um, this about, like, Vegetarian cooking.

Duh.

10. Health and Instructional Books about Food and Eating

Hmm. My topics are getting more and more self-explanatory.

Do I need to discuss what Health and instructional Books About Food and Eating are?

In all seriousness, I include topics like the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for treatment of intestinal disorders and other such topics in this area.

11. Culture-Specific Cookbooks

Russian, Jewish, Mexican, Asian, etc. all fit in here. I have, for example, an excellent review of all types of Russian cooking by Anne Volokh, the first post-Soviet food reporter in Russia. (Prior to Glasnost, they didn’t have such an occupation; at least not openly.) I lump other cuisine-specific books in this category because that’s where I expect to find them when I go looking for ideas.

12. Ingredient-Specific

As in, 101 Different Ways to Prepare Chicken, and such. I have a book on Mustard, one on Garlic, and actually two on Mushrooms (since my husband LOVES them).

I don’t have a 13th Category, so I ask you, the Reader: tell me, in Comments, what you might add to my list or how you organize your own cookbooks.

As I’m typing this, my buddy who is sitting here reading while I type, said, I have one. So, here is Dorothy’s additional category:

“Making Ingredients” as in, How to Make Cheese, How to Make Flavored Vinegars, How to Make Butter, How to Distill Oregano, etc.

Oooh. Those sound fun. Hmm. Maybe I need to go cookbook shopping here soon.

Book addiction? Me?

Silly. There’s no such thing. ~nods~

Happy TT!

Chapter Three

Today’s TT focuses on Knitting Reference books. These books focus on particular techniques, rather than a designer’s vision of patterns, and include stitch dictionaries. I love knitting reference books. They usually have things in them I don’t already know, or look at a particular topic in a new way.

In fact, when I signed up for the Master Knitter course through TKGA, a bibliography is part of the course. I figured, in my arrogance, that I am The Noony! Of COURSE I have all the books on the bibliography, and what books I don’t have aren’t worth bothering with, because I am The Noony.

Boy, was I stunned. I had, like, two.

Out of FOUR PAGES.

Sheesh. Put me in my place, whydon’tyou?

I have since collected several of the books on the recommended bibliography and wow, those folks sure know what they’re doing! These books are awesome!!!

Anyhoo, back to MY list, because after all, I am The Noony.

1. Crompton, Claire; The Knitter\’s Bible; David & Charles; Cincinnati, OH; 2004

I like this book a lot. It covers the basics, but after each technique, it includes projects that use what you just learned. There are several projects that I want to try myself, including gorgeous little sachet bags and blankets and purses and things. Well-rounded, fun book.

2. Epstein, Nicky; Knitting On The Edge; Sixth & Spring Books; New York; 2004
Knitting Over The Edge, 2005
Knitting Beyond The Edge, 2006

Nicky Epstein is an amazing designer. She doesn’t only ‘do’ knitting, she’s published books on crochet design as well. She travels internationally, teaching, and even came to our guild here in Chicago two years ago.

She decided to write Knitting On The Edge when she realized there weren’t any guides to edging techniques available at the time. Some books had some edgings, but nothing really dedicated to the edges of garments. She started researching and collected a number of edging options, as well as designing a bunch on her own, and voila: a phenomenon was born. Immensely popular, On the Edge was followed a year later with Over the Edge, and then Beyond the Edge. These are stitch dictionaries as opposed to longer design books; they are filled with ideas that you can incorporate into your own projects. There are a few projects given that utilize the patterns, but for the most part, it’s simply a graphic of a particular edging pattern and instructions for how to work it.

Since she has a very involved website, I’m going to include that here rather than an image of her table of contents. You can check out her work here: http://nickyepstein.com/. She doesn’t only have textile arts; she created a line of handmade buttons and clasps that are incredible and well worth a browse.

The books are available for purchase:
Knitting On the Edge

Knitting Over the Edge

Knitting Beyond the Edge

3. Golden Hands; Aran & Fair Isle Knitting; Marshall Cavendish; London; 1977

A classic book, but worth a look if you like the style of knitting. It includes detailed instruction on the art of Aran (cable) knit sweaters and Fair Isle (colorwork). It’s got a number of interesting patterns that will expand your skills and experience with these two techniques.

4. Kooler, Donna; Encyclopedia of Knitting; Leisure Arts Publication; Little Rock, AK; 2004

This is a good all-around technique dictionary. There are some lovely pictures, and I totally want to make that handbag on the table of contents.

5. Leinhauser, Jean; Learn to Knit in Just One Day; American School of Needlework; San Marcos, CA; 1994

This one holds a special place in my heart. I dearly wanted to learn to knit for most of my life. I couldn’t master crochet, and I tried the one needle knitter from K-Tel with some success. But I really, REALLY wanted to learn to knit.

Sadly, I can’t translate two-dimensional instructions into three-dimensional reality.

I really tried, too.

I picked up this book several times over the years, and could NOT master it. I finally took a class in 2000 from Sharon Shoji, a Chicago instructor and designer. I haven’t looked back.

And do you know what? After I took the class, this book suddenly made sense!

If you don’t have the 2-D/3-D disconnect, this is a remarkably easy book to learn from. It’s thorough and teaches you to make sweaters and afghans in a very short time. I actually like it because it doesn’t have a lot of the clutter of some of the modern glitzy books, which can be good when you’re trying to learn.

6. Leisure Arts; 99 Knit Stitches; Leisure Arts Publication; Little Rock, AK; 1997

This book a surprise. It’s put together in a booklet format that seems light-weight, but when you delve into it, it’s got a very well-rounded group of stitches to try. It’s a good little stitch dictionary and has the benefit of not weighing a lot in one’s knitting bag.

7. Rutt, Richard; History of Hand Knitting; B T Batsford; London; 1989

This is the classic book on knitting history. Written from the point of view of scholar and not knitter, it’s a little dry, but the information is comprehensive and well-researched. If you’re curious about knitting’s origins in history (like the fact it probably comes from the Middle East, for example, and the oldest extant knitted textile is a sock from Turkey), this is the book for you.

8. Starmore, Alice; Book of Fair Isle Knitting; Taunton Press; Newton, CT; 1988

I coveted this book for ages. Starmore is my hero. I looked up the book and couldn’t find it for under $150, since it had gone out of print. I saved and saved and one year, got two gift certificates for Amazon. I found it for $99 and pounced on it.

The next year, Schoolhouse Press re-released the book.

🙁

Not that I have anything against Schoolhouse Press. Lovely group. But sheesh!

If you are serious about Fair Isle (colorwork), this is a phenomenal book. Starmore teaches you about design, not just the knitting process. She also discusses the history of the art, which is worth a read.

9. Sterling; Knitting School: A Complete Course; Sterling Publishing Company; New York; 1990

I bought this through the Crafter’s Choice book club. I do not recommend it. Poorly done, with inadequate explanations. I kept it because I already know how to knit and figured that some of the instruction might be useful, but this is little better than a stitch dictionary.

10. Vogue; Vogue Knitting and Vogue Knitting Quick Reference; Sixth & Spring Books; New York; 2002

These are excellent reference materials. The Quick Reference can be carried in a knitting bag. Vogue Knitting covers all the basics, and has an excellent overview of different cast-on and cast-off methods, construction, and a modular sweater design method that breaks down the design process into clear steps.

11. Vogue; Stitchionary: Volume One – Knit and Purl; Sixth & Spring Books; New York; 2005
Stitchionary: Volume Two – Cables, 2006

These are good stitch dictionaries. There are more volumes than the two I have, but Volume III is colorwork and IV is crochet, neither of which I really need. These two basic ones are good. They’re not great; they don’t have details about the stitches or how they work, and I find the Harmony Guides better for basic instruction. But I’m loyal to Vogue and like these two books.

12. Vogue; The Ultimate Sock Book; Sixth & Spring Books; New York; 2007

If you like socks, BUY THIS BOOK.

‘nuff said.

I love it. It covers toe up and cuff down, all sorts of design information, and then a whole library of designs for you to play with. Loff!

13. Walker, Barbara G.; A Treasury of Knitting Patterns; Schoolhouse Press; Pittsville, WI; 1998
A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns; 1998
Charted Knitting Designs: A Third Treasury of Knitting Patterns; 1998
A Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns; 2000

Awesome!! These are an excellent basis for any knitter’s library. In fact, Walker has nearly eclipsed Alice Starmore as my Number One Knitting Hero. I use Walker’s books more often than Starmore’s, as it happens. She’s smart, funny, and opinionated. I love her. Her stitch books put the Stitchionaries to shame: she gives details for EACH of the stitch patterns she includes in her books, which include her thoughts on the history of the stitch, how it works in garments and projects, whether it looks good on the front and back or if it’s one-sided, etc. I love these books, and am grateful to Schoolhouse Press for re-releasing them.

If you are a knitter who is familiar with Walker’s books, you should check out the Walker Treasury Project. It’s a blog that records modern color pictures of the patterns in the four books. Four more information, visit the blog.

Happy TT!

Thursday 13: A Writer In Her Library

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! As a fourth-generation Irish American, today has special significance since my uncle, the oldest surviving Irish relative on American soil, passed away this month. Our family draws together to remember our connections and to celebrate our family ties. I wish you and yours a very happy and bountiful year! As you raise a glass in celebration, please toast to my Uncle Tom and the family of poor Irish potato farmers who have “made it good” in the new land.

Today I offer the second installment in my series, “A Writer In Her Library.” We continue with craft books today and venture out of the anthologies and into the single titles. I have an eclectic collection spanning some of the glitzy modern photo-intensive books that have little in the way of actual instruction, to those older books from the 50’s and 60’s that have a lot of instructions and much less glam. Enjoy!

1. Singer Sewing Series, Sew and Save for Home and Fashion, Elmsmere Publishing Inc, New York, 1972.

This one caught my eye at a Brandeis Used Book Sale a couple years ago. It’s a battered 3-ring binder, like the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, and covers all sorts of the basics of sewing. Since it’s also targeted to the thrifty home sewer, there are a lot of tips on mending and wardrobe construction.

2. The next five are all from Reader’s Digest. Some of my acquaintance don’t like the RD books because they are abridged; however, I have always enjoyed their how-to books for their depth and breadth of coverage of the topic. I remember the first time I saw a stitchery book and coveted it so badly! It took another decade before I broke down and bought one used, and I love it.

Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills. Reader\’s Digest Association Inc., Pleasantville, NY; 1981.

This one is a gem. It’s got all SORTS of cool stuff. The one that got my husband is ‘build your own stone house.’ Now he wants to go out and collect rocks. 🙂

3. Complete Do-It-Yourself Manual. 1973.

When my husband and I moved in together, we merged our libraries (which were both prodigious). We each had a copy of this book.

‘Nuff said.

4. Complete Guide to Needlework. 1979.

There she is!! This is my first compendium of needlework purchase, and I love it! It’s got stitchery alphabets and instructions for all sorts of crafts! I don’t always learn from 2D to 3D very well, but once I got the basics elsewhere this was a snap – and if you don’t have the whole 2D/3D problem, you’re set.

The interesting thing about this one, is that it has sections on both macrame and lace (including bobbin lace and tatting), which after about 1985 is not something you see much of.

5. Crafts and Hobbies. 1979

JACKPOT! This is awesome. The breadth of crafts included here is staggering, and almost rivals the Family Creative Workshop – and this is only one volume! It goes from Drawing to Enameling to Preserving Fruit, all in the same book. Who needs a television with this thing around??

6. Fix-It-Yourself Manual. 1977.

This is a good book to have around if you own your own home or do your own repairs. It’s got oodles of advice for how to handle common household problems, and includes a section on Furniture Repair that’s exceedingly useful.

7. Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book: Sewing How-To For Home and Family. Better Homes and Gardens Books, 1981.

This is an excellent resource. I’m wondering if I have a typo in my bibliography, because what I found online was 1961 where the cover matched my recollection. Either way, this is an excellent sewing book. It covers adjusting patterns and making fitting fixes better than almost any other sewing book I own. I highly, highly recommend this if you are serious about sewing garments for yourself or others.

8. Jefferys, Chris; Learn to Sew: A Beginner\’s Guide. New Holland Publishers Ltd, London, Cape Town, Sydney, Auckland; 2005.

I really like this one. It’s big and has very clear pictures. The projects, as you can see from the Table of Contents below, are broad-ranging and non-repetitive, but cover all the basics you need to develop a good basis for making your own garments or soft furnishings for the home.

I love the Silverware Roll; that seems like a fun gift for the holidays. The Table Runner with Mitered Border is beautiful and I like the zippered bags. I find zippers intimidating, and the idea of making several small bags to practice seems wise.

9. Oops! Missed a Reader’s Digest. I have it in a different spot on the shelf because it’s in a different format than the ones I listed above; I simply included it in the single titles on the shelf.

Step-by-Step Sewing Course: Essential Techniques for Making Over 150 Creative Home Projects. 2005.

I couldn’t resist the cover.

I’m shallow. ~shrug~

I really want to make that bolster! Maybe this will be the year. From the book jacket:

“Learn to sew and make beautiful gifts and decorator-style custom furnishings for your home with the Step-by-Step Sewing Course. This handy guide is filled with more than 150 projects and variations for beginner, intermediate, and advanced sewers, complete with clear, easy-to-follow, illustrated instructions that lead you through each project, one step at a time. Along with vital information about essential sewing equipment and basic techniques, you\’ll discover how to make…: Quick and easy bedspreads, Tablecloths with lace panels, Decorative window treatments for every type of window, Shower curtains and bath mats, Pillows with romantic ruffles, Duvet covers, Padded fabric headboards, Gift bags for special occasions, …and so much more! “

10. Simplicity, Simply the Best Sewing Book: Revised Edition. Simplicity Pattern Co., Inc., New York, 2001.

This was the recommended book for Veronica Brackett’s excellent sewing courses at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. If you ever get a chance to take one of her classes, DO IT. She’s the single best sewing instructor I have ever met.

The book is good. It starts with your sewing philosophy (do you want to sew simple and buy complicated? Or spend time sewing complicated and buy simple?) and goes through basics. It’s even got a selection of basic patterns to get you started.

11. Singer, Sewing Step-by-Step. Cy DeCosse Incorporated, Minnetonka, MN, 1990.

I like the Singer books. They good, solid, basic, and I have a Singer machine so the instructions are targeted for my equipment.

12. Vogue, Vogue Sewing Book. Butterick Publishing Company, New York; I have two editions – 1975 and 2000.

The 1975 has a section on menswear and is much more in-depth. The 2000 eliminated the menswear section (and it’s only been this year that I’ve started to see men’s patterns making a comeback on the pattern sites) and is a lot more sparse on the instruction. Still, this is a classic reference and well worth having on the shelf.

The Table of Contents, below, is from the current edition but is substantially similar from edition to edition.

13. And now we switch gears into the Knitting Reference section. This is distinct from the Knitting Patterns section, in that the material here covers the basics in how to knit or includes various stitch guides like the Walker books and the Vogue Stitchionaries.

This first one is a surprising find, to me anyway, because I’d already purchased my reference books for knitting and didn’t think I needed any more. I’ve since learned that Debbie Bliss is a knitting luminary and well worth taking a look at her work; this book is no exception. Truly an excellent resource.

Bliss, Debbie, How to Knit. Trafalgar Square Publishing, North Pomfret, VA, 1999.

In looking at this today, I realize that I should crack it open and review the section on colorwork, since I’m working on an intarsia (color block) project that’s proving a bit of a challenge. ~glee~

Thank you for visiting today, and I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into one writer’s library. Happy TT!

As my Facebook friends know, I host a series called A Writer In the City. In thinking about what to focus on for my Thursday 13 responses, I decided to give my readers a glimpse into the books in my library – for, as I’ve been told, I have rather a lot of books.

Today I’d like to focus on one of the sections of my library, my craft books. I have several sections within it, including knitting, crochet, weaving, pysanky, woodworking, candlemaking, needlecraft (which includes Bargello, needlepoint, counted cross-stich, etc.), beads and jewelry making, polymer clay, PMC (precious metal clay), and more. (I’m startled to see how much more, as I am preparing for this Thursday 13.) Join me as I discuss thirteen of my craft anthologies.

One word on methodology. I’ve been keeping a bibliography of my library for more than a decade now, partly because I have so many books I need some simple way to keep track. A while back, I mentioned this to a writing friend of mine, someone who is already published. She gave me the assignment to write down the publisher for each of my books, because the library of books we like will be a window into the publishers who publish works we want to write. I decided that makes a lot of sense. Here are the categories I use in my Excel spreadsheet:

Label? (This tells me if I need to put a book plate in the book. I designed my own custom plates using Avery labels; you can use a regular one from the store or a fancy embosser, your choice.)
Location (i.e. what shelf or, sadly, box. I need a bigger house!)
Subject
Author
Title
Publisher
City (If it’s New York and a bunch of others, I just write, New York et al)
Year
Format (Hardback, Trade, MM for Mass Market)
Notes
Checked-Out? (I don’t loan my books. Ever. This column is for when I do.)

Thirteen Books from the “Crafts: Anthologies” section:

1. Family Creative Workshop, Ed.; Family Creative Workshop, 23 Vol. & Index; Plenary Publications International, Inc.; New York & Amsterdam; 1976.

These are awesome. Hands down, one of the best anthologies for crafts I have ever seen. If you’re lucky, you can even find the volumes library bound – if you do, buy it. They’ll last even longer. They cover truly the largest spectrum of crafts I’ve seen in any anthology – and note, it’s 23 VOLUMES – as in, 23 separate, big, lovely books with color pictures. An orgasm on the bookshelf.

And do you know what? These books are so popular, crafters keep them alive. There’s even, I kid you not, a Facebook page!

2. Nine volumes of the Singer Reference Library:

Creative Sewing Ideas
Decorative Machine Stitching
Quick & Easy Decorating Projects
Quick & Easy Sewing Projects
Sewing for Style
Sewing Projects for the Home
More Sewing Projects for the Home
Timesaving Sewing

Published by Cy DeCosse Incorporated; Minnetonka, MN; various years from 1985 to 1995.

These are very, very good sewing instruction books. As you can see, they cover a myriad of subjects, and are thin enough to not overwhelm but thorough enough to give you a good grounding in the topic. The “Quick & Easy” ones are excellent for beginners, and the others are good once you’ve got the basics down. Singer does a great job of filling their books with lovely glossy photographs that are a visual feast.

3. Greystone\’s Creative Hands; The Complete Knitting, Dressmaking and Needlecraft Guide, Vol. 1-3; Greystone Press; New York, Toronto, London; 1975

I should say, at this point, that I like older craft books. Prior to about 1975 or maybe 1980, craft books actually had in-depth chapters and articles that weren’t driven by pictures and short-attention-span-theater. I have an EXCELLENT sewing book, for example, published in the 60’s that tells how to alter clothing for a full-figured woman. Since the average American is size 14 or higher, this is a useful skill – particularly when most off-the-rack stuff is 14 or smaller.

Greystone’s books are interesting in that they cover a lot of ground. I only found 3 volumes at a used book sale, but according to Library Thing, there are a total of 22. I like them because they cover all the basics and advance from there, and are targeted toward someone who is interested in doing most of the work themselves on clothing and home furnishings.

4. I’m not a huge fan of Time-Life books, at least not where anyone can hear me. (Which is a shame, because they’re really quite something.) I have two sets of books, the first of which is The Art of Sewing. They were published in 1975. They are incredible. The covers are different colors, depending on the topic at hand, and are inspiring from that alone – but the range of topics is even more awesome. Sadly, a search of the Time Life website today yielded no match; however, a look on Google for the art of sewing yielded many raves for the “vintage” collection of books.

The Art of Sewing: Boutique Attire
The Art of Sewing: Classic Techniques
The Art of Sewing: Decorative Techniques
The Art of Sewing: Exotic Styling
The Art of Sewing: Making Home Furnishings
The Art of Sewing: Novel Materials
The Art of Sewing: Personal Touch
The Art of Sewing: Restyling Your Wardrobe
The Art of Sewing: Separates That Travel
The Art of Sewing: Shortcuts to Elegance
The Art of Sewing: Sporting Scene
The Art of Sewing: Traditional Favorites

In particular, my two favorites are Personal Touch and Restyling Your Wardrobe. While the pictures are out-of-date because they’re from 1975, they are classic enough that with modern fabrics and a modern eye one can use them with current fashions. Restyling discusses how to, for example, make a skirt from a pair of suit pants – what a novel idea and a great way to use expensive suiting fabric! Pretty cool if you’re into the modern D-I-Y movement, too.

5. Oddly, my second set of Time Life was published in Alexandria, VA, and the first in New York. Weird, no? Anyway, this next antholody is Home Repair and Improvement. I actually remember seeing adds for this series, though the version I have is from 1997 and I won’t admit to watching TV in that year. ~smirk~

Home Repair and Improvement: Adding On
Home Repair and Improvement: Basic Wiring
Home Repair and Improvement: Energy Alternatives
Home Repair and Improvement: Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
Home Repair and Improvement: Kitchens and Bathrooms
Home Repair and Improvement: New Living Spaces
Home Repair and Improvement: Plumbing
Home Repair and Improvement: Porches and Patios
Home Repair and Improvement: Weatherproofing

These are fun for me, even though I don’t yet own my own home, because they give me ideas and information on how to do things when I do. Also, New Living Spaces helped me figure out ways to more efficiently use the space I do have now, even though it’s a rental.

6. The next several are single volumes. Better Homes and Gardens; Creative Crafts and Stitchery; Better Homes and Gardens Books; United States; 1976.

This has been published in multiple versions and I’ve wanted a copy since I was about 14 and saw it at my friend’s house who was a crafting goddess. (She had some seriously cool stuff at her place, and her mom owned the local knitting shop, so I was in serious adoration of these ladies.) This book is fun and feels like a textbook – same size and weight as my college calculus book, actually. (More fun though.) (Yes, I know I like math. But I like textile arts more. Hush, now, I’m’a talkin’ here!)

The section on knitting is fun to look at, because I never know what techniques I might want to borrow. I always browse the patterns in older books too, because the constructions are remarkably similar to current garments and sometimes the older explanations are easier to understand.

7. Guild, Vera P.; Good Housekeeping: New Complete Guide to Needlecraft; Good Housekeeping Books; New York; 1971

Similar to number 6, but from a different home company. I like both Good Housekeeping and Better Homes and Gardens; I think they’re both thorough and fun to read. I like this one because it presents a lot of needle crafts in ways that are easy to follow. I find the older pictures as inspiring as today’s glossy magazine photos, though I could wish more of them were in color.

8. McCall\’s; Needlework Treasury; Random House; New York; 1964

Something I only learned in recent years, McCall’s, Vogue, and Butterick are all the same company. They each have a slightly different ‘feel’ from each other, and I’m not sure if it’s a recent development or they’ve always been part of the same group. This treasury is fun because it’s got, like 6 and 7, a lot of different options for exploring needlearts.

Sometimes, the older books cover things like tatting, bobbin lace, and other forms of knitting that aren’t looked at by the more modern books.

9. Crafter\’s Choice; Complete Illustrated Stitch Encyclopedia; Crafter\’s Choice; New York; 2001

I accidentally got roped into Crafter’s Choice a couple years ago. They’re like Columbia House, but for craft books. If you have any impulse control issues around books, which the fact that I’m doing a TT on books might clue you into the fact that I do, I do not recommend getting involved with any club that sends you stuff you have to send back in order to not buy. Once it’s in your hot little hands, you’re not gonna want to let it go.

Jus’ sayin’…

This isn’t a bad book, by any means. It’s big, and glossy, and modern, and has lots of good ideas. I kept it when I did a purge of my library, so obviously something in it calls to me. It’s just not one I’d say “thou must run thee out and buyest thee this book” or something.

10. Michael\’s; Michael\’s Book of Needlecrafts: Knitting, Crochet and Embroidery; Lark Books; New York; 2005

Okay, okay. It’s silly, I admit it. I mean, it’s a craft store, what could they POSSIBLY offer me in a book that I can’t get by a better publisher like the ones already listed above?

d00d. You walk by something for long enough, and pretty soon that puppy will be talkin’ to ya and seducin’ ya and then poof, it’s in ya’ll’s shoppin’ cart… (I admit, the backpack design had me at hello, and the needlepoint on modern projects just clinched it. I fought buying the stupid thing for months, walking past it at Michael’s stores from here to the coasts and back. I bought it though, ~mumbles~ ahem, Crafter’s Choice…selection of the month…~mumbles~)

11. Better Homes and Gardens; Decorating Book; Meredith Corporation; United States; 1976

Better Homes and Gardens publishing offices in the 70’s must have been friggin’ Mecca.

d00d.

This.book.is.awesome. It’s full of ideas and, even better, it’s full of how to do stuff. LOFF! And it’s set up like their cookbook, the one that’s in the binder and has extra little pages and stuff…

12. Better Homes and Gardens; Handyman\’s Book; Better Homes and Gardens Books; Des Moines, New York; 1970

Same thing, but for Handyman people. (Handypeople probably didn’t scan well in the early 70’s.) (Besides, one doesn’t really hear of “handypeople jobs.”) (ANYWAY…) This one is useful for all sorts of things that go bump-crunch-bang in the middle of the night. Even if you have to hire someone to fix something, this book will tell you everything you need to know to evaluate what sort of, ahem, person you need to hire.

13. Rupp, Diana; Sew Everything Workshop; Workman Publishing; New York; 2007

BEST.SEWING.BOOK.EVER.

Srsly.

I’ve seen a LOT of sewing books. (Really. I once spent four hours in a circus tent full of books at a used book sale, drowning in the home ec section.) This is the single best sewing book I have ever seen in my life, trumping even the sewing bible, the Vogue Sewing Book. If you can only afford two books, get this and the Vogue one. If you can only get one, buy this one.

The one and only time I’ve WANTED to visit New York City was when I found out that the author has her own shop there. Make Workshop.

d00d. I wonder if she wants a love slave?

Happy TT!