Crafts & Hobbies Books - Page 2

Forbidden LEGO: Build the Models Your Parents Warned You Against!

Ulrik Pilegaard, Mike Dooley

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It just may be impossible to exhaust the creative potential of LEGO bricks. With an active imagination as your guide, there are endless possibilities--provided you follow the LEGO Company's official (and sensible) rules. This means no cutting or tampering with bricks, creating models that shoot unapproved projectiles, or using non-standard parts with any LEGO product. After all, those little precision-molded ABS bricks can be dangerous in the wrong hands! Well, toss those rules out the window.

Forbidden LEGO introduces you to the type of free-style building that LEGO's master builders do for fun in the back room. Using LEGO bricks in combination with common household materials (from rubber bands and glue to plastic spoons and ping-pong balls) along with some very unorthodox building techniques, you'll learn to create working models that LEGO would never endorse. Try your hand at a toy gun that shoots LEGO plates, a candy catapult, a high voltage LEGO vehicle, a continuous-fire ping-pong ball launcher, and other useless but incredibly fun inventions.

Once you get into the spirit, you'll want to try inventing your own rule-breaking models. Forbidden LEGO's authors, share tips and tricks that will inspire you and help you turn your visions into reality. Nothing's against the rules in this book!

Back to Basics

Editors of Readers Digest

List Price: $26.95 By: Readers Digest Amazon Marketplace: 64 new & used starting at $8.92

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Some good information, but unfocused (details) 3 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This illustrated book has been published chiefly for those who are new to country living, and/or who have an interest in self-sufficiency and in retrieving some of the "lost arts" which are appurtenant to traditional country life. The information is mostly introductory and rudimentary... a good start for most folks new to these areas of interest.

I have lived in the foothills of rural Appalachia for 55 years and have been involved in carrying out nearly all the construction, activities, arts, and crafts found within this text. Some of the text, (along with the accompanying drawings and photos), is quite good. The information is solid and one can get started along the right track; however, the work goes astray (the publishers sort of "threw in the kitchen sink"), into areas which are not particularly relevant to traditional country living. The editors simply went too far afield when they got into topics such as "Winter Sports," "Kayaking and Rafting," "Foraging for Flour and Emergency Rations," and so on. Most of these subjects are tagged on at the end, I felt just to make the book longer, (it's plenty long enough at 456 pages!)

Additionally, on topics such as "Emergency First Aid," "Fly Fishing" (and fish identification), and "Recipes," there are obligatory sections, none of which are all that useful since these are subjects, any one of which could fill volumes. Had these areas of specific interest been omitted, the more appropriate topics could have been somewhat expanded, such as "Barn Building" or "Preserving Meat and Fish".

There is a far superior (albeit, much older) version of this sort of book which was published by Reader's Digest some years ago: READER'S DIGEST BACK TO BASICS. I can highly recommend it and I've referred to my worn copy time after time.

While there is quite a great deal of quality information in this Skyhorse Publishing Third Edition (2008) for those seeking a new or improved life in the rural countryside, I still feel that the editors strayed off-base to the point that I cannot heartily recommend the work.

Editorial Review:

This how-to, user-friendly guide teaches self-sufficiency-covering all of life's essentials: shelter; alternative energy sources; growing and preserving food; home crafts; directions for making herbal remedies; and even home-grown entertainment.

Stitch 'N Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook

Debbie Stoller

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Workman Publishing Company Amazon Marketplace: 78 new & used starting at $7.78

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Knitting

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 260 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Knitting is hot, with 4 million newcomers in the last few years joining a core group of 38,000,000 knitters nationwide. And these are primarily young, creative, connected chicks with sticks who are coming together in living rooms, knitting cafes, and chic yarn stores, and making everything from funky hats to bikinis.

In Stitch 'n Bitch, Debbie Stoller-founder of the first Stitch 'n Bitch knitting group in New York City-covers every aspect of knitting and the knitting-together lifestyle: the how-to, the when-to, the what-to, the why-to. Writing with wit and attitude (The Knitty-Gritty, Blocking for Blockheads), she explains the different types of needles and yarns (and sheep, too) and all the techniques from basic to fancy, knit to purl to cast-off. She also shares her special brand of corrective surgery for when things go wrong, and offers fun and informative sidebars on such topics as how to find the best yarn for less, how to make a buttonhole, knitting etiquette, and what tools to keep in your knitting bag. At the heart of the book are forty stylish patterns: Alien Scarf, Big Bad Baby Blanky, Mohair Hoodie, Kitty and Devil Hat, Cell Phone Cozy, and Wonder Woman Bikini. And for anyone interested: how to start a Stitch 'n Bitch group.

Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines: Patterns, Stories, Pictures, True Confessions, Tricky Bits, Whole New Worlds, and Familiar Ones, Too

Kay Gardiner, Ann Meador Shayne

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Potter Craft Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $18.45

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Dear Fellow Knitter,

Welcome! Come on in. Have a seat—we’ve been waiting for you.

Ever since our first book, Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitters’ Guide, we’ve been exploring techniques and ideas that we once thought were the sort of thing that only brilliant knitters could do.

Our conclusion: We are all brilliant knitters!

None of this is rocket science! If you can knit a garter stitch scarf, you’ve figured out the hard part. Now it’s time for the fun to start. You hold in your hands the result of our odyssey. It’s a new collection of 30 delicious projects that we hope will take you on your own knitting adventures.

Decorating Yourself: A collection of beautiful things to make for your most demanding (and forgiving) client.

The Fairest Isle of All: A simple, quick introduction to a sort of knitting you may not have considered, with surprising, modern projects.

Covering the Small Human: Pint-sized knits, including baby hats, dreamy dresses, and a cool pullover for the ultimate challenge: the Older Child.

Occasional Knitting: Projects for the special occasions in life—holidays, housewarmings, picnics.

The Sophisticated Kitchen: New uses for one of our favorite yarns: kitchen cotton.

We have filled this book with luscious photographs, stories, tips, rules, and hints. You’ll read how we arrived at these projects and the discoveries we have made along the way, and you will discover shocking things about us.

At all times, we have kept in mind Mason-Dixon Knitting Rule Number 1 : Knitting is spoze to be fun. Fasten your seatbelt—it’s going to be a fabulous ride!

Love,
Kay and Ann

Wristwatch Annual 2009: The Catalog of Producers, Prices, Models, and Specifications (Wristwatch Annual)

Amazon Price: $23.10 List Price: $35.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Abbeville Press Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $23.10

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Each year brings hundreds of new wristwatch designs, with aesthetic and mechanical changes and improvements, limited edition watches, and new producers, keeping this field exciting for collectors. Following the success of last year's book, this new annual features over 1,700 of the world's most luxurious wristwatches and provides color photographs and complete specifications for each watch. With Wristwatch Annual, collectors have a wealth of information close at hand: the book is arranged alphabetically by producer, and within each producer's section are specifications and materials for each watch, including price, movement, special features, complications, case, dial, band, and available variations of a particular model. A glossary and pronunciation guide help acclimate the reader to the world of fine timepieces, and, for prospective buyers, the addresses of all featured producers are listed together. The elegant photography and layout will encourage people to peruse the year's offerings for aesthetic appeal as well. The range of styles, from classic to modern, reflects the inclusive nature of this book, which watch collectors the world over will find both a handy reference and required reading.

1700 full-color illustrations

Featured Manufacturers: Alpina; Svend Anderson; Angular Momentum; Anonimo; Arnold & Son; Audemars Piguet; Ball Watch Company; Baume & Mercier; Bell & Ross; Ernst Benz; Blancpain; blu; Rainer Brand; Martin Braun; Breguet; Breitling; Carl F. Bucherer; Bvlgari; Cartier; Chase-Durer; Chopard; Chronoswiss; Frédérique Constant; Corum; d. freemont; Davosa; De Grisogono; Doxa; Dubey & Schaldenbrand; Roger Dubuis; Dunhill; Ebel; Eberhard & Co.; Epos; Eterna; Jacques Etoile; Carlo Ferrara; Fortis; Gérald Genta; Gevril; Girard-Perregaux; Glashütte Original; Glycine; Graham; Hanhart; Harwood; Hermès; Hublot; IWC; Jacob & Co.; Jaeger-LeCoultre; Jaquet Droz; JeanRichard; Kobold; Maurice Lacroix; A. Lange & Söhne; Limes; Longines; Marcello C.; Meistersinger; Mido; Daniel Mink; Montblanc; Movado; Mühle; Franck Muller; Ulysse Nardin; NBY; Armand Nicolet; Nivrel; Nomos; Omega; Oris; Panerai; Parmigiani; Patek Philippe; Piaget; Paul Picot; Poljot-International; Porsche Design; Rado; Auguste Reymond; RGM; Rolex; Daniel Roth; Scalfaro; Jörg Schauer; Alain Silberstein; Sinn; Sothis; Stowa; Swiss Army; TAG Heuer; Temption; Tissot; Tudor; Tutima; Union; Vacheron Constantin; Ventura; Vollmer; George J von Burg; Harry Winston; Xemex; Dino Zei; Zenith; Zeno.

The Knitting Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You'll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You'll Ever Ask

Margaret Radcliffe

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 92 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Every avid knitter has faced this dilemma: deep into a project at midnight, just trying to finish one more row, and, then . . . oh no, a dropped stitch three rows back! Help! If only there was a 24-hour hotline to answer every question a knitter might encounter. Well, now there is, with The Knitting Answer Book . The expert authors, Margaret Radcliffe and Edie Eckman, leave no question unanswered, no quandry unaddressed. Each book contains detailed, illustrated answers to literally hundreds of questions, from the common to the more unusual:

• Are certain needles better for certain yarns?
• What if I dropped a stitch several rows back?
• Why do my edges tend to curl up?
• Can you use a different weight yarn than the pattern calls for?
• What can I do to keep my yarns from tangling up?
• Oops, I see my ribbing is way too tight. Now what?

Covering the whole range of situations a beginner is likely to face, along with the problems that may arise for those working more advanced patterns, this Answer Book will help knitters and crocheters of all levels. Each book is packaged in a small, take-along trim size, in a friendly-to-use Q&A format, and belongs in the bag of every knitter. Available 24/7, The Knitting Answer Book is always open, ready for yarn lovers to browse and consult to their heart’s content.

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide

Allan Bedford

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

What exactly is a slope? What's the difference between a tile and a plate? Why is it bad to simply stack bricks in columns to make a wall? The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide is here to answer your questions.

Focusing on building actual models with real bricks, The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide comes with complete instructions to build several cool models but also encourages you to use your imagination to create your own fantastic creations.

Inside, you'll learn:

• The best ways to connect bricks and creative uses for those patterns
• Tricks for calculating and using scale (it's not as hard as you think)
• The step-by-step plans to create a train station on the scale of LEGO people (a.k.a. "minifigs")
• How to build spheres, jumbo-sized LEGO bricks, micro-scaled models, and a mini space shuttle
• Tips for sorting and storing all of your LEGO pieces

The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide also includes the Brickopedia, a visual guide to nearly 300 of the most useful and reusable elements of the LEGO system, with historical notes, common uses, part numbers, and the year each piece first appeared in a LEGO set.

The firm foundation for your LEGO hobby starts here!

A Splintered History of Wood: Belt Sander Races, Blind Woodworkers, and Baseball Bats

Spike Carlsen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. Without wood, we wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the colder regions of the planet. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives still would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist.

At the same time, many of us are removed from the world where wood is shaped and celebrated every day. That world is inhabited by a unique assortment of eccentric craftsmen and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, sacred relics, and bizarre forms of transportation. In A Splintered History of Wood, Spike Carlsen has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, and many more, in a passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift.

Simply Sewing (Kids Can Do It)

Judy Sadler

Amazon Price: $6.95 List Price: $6.95 By: Kids Can Press, Ltd. Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $4.81

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Sewing for Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.

My 8 year-old granddaughter asked if I would teach her to sew. I am not gifted with natural teaching abilities, but I told her I would have a go at it this summer once school was out. I needed a book with simple but fun projects that a young girl would want to make. Making something she would have no use for or that was so difficult as to frustrate would only discourage her. The book Simply Sewing is full of easy fun projects that most kids will enjoy doing. A Beach Bag, a simple skirt are a couple of the projects in the book.
My granddaughter is excited to start sewing.

Simply Sewing (kids Can Do It) 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I brought this book for my 10 year old grand daughter. She found it easy to understand.

Editorial Review:

This book in the Kids Can Do It series features breezy wraps and terrific tote bags for the beach, neat trims for plain clothes or a skirt made from worn-out jeans -- Simply Sewing has these and many other projects all stitched up! Includes sewing-machine basics, hand-sewing stitches and fabric facts. Step-by-step instructions with full-color illustrations and photos make it "sew" simple!

Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing with Handmade Stamps, Stencils, and Silk Screens

Lena Corwin

Amazon Price: $18.15 List Price: $27.50 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book Amazon Marketplace: 10 new & used starting at $18.15

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Crafts & Hobbies -> Decorating

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It’s the natural inconsistencies—the accidental differences between one finished piece and another—that make hand-printed fabrics, papers, furniture, and works of art so interesting. The quirks are what show the maker’s intimate involvement in the process, and it’s that unique quality that first attracted textile designer and illustrator Lena Corwin to hand-printing.

 

Even though decorative prints are more in vogue than ever, there was until now no up-to-date hand-printing guide—no single source explaining the tools and materials that are used today, or reflecting a contemporary aesthetic. Corwin has given us that guide.

 

Using step-by-step instructions and up-close photos, Corwin teaches crafters everything they need to know to master stamping, stenciling, and screen printing, from making their own printing devices to trouble-shooting when plans go awry. Her inimitable collection of projects ranges from stamped stationery and simple-to-sew pouches, to stenciled tote bags and furniture, to screen-printed bed linens and upholstery fabric. There’s even a silk-screened dog bed. The author has created original artwork for each project (full-size patterns are included in an envelope at the back of the book), so that every crafter can achieve the same beautiful results. Or maybe not quite the same. Remember: It’s the subtle differences that make hand-printing so special and alluring.