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Friday, November 07, 2014

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: How to Knit & How To Crochet

How to Knit

by Leslie Ann Bestor

Paperback: 112 pages

Publisher: Storey Publishing LLC (August 26, 2014)


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How to Crochet

by Sara Delaney

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: Storey Publishing LLC (August 26, 2014)


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"Crafting is unique in its ability to involve many different areas of the brain.  It can work your memory and attention span while involving your visuospatial processing, creative side, and problem-solving abilities." - Catherine Carey Levisay, a clinical neuropsychologist and wife of Craftsy.com CEO John Levisay
If you already knit or crochet, you've seen the craft have yet another surge of popularity in recent years.  It's no wonder.  Between recent studies linking crafting to brain function, and the tough economy that has so many hunkering down at home, fiber arts seem like a no brainer.  Instead of just being a consumer of goods, you become a manufacturer or goods - and have hours of fun while doing so! 

The popularity of handmade items has also soared in recent years. It's certainly more personal to create and give a special gift, versus a gift card to a mass merchant.  Knit and crochet items are even taking over the high-fashion runways. Gone are the days of the dreaded - yet now treasured (that is, if any of them survived) - "grandma knits."  Everyone wants handknits!

With so many newbies interested in fiber arts, Storey Publishing has added two new titles to the Storey Basics series; How to Knit and How To Crochet. Whether readers are complete newbies, or looking to expand their horizons from knit to crochet, or vice versa, these handy books are the perfect reference guides.

One of my favorite things about these books is their perfect little, handy size.  Each measures a mere 5" x 7", making them great for at home or on the go - they fit in most purses and project bags! Each features clearly written instructions, as well as helpful graphics and illustrations.

How to Knit is divided into 6 chapters:
  1. When You're Ready to Cast On
  2. The Basic Stitches: Knit, Purl, and ... Slip
  3. Shaping Up Your Knitting: Increases & Decreases
  4. We All Make Mistakes
  5. Getting Down to the Tools and Materials
  6. Learning to Decipher Patterns
How to Crochet is divided into 8 chapters:
  1. Getting to Know Your Materials
  2. Getting Started: Forget the Chain!
  3. Chains: Your Foundation
  4. Basic Crochet Stitches
  5. Gauge
  6. Working in the Round
  7. Perfecting Techniques
  8. Pattern Reading
If you're looking to learn to knit or crochet - or both - these are must have books for your library!  They also make great gifts for those friends who keep telling us how much they want to learn, but "just don't have the time" for classes.  In fact, a book, skein of yarn and some needles or hooks would make a perfect crafty holiday gift!  You could even package it all inside a hand knit (or crochet) stocking!

Whether you want these books for yourself or to give as a gift, don't miss out on your chance to win them below!

About the Authors:
Leslie Ann Bestor is the author of the best-seller Cast On, Bind Off and a knitting teacher and store manager at WEBS, America's Yarn Store. Many of her designs have been featured in books and magazines. Leslie currently lives and knits in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Sara Delaney has been crocheting since she was 7 years old. She studied clothing design and construction for 3 years. She's been teaching sold-out crochet classes at WEBS since 2007, where she also wrote the core curriculum for their crochet courses and workshops. Sara designs and publishes her patterns independently, as well as through Coats & Clark and WEBS. She lives and blogs in Belchertown, Massachusetts.

GIVEAWAY!

How would you like to win a copy of How to Knit or How to Crochet?  Thanks to the great folks over at Storey Publishing, I get to give away a copy of each!
 
To Enter: 
  • Leave a comment below indicating which book you would like to win and why -- is it for you or to give as a gift?  (please be sure your comment includes a way to contact you in case you are a lucky winner)
  • Get a bonus entry for tweeting about this giveaway. Leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet in it. (get 2 bonus entries if your Tweet is a little more creative than just a straight link to this post)
  • Get a bonus entry for liking the Lapdog Creations page on Facebook and commenting on any post on the page. Leave a separate comment indicating you did so.




Contest is open through Saturday, November 15 at 11:59pm eastern time. Winner will be picked by random number generator.

Disclaimer: Storey Publishing LLC sent 2 copies each of How to Knit and How to Crochet to Lapdog Creations for review and give away purposes.  I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed in the review are my own.

5 comments:

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  2. My Mom always did any crochet for me. Maybe it's time I learned to do it myself.

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  3. I really need the "How To Knit" book because for years I have been trying to become a good "knitter" but I never seem to improve. I am retired and have lots of time to master the art of knitting.

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