I had never heard of Yarn Bombing until this book. Otherwise known as knit graffiti, it is an international guerrilla movement that started underground and is now embraced by crochet and knitting artists of all ages stripes. Basically one knits something and then puts it in a public space. For lots of cool examples you can check out Yarnbombing.com.
This was the first book I read on the Fall 2010 list; (mostly because it was the first advance I got) but I like reading business books and like to think I am a creative soul. So when the author of Craft, Inc. decided to write Creative, Inc., a business book for freelance creative types I was sold. Because of its target audience it is very funkily designed. I have read enough business books to see that the the content is pretty right on target. And of course, being as artistic and fun as they are, they put together a super cool stop motion trailer...enjoy!
Finally Cake Pops is here! I have been totally excited about this book since I saw it listed at sales conference in April. This past weekend my daughter, niece and I made a batch. It was easier than I thought. Initally I had great expectations of making chicks and cows and such, but realised that I had better just get down the technique. The result was pretty amazing if I do say so myself. I took them to the CGTA, which is Canada's largest gift show (you can see us pictured on the right at the show). They were a big hit! Cake Pops are bite sized pieces of cake dipped in meltable chocolate or candy coating. They are a fun alternative to birthday cake or cupcakes. But they should come with a warning...the sweetness factor is off the charts!
More on Type! The Vancouver Film School has produced a 90 second film clip on the basics of Typography enititled "Typography is what Language Looks Like". The film references Ellen Lupton who is the super cool author of such great books as Thinking With Type, Graphic Design: The New Basics, and my personal favourite: DIY:Design it Yourself. DIY is a great book for all those alt-crafters who love websites such as Etsy. Enjoy!
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts is arriving at just the right time - lots of people are turning to crafts for cheap decorating ideas, or handmade gifts and if it's the latter, you could do a lot worse than seek inspiration from Martha - you know all her projects will be very professional looking. This book is geared towards the amateur crafter and there are many activities that you could do with kids. It's organzied by type of craft from Albums to Wreaths, with a general introduction and list of materials and supplies, followed by specific projects, some more appealing and practical than others. For example, I'm not too keen on decorating wastepaper baskets with shells, or covering candles (or anything for that matter) with glitter, but the chapters on beading, jewelry making, leaf prints (making fabric sun prints in particular) and photo crafts, have given me all sorts of intriguing decorating ideas. And for the person who likes to create their own gifts or cards, there are very good chapters on making soap and candles, and innovative stamping and heat embossing techniques. Though some of the projects look to be time-consuming, none of them require skills that can take a long time to master; thus no chapters on knitting, crocheting or quilting. As with all of Martha's books, the interior design and photographs are quite gorgeous to look at. I find some of her cookbooks a bit intimidating (too many expensive ingredients), but this craft book definitely is not - my only problem now is trying to keep my list of projects shorter than my to-be-read pile.
Chic & Simple Sewing: Skirts, Dresses, Tops and Jackets for the Modern Seamstress by Christine Haynes
I'm hoping the emphasis is on "simple".
I've found my new craft project for the holidays and it's this knit and fabric afghan pictured on the cover of Erika Knight's Classic Knits at Home. I should preface this by saying I'm not a very good knitter; a simple scarf is the most complicated thing I've ever attempted. But I do like to quilt (which just takes forever) and I was immediately intrigued by the look and multiple textures of this cozy throw. It may not be clear in the photograph, but it's actually constructed with hexigons that alternate between six different knitted patterns and ones cut out of men's wear fabrics. Now knitting patterns usually terrify me - yes, I can do a basic knit or purl, but counting stitches or rows, increasing, decreasing, trying to keep track of where I am in the pattern - it's all very stressful. However, I had a bit of wool left over from a previous project and so I thought I'd try one of the simpler hexigons. And lo and behold, it actually worked out. I've now tried three of the six patterns and I am hooked. The secret for me is to write out the pattern of every single row on a cue card and then cross it off when I've completed it. I'm doing mine in different colours - using light gray, a darker charcoaly gray-purple, creamy white and then a pale yellow. I'll go shopping for some fabric with browner tones than the bluey-gray used up above once I've knitted up all the hexigons. Other projects in this book include floor pillows, a rug, a yoga mat and planter covers, and honestly, if I can follow the instructions, anyone can. Here's some of what I've done so far. 
