Crafts

All crafters know that a good craft book comes with easy-to-follow instructions and beautiful images to match. You will get all this and more in Close Knit—made for beginners and pros alike! Bagger fans will be excited to find her unique knitting style and sustainable punk aesthetic inside. It will be easy to find your muse from the large amount of designs that fill cover to cover. 
—KAILEY JO

Let what makes you unique shine through by creating a look inspired by Jansdotter’s latest sewing book. I love the adaptability of each design, allowing for creations that fit any style all year long. Complete with flexible sizing, layered pattern designs, and personal stories tied to every piece, this book is for anyone who is looking for a spark of motivation to make your wardrobe scream you!

—KAILEY JO

Artisans and those who appreciate crafts, textiles, and needlework, will love this gorgeous book by Natalie Chanin, founder of a company which makes organically and ethically produced, thoughtfully designed, women's clothing, home textiles, and more. Each beautiful piece is stitched with care and intent, creating garments that “are treated like narratives. Like short stories we can all wear.” Chanin includes some sewing techniques, but the real gift of this book is that she shares her own story of finding inspiration, following a path, and celebrating the joy of design. 
—S.B.

With seventeen fun beginner projects, this book will teach new printers what tools and materials are needed and how to care for them, the basics of design, how to carve and print with stamps and other techniques, and offers tutorials for lovely crafts one can make with block printing. Colorful, modern, and accessible, this guide would be an excellent addition to the collections of art teachers, hobby crafters, and creative home decor enthusiasts. 
—MOLLY

In our time of a global shared trauma, self-care is more important than ever. Many of us have found new hobbies and passions during the various shutdowns, and for anyone who has been knitting, from the seasoned knitter to the knitting newbie, this book is a great source of patterns and comfort. Crafting can be a soothing activity as well as one that leaves you feeling accomplished. Get cozy and ready to take care of yourself, while making something for you or your friends!—MJ 

The crafting community that is visible to the public eye has for generations been perceived as the realm of cis-het white women. This Long Thread is made up of stories and essays from people who don’t fit into the mold that social media expects from its crafting influencers. The pieces from the BIPOC folks in This Long Thread address racism, family, tradition, love, and loss, all with a focus on fiber crafts. Get this for the crafter or maker in your life; it will enhance their craft and their understanding of the world, no matter their discipline.—Jae

Quilts are historically group projects; women sat together, creating from spare fabrics a blanket that has the potential to be handed down for generations, telling stories as they sew. Stitching Stolen Lives weaves a portrait of the power of quilts to share stories and to help one express oneself. Trail helps empower young people to use quilting to not only remember those they have lost but to make a promise to themselves to fight injustice for a better future.—MJ

Allison Hawthorne Deming has written a lovely ode to the makers, beginning with those most felt in her own life, her family’s lineage of haute couture women dressmakers and the Canadian weir fishermen of Grand Manan Island, home to her childhood summers. From here, she weaves across the world and time, seeking the intimate and the remarkable, infusing essay with poetry, detail, and an environmental awareness that understands the importance of craft, the purposeful act of making in a world of constant breaking.—Melinda

As a knitter I am confident in many techniques, but one that baffles me to no end is colorwork. I need something that teaches me step by step, as most patterns are either too simple or extremely complex and leave me floundering. That’s why I’m so excited about Ostermiller’s new book, which walks you through different color techniques and lovely patterns with which to try them. If you’re ready to take your knitting to the next level, this promises to be the perfect fit. — Jax

Take a journey around the world with this beautiful book about international dyeing techniques, from the owners of A Verb for Keeping Warm textile shop in Oakland. Full of gorgeous photography, fun projects, and textile references, this book is perfect for someone who spent the beginning of lockdown in a crafting frenzy. — Jae