Best needlework books according to redditors
We found 38 Reddit comments discussing the best needlework books. We ranked the 26 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 38 Reddit comments discussing the best needlework books. We ranked the 26 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
You could look into the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook (I think that's the right one, anyways) for suggestions of how to spin/process the fleeces. There are a lot of sheep breeds that are primarily meat breeds in other places that still have nice fleeces!
Most enabling book ever: The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook
Is that a honeycomb pattern? The readers digest guide to needlework covers mocking pretty well. Honeycomb is a basic/easy type https://katafalk.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/honeycomb-smocking-tutorial/
Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework https://www.amazon.com/dp/0888500858/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_xVCyzbS44SD08
TL;DR ahead~
I've been spinning for about 4 or 5 years now, and was using a drop spindle exclusively up until about a month ago. I just got a single treadle Ashford Traditional on long-term loan. I've only used it 3 or 4 times since then, so I'm not the best person to talk about wheel use. Spindles, on the other hand, are definitely my bag.
The most important things for a beginning spindler to have are a good spindle and decent fiber. The spindle doesn't have to be fancy, but it should be well-balanced, with a long spin time. I'm a big proponent of Kundert spindles as starter spindles; the one I have is my go-to for almost everything in the sport to aran range.
Good fiber is possibly even more important than a good spindle. Neppy, dry, or semi-felted fiber just makes the spinning process unpleasant, and you really have to push yourself to not give up when the fiber's fighting you. Super-short staple stuff is also generally not a good idea for beginning spinners; I started off with Coopworth, which is not the softest wool in the world, but it's definitely good at holding together. Blue-Faced Leicester and Border Leicester are also good options.
Related to that is the fact that fibers from different breeds of sheep (not to mention other fibers) have very different properties. These can influence the way you spin. Shorter fibers tend to be softer, but also more prone to wear. Longer fibers tend to be more wiry, but also more durable. The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook is a really good source for information on sheep breeds, as is The Knitter's Book of Wool. While you don't have to spin something a certain way because it's a specific type of wool, the yarn will probably fight you less if you try and keep breed properties in mind when you work with it.
Also important to know is that there are many different fiber prep methods that you can spin from, and that these can also affect the quality of the yarn you make. Batts make for very floofy woolen (as a style of spinning) yarns, and combed top, which a lot of people call roving, makes for a more even worsted (again, a style of spinning, not a yarn weight) yarn. You can even spin wool straight from the lock, but generally you don't get into that advanced a form of fiber madness until a few years in.
Lastly, and most essential-- remember that you're going to drop your spindle. A lot. There will probably be swearing. Tears and recriminations may factor into things. The first couple months or so will make you wonder if it's really worth all that trouble, when you can barely manage to get yarn to hold together while practicing Park-and-Draft. But for me, that first awkward swatch of fabric knitted up from my first skein of yarn convinced me to keep going, because it was something I had produced from the ground up.
Five years later, I'm still spinning.
There's a lot more about spinning that I haven't covered, but I think that hits the salient points.
tl;dr-- Get a decent spindle, don't use crappy fiber even if it's cheap, listen to what the fiber wants to be spun like, and don't be afraid to screw up when you're starting off, because it's just fiber.
I started sewing in the beginning of January and am working through this book: https://www.amazon.com/School-Sewing-Learn-Teach-Together/dp/1940655021
I've done 8 of the 12 projects and have learned a lot - my 8th project (a padded, sturdy tote bag) took less time than the first (a pillowcase!) . I've doubled up on a few of the projects that I thought might be helpful. The book has 12 projects and a couple chapters on the basics. It assumes you know nothing about sewing.
I know it's just an added cost on top of everything else, but I was overwhelmed at the start and also didn't know where to begin, and was having a hard time finding youtube channels that I thought would work for me.
Linky. Cheesecake is my favourite, but it's so hard to get one that' s just right. I should start to make my own, so then I can have cheesecake all day everyday. Until then, trifle is my favourite.
Happy cake day!
My mother tried to teach me when I was young, but I mostly taught myself pre-internet from https://www.amazon.com/McCalls-Needlework-Treasury-Learn-Make/dp/B000O6HYRC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=QIJT45S2EBO5&keywords=mccalls+needlework+treasury&qid=1555885798&s=gateway&sprefix=mccalls+needlework+treasury&sr=8-1
Books!
Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Needlework
Embroidery Techniques and Patterns
A-Z of Embroidery Stitches
A-Z of Embroidery Stitches 2
Color Confidence in Embroidery
Needle Painting Embroidery: Fresh Ideas for Beginners
This is nothing close to an exhaustive list of all my needlework books, but I think these are the relevant ones for you. =)
I would recommend getting a sampler book like the fussy cut sampler or the [Tula Pink city sampler] (https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_7_9?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tula+pink%27s+city+sampler+100+modern+quilt+blocks&sprefix=tula+pink%2Cstripbooks%2C155&crid=MNVTDA217ITH). Great way to use up scraps in unusual ways. I like that each block is a mini project unto itseld. I've never made one personally but I've also seen a few string quilts on here which seem great for using up smaller sized strips.
I do have lots of black floss, that may be worth a shot. They provided black wool in the kit but I'm having trouble with it, either its too chunky or it disappears when I try to felt it. The kit was bought at a local fiber fair, the website on the instructions doesn't seem to exist anymore but heres a link to a book the creator wrote https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MST84H6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Little over a decade ago, out of the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework - learning from a book was HARD. I kind of got it, but not entirely. After a quick head scarf triangle thing, I tried a jacquard three color plaid piece that was... special. That scarf is still somewhere around my house. I was ambitious!
I put it down for a while. Then took up crochet and knitting again during/after college. But ravelry and youtube had then been invented, making things much much easier!!
I then started small. Retaught myself to knit. Retaught myself crochet. Looked at projects like fingerless mittens to try multi-needle work. I read a lot more about projects here now, so I can understand more. And I learned that its okay to have to frog and try again! That's really important especially with lace work!
As others have suggested you should definitely check out You-tube. I would also suggest the following books:
Beginner
More Advanced
Other Resources / Blogs
I hope this helps you get started.
Knowing nothing at all about macrame, I ordered this book https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1849499403?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_pd_title and this rope, https://www.amazon.com/Macrame-220Yards-Knitting-Decorative-Projects/dp/B07H165FTY/ref=pd_bap_m_rp_2/145-3865249-4529969?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07H165FTY&pd_rd_r=0a19dd34-9d92-4740-b7de-2bfbe2253e66&pd_rd_w=y3wWb&pd_rd_wg=9Ogb7&pf_rd_p=7092fda7-28a2-4e44-9254-b40e2cad6f55&pf_rd_r=E7AP7QSC1VTJS2NBMBPQ&psc=1&refRID=E7AP7QSC1VTJS2NBMBPQ
I've been happy with them both, I've made so many projects. Sorry I don't know how people can hide the huge unsightly link and turn it into something easy and small to click.
For starters I'd recommend the Knitter's Book of Yarn and the Knitter's Book of Wool, both by Clara Parkes. Both are incredibly informative and have some great patterns to boot. I consider both of these required reading for anyone even remotely serious about knitting.
If you want to get really serious about wool, the Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook goes into crazy detail about the different breeds of sheep and the wool they produce. This book is extreme though, covers a lot of things that you probably would never encounter at your average LYS. It's more geared towards spinners than knitters.
YOU NEED A SLOW COOKER :o
One of my most treasured kitchen objects is my slow cooker. It's so nice to be able to throw a bunch of things in a pot and forget about it, only to have dinner done and ready for you a few hours later. And slow cooker recipes are super delicious (and your whole house will smell great!) It's a great investment and you'll use it over and over again.
THIS is something I've been wanting for awhile. The cuteness is almost too much to handle.
Oh, right, books. I didn't even notice until you pointed that out ^^
I don't really have a lot of books, but I do have the one you mention, and find it very good, lots of inspiration. I also have this big one in a translation, but it's mostly the one I use to learn new techniques and not really inspiration.
If you're looking for dressmaking tips, this is the book...
Dressmaking https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1409384632/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_D-dyybTN6TEEG
At least, I'm utterly reliant on it, and do attend a class as well.
Perhaps something like this book? I've never seen it myself so I don't know how good it is, but it seems like what you might be looking for. All machines are a little different though, so the best way to get to know your machine would be to bust out the manual (if you have it) and get familiar with the basics. Do you know how to thread it? That's the most important part! Honestly if a lot of the knobs on you machine are just for different stitches, you won't use most of them anyway.
I began doing macrame back in July 2018. I started out watching the Crafty Ginger (This is the whole series, I watched a few of her plant hanger videos but that was it for me) on Youtube and purchased Macrame by Fanny Zedinius. I macrame pretty much every day, so that helped too! I feel like the most important knots to master are the square knot, larks head and double half hitch knot. Everything else comes later.
I spend a lot of time looking for inspiration on Pinterest and instagram then kind of mash it all together! I hope this helps! Let me know if there are any other specific questions you have!
Macrame: The Craft of Creative Knotting for Your Home https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1849499403/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_x6EUDbE5JJHTP this book has most of the main knots you'd need and also some nice designs!
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook is recommended for all spinners. It's $25 so slightly over your budget but it's well worth it. My local library has it but I still want to get my own copy.
Every knitter or spinner could use another project bag. There's hundreds on Etsy to choose from. Keep in mind that some of these listings are made to order so read the description.
Indie dyed fiber makes a great gift. FriendsinFiber on Etsy has fairly inexpensive combed top and rolags.
Woolgatherings has some fiber you can probably get for under $15 with shipping. Undyed fibers in their natural color are very beautiful too.
Hipstrings has some very unique blends. Don't buy any cotton by mistake.
There's plenty of other fiber sellers on Etsy. Make sure to get her fiber that's specifically marked as suitable for spinning. There's much lesser quality fibers for felters mixed in there. Since she is a beginning spinner, get her wool.
You could also get stitch markers or extra knitting needles if she likes having lots of projects going at once.
I actually went to the library to look for cross stitch books, and I found this book and checked it out. The author does a great job explaining how to get started, and the patterns are very clear. Also, the patterns go in order of difficulty and build on each other. She also has some youtube videos which helped clarify some things that weren't clear in the book.
Sorry I'm super late to reply--holiday weekends! In commercial yarn it can be hard to find a lot of variety in terms of types of wool. Anything not specifically labelled Merino is likely to just be "wool pool" wool. It'll be a blend of lots of different sheep/breeds that conform to a type & quality profile. These wools are usually coarser than Merino, and cheaper because of it too.
If you can find it, Shetland or Corriedale are wools I've seen in commercial offerings that I think are good for sweaters. I'm personally knitting an Aran sweater out of my handspun Romney wool. If you're interested in learning more about the different options, I highly recommend checking out this book!
The finished size once you've squared them up should be 4 1/2" for the pattern I followed. The class I took had us get this book: School of Sewing: Learn it, Teach it, Sew Together https://www.amazon.com/dp/1940655021/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_hsmcvb0EE2ZPP She's a local Kansas Citian like myself, so I had to share the love. :D it's a great book and has really great beginning sewing projects and the last project goes through the quilt I made, in case you were interested. :)
The pattern is from this recent book - https://www.amazon.com/Intentional-Piecing-Fussy-Cutting-Foundation/dp/1940655188/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541726300&sr=8-1&keywords=intentional+piecing
I highly recommend learning to use a sewing machine (nothing fancy required--you really only need a functioning straight stitch at a minimum). It opens a lot of doors because handsewing is very time-consuming. That said, if you want to learn handsewing, I would recommend checking out the simple but gorgeous posts on The Purl Bee and Sew, Mama, Sew and buying:
There are a lot of books out there about sewing, you should probably just go to the library or a bookstore and check out what seems like it will be most helpful for your needs. The Threads Sew Basic book is good, I like the copy in Wendy Mullins' Sew U book for basics about sewing such as pattern layout, grainline, etc. (but I have never actually sewn any of the patterns included with the book) and a lot of people recommend a book called Fit for Real People if you want to alter clothes to fit you. I really like Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing as a basic and inspiring apparel book, but beware of errors in the patterns (check online for corrections), and you'd better be pretty standard-sized because she doesn't always give a lot of schematics for the finished clothes.
Not sure if she's into tablet weaving, but this is a pretty good resource.
Lots of patterns in here that are applicable to not only card weaving but other weaving as well. This one is huge in my circle, has a bit of culture, lots of patterns, and has German text, too! It mostly focuses on weaving in Tibet, Burma, and Tunisia, but is pretty applicable to medieval styles, too.
I don't do inkle weaving, but this one got my mom started and it's been tremendous help. I think this one's a safe bet too- even if she doesn't already do inkle loom weaving, the material cost to start is pretty low! Lots and lots of patterns in here.
I personally don't own this one but I think she might be very interested in getting into dyeing. It's pretty addicting and adds a whole new dimension when you can say you dyed the materials yourself! There's also a decent chance she doesn't have this one already.
Hopefully one of these will work for you; regardless, I'm sure she'll love whatever you get her!
I have a reference for colorwork that is wonderful, The Esential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques. I have another one that is a general reference for knit and crochet, but I can't remember the exact title of it, and either my mom or I have a copy of The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework.