Calling All Crafters!

Winter time is the best for getting stuck into those craft projects.  Watching the throw you’re crocheting grow over your lap, or the warm jersey forming from your knitting needles is lovely on a day when you can get cosy.  Perhaps you’re an embroiderer, or quilting is your thing.  No matter what your craft of choice is, these cold winter days just invite settling in somewhere cosy and getting creative.

If you’d like some company while you work on your current project, have you thought of coming to one of the craft sessions in our libraries?

Arapaki Knit & Natter

Arapaki library on Manners Street in the city has weekly lunchtime sessions on Tuesdays at 12:30pm.  Pop in on your lunch break to get away from work for a little bit, and enjoy the company of other craft minded folk.  Perhaps you could borrow this book from their collection to give you some inspiration:

Beginner’s guide to colourwork knitting : 16 projects and techniques to learn to knit with colour / Austin, Ella
“Introduction — Choosing colors — Yarn and tools — Reading charts — Stripes — Slipped stitches — Stranded colourwork — Intarsia — Double knitting — Modular knitting — Entrelac — Techniques. Beginner’s guide to colorwork knitting explains all the techniques and stitches you need to start your journey to knitting with color.” (Catalogue)

Wadestown Library – Community Craft Circle

Or you could pop in to Wadestown library on the third Wednesday of every month at 10:30am for their Community Craft Circle.  Join other crafters in their community space to share conversation, craft tips and crafting supply sources.  It’s always lovely to see a new face.  And perhaps you might like to borrow this book from their collection:

Anyone can crochet amigurumi animals : 15 adorable crochet patterns / Simpson, Kristi
“Whether you’ve been crocheting for years or have never picked up a crochet hook before, this accessible, exciting project guide will show any crafter of any skill level everything you need to know to successfully make adorable amigurumi animals! This crochet project book opens with expert guidance on basic tools and techniques and insightful introductory sections on the basics. Get detailed insight on the background of amigurumi, basic materials, how to read patterns, and other essential tips to know in the preface to the projects. Also included are stitch guides, a comprehensive glossary, a handy abbreviations sheet, and more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Johnsonville Library Sit & Knit

On alternating Sundays at Johnsonville Library at the Waitohi Hub, there’s a fortnightly sewing and craft group for thread-heads of all skill levels and ages. Bring along an existing project, some needles and some yarn, or use our basket of goodies.​ You do need to register for this popular event as there is limited space available, and you can do so here.  Maybe this sewing book from their collection is something that would interest you:

Simple hand sewing : 35 slow stitching and mindful mending projects / Strutt, Laura
“Hand sewing is a great way to practice mindfulness through craft. Laura Strutt has designed these 35 projects specially to develop your hand-sewing skills, but also to help you slow down, enjoy the moment, and appreciate the rewards of your work. Using a number of different techniques including visible mending, sashiko, embroidery, thread doodling, boro, and abstract embroidery, Laura shows you how to incorporate these methods into making something useful, creative, and sustainable. Whichever project you choose, take time to enjoy the process and simply sew.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

For more information on library events and programmes, you can go to: Event Calendar (wcl.govt.nz)

Winter Projects to Warm-up Your Creative Soul: New Crafts and Hobbies Books

This month, we round up the fresh crafts and hobbies titles to treat your creative self to projects that celebrate WINTER. So, grab those hand tools, and let’s get busy!

Ready…steady…stitch!

From simple hand-sewn mending projects to learning to create your first retro-designed apron, easy projects await the seamstress-in-the-making. Simple hand sewing: 35 slow stitching and mindful mending projects by Laura Strutt and Fabulous fat quarter aprons: fun and functional retro designs for today’s kitchen by Mary Beth Temple can guide you on your first make with only the most basic sewing skills.

As the temperatures continue to drop, winter allows for much-needed healing and recharging.  Flip and tune in to the pages of inspirational stories that will tug your heartstrings, On Mending: Stories of damage and repair by Celia Pym is a must on your list.

Crochet lovers will be delighted with two new reads, Crocheted Houseplants: beautiful flora to make by Emma Varnam and Tom Daley’s Made with Love: get hooked with 30 knitting and crochet patterns. So, crochet your way with these gorgeous projects that will add colour and warmth on a dreary winter morning.  Similarly, Close Knit: 15 Patterns and 45 Techniques from Beginner to Advanced from Europe’s Coolest Knitter by Lærke Bagger is an inspiration for knitters yearning to test their skills with something edgy and funky. With the gnarly rain hitting the capital during these winter months, spending an indoor weekend afternoon upcycling an existing garment or creating something new for yourself can be just the creative boost you need.

Simple hand sewing : 35 slow stitching and mindful mending projects / Strutt, Laura
“Hand sewing is a great way to practice mindfulness through craft. Laura Strutt has designed these 35 projects specially to develop your hand-sewing skills, but also to help you slow down, enjoy the moment, and appreciate the rewards of your work. Using a number of different techniques including visible mending, sashiko, embroidery, thread doodling, boro, and abstract embroidery, Laura shows you how to incorporate these methods into making something useful, creative, and sustainable. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Sewing love : handmade clothes for any body / Ishida, Sanae
“Learning to create and customize your own patterns empowers you to make exactly the kind of clothes you want, and solves the fit issues of ready-to-wear clothing or commercial patterns designed for an “ideal” body type. Ishida takes you thorugh the simple art of pattern-making and garment sewing. You’ll leran to make fashionable yet timeless items completely customized to your own body measurements. — adapted from front flap” (Catalogue)

On mending : stories of damage and repair / Pym, Celia
“A fascinating insight into the work of a pre-eminent craftsperson, On Mending was inspired by Anni Albers’ seminal work, On Weaving, (1965). Not a ‘how-to’ book, this is rather an in-depth look into the damage that we do, as manifested by our outer layers, our clothes.” (Catalogue)

 

 

Fabulous fat quarter aprons : fun and functional retro designs for today’s kitchen / Temple, Mary Beth
“Fashionable Fun for Your Kitchen. Those who sew know that a fat quarter stash can accumulate fast. In Fabulous Fat Quarter Aprons, Mary Beth Temple offers a dozen novel project ideas that are functional, fun, and will use your stash with a wink to the past. Ideal for the busy kitchen, your next holiday party, or that special gift for a friend, each design can be made with anywhere from two to six fat quarters and comes with a matching potholder, oven mitt, or hot pad. Best of all, this handy guide offers an excellent starting point for anyone looking to join the sewing community. So grab your stash and let your materials and imagination run wild to create the apron of your dreams.” (Catalogue)

Made with love : get hooked with 30 knitting and crochet patterns / Daley, Tom
“Tom Daley is on a mission to inspire the next generation of crafters. Stitch by stitch, in Made With Love he wants readers everywhere to discover the joys of knitting and crochet. Alongside 30 exclusive projects ranging from covetable gifts to chic homeware, cosy accessories and stylish wardrobe essentials, Tom offers helpful tips and tricks.” (Catalogue)

 

Design and create contemporary tableware : making pottery you can use / Bloomfield, Linda
“The tableware we use is very important in our everyday lives, whether plates, bowls, mugs, cups or teapots. This stylishly illustrated guide helps budding and established ceramicists alike to create practical and attractive ranges, starting with design principles, working through appropriate construction techniques, and leading on to decoration and finishes. Leading designers Sue Pryke and Linda Bloomfield explain the importance of inspiration and consistency in design, providing step-by-step guides to the main making methods, which include hand building, pinching, coiling, throwing and slip casting. They also offer advice on using various clay materials, and the combination of clay with other materials including wood, metal, textiles and synthetics.” — Back cover.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Crocheted houseplants : beautiful flora to make for your home / Varnam, Emma
“Plants can make any space feel more tranquil, and by making the unique projects in this book, you can enjoy a lush green indoor oasis without ever having to remember about watering, repotting or feeding. Ideal for armchair growers who aren’t keen on getting their hands dirty, these crocheted beauties will give year-round horticultural satisfaction, without any of the hassle. You’ll find retro crowd-pleasers, like yucca, spire, and Swiss cheese plants, along with dramatic purple foliage of coleus, the delicate blooms of the moth orchid and the menacing Venus fly trap.” (Adapted from Catalogue)