Looking for the best books for learning something new? Or for a gift for the crafter in your life? Here you can find summaries of some of the craft books I’ve reviewed over the years across lots of different techniques. Click on the pictures or titles to see the full, in-depth reviews.
Embroidery
One of my very regularly consulted reference books that I wouldn’t be without. Spiral-bound for maximum convenience with easy-to-follow stitch guides for both counted and surface embroidery. Excellent stitch directory and particularly useful when designing embroidery pieces.
Ribbonwork Embroidery: Techniques and Projects
Lovely book that spans an excellent introduction to ribbonwork embroidery, a stitch guide and some very creative and modern project ideas. Impressive number of photographs throughout with detailed instructions. Suitable for stitchers of all levels.
Spinning
The Big Book of Fibery Rainbows
If you like colour and fluff, this is the book for you! Contains lots of different ideas and strategies for fibre preparation and how to use colour effectively in your finished yarns. Some ideas for different techniques for spinning up your fluffy creations. Great photographs and a lot of fun to get you inspired.
Temari
Uwagake and Shitagake-Chidori Kagari Temari (手まり上掛け千鳥かがりと下掛け千鳥かがり)
A must-have for all kiku (chrysanthemum) design fans. Stunning photographs of 20 different designs, sure to prove inspirational to stitchers of all levels. No in-depth instructions for reproducing designs which might be off-putting for beginners but still helpful to learn about temari construction and design. Dual-language (Japanese and English).
Temari Jiwari and Color Magic 手まり地割りと色のマジック
Captivating book with gorgeous photographs and designs. Focuses on use of colour and different divisions. Impossible to resist for the price, with fantastically clear photographs to replicate some to the featured designs for confident stitchers. Whether you’re interested in making temari or not, a beautiful book. Dual-language (Japanese and English).
Crochet
A nice, spiral-bound book that is part stitch reference part project manual. Great for beginners with general introduction to crochet and a really nice ‘pattern selector’ with an overview of how different stitches look. Projects aren’t quite my cup of tea and perhaps the lace crocheters will feel a little neglected but an excellent introduction for newcomers and a solid stitch reference for the more advanced. UK crochet terms.
astitchornine 