Needlework books a nice break from knitting

When it’s too hot to knit or crochet, it’s the perfect time to read about needlework and daydream about future projects. That’s why they made porch swings and hammocks – perfect places for dawdling over needlecraft books.

Public libraries have troves of craft and needlework books. These are only a few I borrowed recently from Bangor Public Library:

. “Socks Two,” a Vogue Knitting book published last year. The book measures about 5 by 6 inches, making it the perfect size to fit into a beach bag. Directions are clearly written, and the illustrations are bold and straightforward. I was dazzled by patterns for lavender lace socks, striped patchwork socks and baby eyelet socks. Think cotton yarn in zingy colors.

. “Knit Mittens!” by Robin Hanson, is a book shaped like a mitten. Instructions are laid out in a color-keyed grid system that are easy to follow. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Wristers, which are half-mittens, Skier’s Finger Mittens and Peek-a-Boo Mittens copied from an antique pair of mittens found in Brunswick are a few of the patterns included in the book.

. “Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles” by Cat Bordi provides basic information to help readers learn how to knit socks on two circular needles instead of four double-pointed ones. Patterns range from simple to complex.

. Multivolumes of “A Facsimile Edition of Weldon’s Practical Needlework” published by Piecework Magazine. In 1885, Weldon’s, in England, began publishing monthly newsletters featuring patterns and instructions for knitting, crocheting, macrame lace, embroidery, beadwork, needlepoint, sewing and other needlecrafts. The facsimile edition is an exact reproduction. Nothing has been left out. The patterns are not easy to follow, but with a little experimentation, they can be deciphered. I was fascinated by Volume 2 and the section titled Practical Bazaar Articles – pincushions, penwipers, bags and tidies. Pincushion shapes include a star, a jockey cop, a coal scuttle, a fish, a boot and a rose, which got me thinking about pincushions shaped like pine trees, pine cones and Atlantic salmon. I have no idea why.

. “Beautiful Ragwork” by Lizzie Reakes. If you’ve never tried hooking rugs or other items, this book will inspire you to start cutting up everything you own into narrow strips. It’s filled with colorful, how-to illustrations, and focuses on small projects that are easy to do and don’t require the rest of your life to do them. Projects include a small purse, samplers and a chair pad as well as rugs.

At Brewer Public Library, readers will find “The History of Hand Knitting,” by Richard Rutt, which shows how knitting was done in the past and in other cultures; “Homespun, Handknit,” edited by Linda Ligon, which contains instructions for very simple hats, mittens and gloves; and “Childhood Dreams: A Book of Crib Quilt Projects” by Susan Bennett Gallagher.

Old Town Public Library has a wealth of quilting books available, including “Batik Beauties” by Laurie J. Shirfin, “Nickel Quilts: Great Designs from 5-inch Scraps” by Pat Speth and Charlene Thode, “Successful Quilts from Simple Rectangles” by Judy Turner and Margaret Rolfe, and “Quilts from the Quiltmakers Gift” by Joanne Larsen Line, Nancy Loving Tubesing and Gail DeMarcken.

At Orono Public Library’s children’s department, look for “Pieces: A Year in Poems and Quilts” by Anna Grossnickle Hines, “Stitching Stars: The Story Quilts of Harriet Powers” by Mary Lyons and “Mother Gooses’s Words of Wit and Wisdom” by Ted Arnold, which includes illustrations of cross-stitch samplers.

At Edythe Dyer Library in Hampden, look for “The Good Housekeeping New Complete Book of Needlecraft” and “Reader’s Digest Craft and Hobbies.”

Snippets

Those of you who sew may want to take a look at the Home Sewing Association Web site at www.sewing.org. The site features items to sew for charity, including wheelchair tote bags, walker caddies and hospital bed saddlebags; projects for children; and ideas for home decorating.

Here’s an idea from makingfriends.com. Recycle a girl’s tank top into a beach bag. Stitch the bottom edges together, preferably by machine, although if you use string thread and a backstitch, it could be sewn by hand. The armholes become the bag’s handles. To prolong the fun, use fabric paints, embroidery or beads to decorate the tank top before sewing the bottom together.

Ardeana Hamlin can be reached at 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.