Yeah, I know it’s still winter and not many of us are thinking about T-shirts. But winter is a good time for thinking ahead and dreaming of those lazy, hazy days of summer that, in due time, will return to kiss warmth into our yearning faces.

A good place to begin musing about T-shirts is with Katie Cole’s book “Embellish Your T-Shirt.” Basically, all you need to become a T-shirt embellisher, she asserts, is your imagination and stuff you already have around the house, such as fabric paint, buttons, beads, embroidery floss, ribbon, lace, rickrack and whatever else you choose to paint, adhere or sew to a T-shirt.

Cole’s projects make use of new or old T-shirts, those with sleeves or without. Many of the projects don’t require a sewing machine, but some do, such as the child’s dress fashioned from a sleeveless T, a few swaths of tulle and a bit of matching ribbon. It’s an instant party dress, fairy princess costume or dance recital tutu all rolled into one. Another project uses brightly colored zippers to jazz up a gray T-shirt. Or dress up a simple white V-neck, sleeveless T with a cascade of bright red fabric flowers.

Replicate the projects and ideas in “Embellish Your T-shirt” for the fun of it, or go off on a design riff on your own. When summer gets here, you’ll be ready.

If embellished T-shirts don’t turn your craft crank, how about “Bead & Button, Ribbon & Felt Jewelry: 35 Sewing Box Treasures to Make & Give” by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell?

This book offers readers details and directions for making an antique lace necklace, a felted wool butterfly brooch, a chiffon ribbon and glass bead necklace, a suede leaf necklace and many other pieces that incorporate seashells and old buttons. The book takes a new look at the concept of jewelry, how it is created and the materials it is made of. I especially like the pieces made of narrow silk ribbon with antique shell buttons and tiny shells tied in.

We still need to get through winter, however, no matter how much we dream of days hot enough to show off arty T-shirts and flirty, unique jewelry. Therefore, reach for these two books from the On the Go series, “Felted Crochet” and “Cables: Mittens, Hats and Scarves.” These books slip easily into tote bags and contain enough projects to fill up the rest of the winter days.

Eye-catching “Felted Crochet” projects include bags, toys, pillows, baskets, scarves and even a granny-square rug.

Knitters will fall in love with the self-striping gloves, traveling cable mittens, and the headband and mittens set among the many projects offered in the “Cables” book.

Each book includes the basics one needs to know to get started, but the projects are geared toward experienced knitters and crocheters.

Last but not least, “2-at-a-Time Socks” by Melissa Morgan-Oakes is for those who love knitting socks, but who hate to knit on four needles. This book promises to reveal the secret of knitting two socks at once on one circular needle – with the assurance that it works for any sock pattern.

The book has a handy spiral binding allowing the book to open flat, a nice feature as knitters follow the instructions for casting on, dividing and joining for sock A and sock B and so on through each step. Then follows 17 sock patterns knit on size 1, 2, 3 or 4 needles. The Athena socks and the Belle Epoque sock patterns are about as enticing as sock designs get.

Call your local bookstore to order these books or check with your public library.

Snippets

Laura Cushing wants to put the warm fuzzies into a Special Olympics invitational practice event in Boise, Idaho, this month. She is coordinating an effort in Idaho to produce hand-knit blue-and-white scarves for each of the 500 athletes from four U.S. states and 10 foreign countries. Volunteers throughout Idaho are answering her call. Cushing, who grew up in Hampden and is a graduate of Hampden Academy, is a senior director with the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games. She is the daughter of Andre and Jane Cushing of Hermon.

Cut up old sweat shirts to use as padding for homemade potholders.

Here’s a blast from the past. In the 1963-64 fall-winter issue of McCall’s Needlework and Crafts magazine Mrs. Victor O. Fowler of Brooksville suggested: “After Christmas, pack your wreath in a cloth bag tied tight and hang in your closet to give it a balsam scent.” Maybe closets were roomier then.

And this by e-mail from a By Hand reader: Keep your old phone books. Use the pages to protect surfaces when using glue or glue sticks in craft projects.

ahamlin@bangordailynews.net

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