Poetic Crochet

Crocheted shawls inspired by classic poetry! Just as poetry laces together the simplest of words into dramatic lyrical pieces, Poetic Crochet uses basic stitches to create a romantic, breathtaking collection of shawls and wraps. When creating this classic, wearable collection of shawls, wraps, and stoles, you'll explore a variety of shawl shapes, construction techniques, borders, and edgings. Author Sara Kay Hartman shares her tips for selecting the fibers that work best in shawl making, how to achieve a beautiful drape, how to play with gauge when crocheting shawls, and more. The patterns in Poetic Crochet won't require any special technique knowledge, but rather they have been designed to highlight the simple sophistication achievable with the most basic of stitches. Crocheters with any experience level, beginner to advanced, will find something rewarding--and poetic--in this inspired collection of 20 projects.

Can poetry act as an aesthetic amplification device, akin to a microscope, through which we can sense minute or nearly imperceptible phenomena such as the folding of molecules into their three-dimensional shapes, the transformations that make up the life cycle of a silkworm, or the vaporous movements that constitute the ever-shifting edges of clouds? We tend to think of these subjects as reserved for science, but, as Ada Smailbegović argues, twentieth- and twenty-first-century writers have intermingled scientific methodologies with poetic form to reveal unfolding processes of change. Their works can be envisioned as laboratories within which the methodologies of experimentation, natural historical description, and taxonomic classification allow poetic language to register the rhythms and durations of material transformation. Poetics of Liveliness moves across scales to explore the realms of molecules, fibers, tissues, and clouds. It investigates works such as Christian Bök’s insertion of a poetic text into the DNA code of living bacteria in order to generate a new poem in the shape of a protein molecule, Jen Bervin’s considerations of silk fibers and their use in biomedicine, Gertrude Stein’s examination of brain tissues in medical school and its subsequent influence on her literary taxonomies of character, and Lisa Robertson’s studies of nineteenth-century meteorology and the soft architecture of clouds. In their attempt to understand physical processes unfolding within lively material worlds, Smailbegović contends, these poets have developed a distinctive materialist poetics. Structured as a poetic cosmology akin to Lucretius’s “On the Nature of Things,” which begins at the atomic level and expands out to the vastness of the universe, Poetics of Liveliness provides an innovative and surprising vision of the relationship between science and poetry.

• Patterns for 18 wraps and shawls using 6 crochet techniques: traditional crochet, motif crochet, Tunisian crochet, broomstick lace, hairpin lace, and double-ended crochet • Includes one easy, one intermediate, and one advanced project for each technique • Accessories for every occasion: delicate shawlettes, comfy ponchos, intricate lace shawls, and vibrant, modern wraps

Featuring 22 crocheted dolls drawn from 16 beloved novels and plays, this easy-to-follow craft book is perfect for bibliophiles and crafters of all skill levels. Literature lovers can decorate bookshelves, proclaim a love of reading, and show off crafting skills with adorable amigurumi, sweet crocheted characters that are simple to make and impossible to resist! All that’s needed are a few readily available materials and beginner crochet skills, and soon you’ll be hanging out with your favorite characters from classic literature. Take tea with a charming Elizabeth Bennet. Decorate the Christmas tree with a grumpy Ebenezer Scrooge. Solve mysteries with the help of a pocket-sized Sherlock Holmes. Bring Prince Hamlet to a play. And just try to keep Huck Finn out of trouble!

Fifty Miles is a memoir in linked essays that addresses addiction and alcoholism. The book traces the life and death of the author’s son, Gray, a talented but troubled young man, to a drug overdose at thirty, as well as the author’s own recovery from substance abuse.

Vintage crochet lace techniques, on-trend garments and accessories! Lace is one of the hottest trends in crochet, but it is by no means a new technique. In Vintage Modern Crochet, best-selling author Robyn Chachula feeds the craze for lace by exploring five classic crochet lace techniques, reinventing them in beautiful, compelling ways. Crocheters will fall in love with the featured tunics, cowls, shawls, pullovers, and even a crochet dress–all thoroughly wearable and on-trend, yet timeless. Each technique-themed chapter features a fascinating introduction: learn about pineapple lace, Bruges lace, filet lace, Irish crochet, and Tunisian crochet. Each design also features a "Technique Tidbit" that will give you valuable insight into working the pattern. Robyn Chachula's vintage-inspired creations are all you need for a trendy one-of-a-kind wardrobe!

The history of Branching Out, Canada’s first national second-wave feminist magazine, is the story of an upstart publication from the prairies that was read from coast to coast. It is also a story of political activism and community building. When it ceased publication in 1980, Branching Out had reached more readers than any similar periodical. Feminist Acts is an in-depth examination of feminist publishing, written to bring more Canadian voices into conversations about women’s cultural production. A vital text of recuperation, the book draws on first-hand accounts from women who were there. It is a must-read for anyone interested in feminist activism, gender studies, Canadian cultural history, or publishing history.