Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning

With its soothing, meditative effect, handspinning is a relaxing hobby, and the beautiful yarns you create are an even better reward. This visual guide shows you the basics, beginning with the tools and fibers, and takes you through spinning, plying, making novelty yarns, using exotic fibers, dyeing, and more. Whether you use an inexpensive hand spindle or splurge on a spinning wheel, stick with wool or try alpaca, cashmere, or cotton, you'll learn how to create fun, original, one-of-a-kind yarns that you can knit or weave into truly unique, handmade, and all-natural creations. Concise two-page lessons show you all the steps to a skill and are ideal for quick review The skill demonstrated is defined and described Detailed color photos demonstrate each step Step-by-step instructions accompany each photo Helpful tips provide additional guidance

As the DIY trend continues, crafters are taking their skills to the next level and are looking for "what's next." Hand-dyeing is on the rise--giving crafters the freedom to create their own unique yarns and fibers to spin wholly original projects. This photo-intensive book covers everything from dyeing with Kool-Aid to more involved processes like working with acid dyes and hand-painting. Concealed wiro binding allows the book to lay flat--perfect for undertaking projects with wet or dye-covered hands. Barbara Parry (Shelburne, MA) is the founder and creative vision behind Foxfire Fiber & Designs. She produces her own yarn line from the wool of the sheep she raises on her farm in the Berkshire foothills, which is home to 70 sheep, two llamas, and two goats. The wool she produces is prized by knitters and handspinners and has won numerous awards. Barbara chronicles life on her farm in her blog "Sheep Gal: Notes from a Shelburne Shepherd" (www.sheepgal.typepad.com).

As the DIY trend continues, crafters are taking their skills to the next level and are looking for "what's next." Hand-dyeing is on the rise--giving crafters the freedom to create their own unique yarns and fibers to spin wholly original projects. This photo-intensive book covers everything from dyeing with Kool-Aid to more involved processes like working with acid dyes and hand-painting. Concealed wiro binding allows the book to lay flat--perfect for undertaking projects with wet or dye-covered hands. Barbara Parry (Shelburne, MA) is the founder and creative vision behind Foxfire Fiber & Designs. She produces her own yarn line from the wool of the sheep she raises on her farm in the Berkshire foothills, which is home to 70 sheep, two llamas, and two goats. The wool she produces is prized by knitters and handspinners and has won numerous awards. Barbara chronicles life on her farm in her blog "Sheep Gal: Notes from a Shelburne Shepherd" (www.sheepgal.typepad.com).

Covers new PowerPoint features including how to create presentation slides, dress them up using templates and graphics, add sound and animation, and present in a business or Internet setting Equips users to present visually charged, captivating slideshows Sophisticated, revised full-color design provides readers with easier navigation Shows users how to make real-world use of PowerPoint 2007 with highly visual two-page tutorials and numbered, step-by-step screen shots in full color on high-quality paper

As the industry standard for creating lively Web animations, Flash allows you to develop animation content or turn existing graphics into dynamic Web page animations—the CS4 release guarantees a world of new and thrilling possibilities If you are a beginner-to-intermediate level Flash user, this book will get you up and running fast as you dive into the tasks of building animation sequences and using ActionScript to create interactive Web page components Contains 150 useful and interesting Flash tasks presented in full color that demonstrates how easy it can be to design rich and dynamic content for any Web site

Introduces the processes of spinning and dying yarn and explains how to match homespun fiber and yarn to knitted projects.

For knitters, crocheters, and weavers ready to make their own yarn, this handy guide provides detailed instructions for spinning both on a spindle and a wheel, and offers a special section devoted to troubleshooting and wheel maintenance that keeps projects on track. It offers a comprehensive look at the various available fiber options, choosing and preparing each type of fiber for use, and crafting these materials into ready-to-work pieces. A final chapter on the various uses of spun yarn focuses on project planning, with definitions and context for measuring wraps per inch, determining yards for specific projects, and choosing a yarn size.

Rigid-heddle weaving is simple to learn, is easy to master, and offers a lifetime of possibilities to discover! Inventive Weaving on a Little Loom covers everything rigid-heddle weavers need to know about the craft, from the basics — how to select a loom, set it up, and get started — to a wide variety of fun techniques that yield beautiful results. Begin by exploring a variety of weave structures, including finger-manipulated laces, tapestry, and color play with stripes, plaids, and multicolor yarns. Then move on to more complex designs and irresistible projects, from pillows and curtains to bags, shawls, and even jewelry. Explore warp-face patterning, weft-pile weaving, weaving with fine threads, woven shibori, shadow weave, and the textural effects you can create with different yarns and with wire and conductive thread. Everything you need to know is here, with fully illustrated step-by-step instructions to ensure success.