Just a Dropped Stitch is a memoir told in interlocking short stories. It's a family photo album; each snapshot tells a mini-story. You're sure you understand what you're seeing, but it's not until you've þnished ßipping through the entire album that you develop an intimate sense of who this family is. You thought you knew them, understood all the subtleties and dynamics, but, change the angle, soften the focus, ßip the page; there's a different story. Jesse, the narrator, is on a search. She's trying to identify the dropped stitches in her own life, to name them, and reknit them into a whole. As the book opens Jesse's mother is dying, but Jesse and her father þnd it impossible to face the inevitable. Turn the page: Jesse desperately wants to have children; she's a lesbian; she has to þgure out how to make that happen. Later we meet her children, Noah and Sophie; we're introduced to Anna, who becomes Jesse's spouse, before the world has caught up with the concept. We meet grandparents, and learn that in Jesse's family writing is revered, but infused with unspoken taboos. And we meet her brothers who each has a particular place to stand in the family portrait. Jesse has a story to tell, and she isn't sure it's safe to tell it. Loss and grief, being silenced and silencing oneself, becoming frozen, and the heat-generating, melting power of love, these are the themes in Just a Dropped Stitch. The importance of naming, the redemption that comes from breaking silences, these are the interwoven threads. Meanwhile, keep ßipping through the album and you see snapshots of everyday life: hiking with Noah, shopping with Sophie for a bat mitzvah dress. And Jesse's mother, who refuses to completely disappear, makes a surprise appearance, embarrassing Jesse at a job interview. As we close the album, we're keeping vigil with Jesse in the hospital while she waits to hear whether she has the disease that killed her mother. And, then, there's a þnal snapshot: a handmade Chinese box, with sides that drop open, revealing a blood-red interior where there's nothing to hide.

Who knew you could actually knit without needles? Put down those complicated knitting projects that take forever to finish. Knitting Without Needles brings cool home, gifts, and clothing accessories--cowls, totes, rugs, poufs, scarves, and more--within arm’s reach. An all-in-one resource for a new kind of craft, this book shows you how to loop yarn with your fingers or your forearms with thirty patterns that are simple to follow and produce stylish results. Best of all, many of them knit up fast—in less than an hour! Even if you’ve never picked up knitting needles, you can easily master the techniques to make fun knits with kids and for kids (a princess crown, baby booties) and even last-minute gifts (a statement necklace for your fashionista friend). With stunning photography, plenty of step-by-step photos, and a detailed resource section, Knitting Without Needles is your go-to for a new way to knit.

Dropped and twisted stitches, too-small button holes, and mis-crossed cables are only a few of the knitting dilemmas tackled in this humorous and useful guide. Beginners and seasoned knitters alike are promised that learning from mistakes improves technique and inspires personal styleâ€"and that sometimes the best solution is just to let a mistake stand. To head off problems before they start, the sturdy, spiral-bound book explains the correct way to cast on and bind off, decipher charts, choose fibers, calculate yardage, join yarns, work with multicolor designs, andâ€"for more experienced knittersâ€"how to alter a finished piece or customize a pattern.

Just a Dropped Stitch is a memoir told in interlocking short stories. It's a family photo album; each snapshot tells a mini-story. You're sure you understand what you're seeing, but it's not until you've finished flipping through the entire album that you develop an intimate sense of who this family is. You thought you knew them, understood all the subtleties and dynamics, but, change the angle, soften the focus, flip the page; there's a different story. Jesse, the narrator, is on a search. She's trying to identify the "dropped stitches" in her own life, to name them, and reknit them into a whole. As the book opens Jesse's mother is dying, but Jesse and her father find it impossible to face the inevitable. Turn the page: Jesse desperately wants to have children; she's a lesbian; she has to figure out how to make that happen. Later we meet her children, Noah and Sophie; we're introduced to Anna, who becomes Jesse's spouse, before the world has caught up with the concept. We meet grandparents, and learn that in Jesse's family writing is revered, but infused with unspoken taboos. And we meet her brothers who each has a particular place to stand in the family portrait. Jesse has a story to tell, and she isn't sure it's safe to tell it. Loss and grief, being silenced and silencing oneself, becoming frozen, and the heat-generating, melting power of love, these are the themes in Just a Dropped Stitch. The importance of naming, the redemption that comes from breaking silences, these are the interwoven threads. Meanwhile, keep flipping through the album and you see snapshots of everyday life: hiking with Noah, shopping with Sophie for a bat mitzvah dress. And Jesse's mother, who refuses to completely disappear, makes a surprise appearance, embarrassing Jesse at a job interview. As we close the album, we're keeping vigil with Jesse in the hospital while she waits to hear whether she has the disease that killed her mother. And, then, there's a final snapshot: a handmade Chinese box, with sides that drop open, revealing a blood-red interior where there's nothing to hide.

More than 550 step-by-step instructions for everything from fixing a faucet to removing mystery stains to curing a hangover.

Provides in-depth instructions on how to knit, including patterns for cardigans, water-bottle cozies, and book covers.

Easy-to-follow lessons and patterns.solutions to nagging problems.