I'm very happy to report that Hannah Rogge's newest book Save this Shirt: Cut It, Stitch It, Wear It Now has been named a 2008 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. This is Hannah's second YALSA honor. Her first book, Hardwear: Jewelry From a Toolbox, earned this award in 2007.

-To see a gallery of projects from Save this Shirt, click here. 
-To see a gallery of projects from Hardwear, click here.
-To read about a weekend Hannah I spent together in November, click here (and scroll down).
-For a list of all of this year's YALSA winners, click here.
-And please join me in congratulating Hannah--an extraordinary crafter, author, and friend.

About a month ago, Heather Ross, a friend and the author of the upcoming Weekend Sewing, came to my house so we could do some work together on her book and also to make holiday cards using her portable printing machine called the Print Gocco Kit. The Print Gocco comes from Japan, where--according to the people who sell it--one out of three families has one. Basically, you create your artwork (or Heather creates it for you), then using the Print Gocco, burn a screen (as in silk screening), then one-by-one print your cards. Heather knew what she was doing (she actually created her wedding invitations this way) so it didn't take us very long and it was lots of fun. The artwork depicts my dog Maggie catching a Frisbee (her favorite activity). I present this card here as my way of wishing you that kind of pure joy this holiday season and in 2008!

Sometimes people ask me which of the STC Craft books I like best, a question I cannot answer. In part, this is because I need to be diplomatic. But, more than that, this is because I believe that each book is unique and special in its own way. It sounds sappy and maybe like a cop out to some people, but it's true.

Still, there are a few books that I think are especially important, and those are the three books in our kids' crafting series--Kids' Embroidery by Kristin Nicholas, Kids Crochet by Kelli Ronci, and Kids Weaving by Sarah Swett. These books teach all of the basics and also a little bit about how crafting fits into cultural history.

If you know children who like to make things with their hands, I hope you will check out these books, and, if you have some extra time over the holidays, do some crafting together. I believe that when we teach kids these skills, we are giving them a gift that will last their entire lives (sappy but true, once again).

Earlier in the fall STC Craft published Knitspeak by Andrea Berman Price.

Sarah Von Dreele designed the book as well as a magnet to give away at book signings and other promotional events.

 
On Saturday night Hannah and I used the magnet artwork to make a T-shirt. 

(If you want to make a T-shirt like this one, go to the craft- or office-supply store and buy iron-on transfer paper (pick up a T-shirt while you're out if you don't already have one), then download this file, then follow the instructions that came with your transfer paper to iron the artwork onto the T-shirt.)

Then I taught Hannah to knit. (She's definitely a natural.)