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New Release: Junk Jewelry
Simply Sublime Bags
Winners Annouced
Wallpaper: Sweater Renewal

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Hot off the presses, Jane Eldershaw’s Junk Jewelry. With a focus on acquiring a visual vocabulary and having fun without spending a lot of money, the 25 projects featured here are perfect for anyone who appreciates thrift-store funkiness and avant-garde fashion.

Here are some sample projects from the book!

— Shawn

As featured in Country Living Magazine!

You can find purchase links below. And to give you a sneak peek, here is our widget, a browse inside the book feature. Just double click on the book jacket to launch, and then enjoy!

Amazon | BN.com | Borders

Leave some comments and let us know if you like the feature.

— Shawn

UPDATE 2: And the winners are:

Alice R.
Donna
Marilyn
Whitney
Karen T.

Please send an email to snicholls@randomhouse.com and we will send you your book!

UPDATE: You can order Simply Sublime bags at the following locations:

Amazon

BN.com

Borders

It’s time for another Potter Craft News Contest!

Simply Sublime Bags offers the secrets to creating four-figure-price-tag-worthy bags. And most of them only take an afternoon! Whether it’s a casual carryall or a ritzy, patent leather clutch, the envy of your friends is only a few hours away.

You’ll tire of hearing “Where did you get that bag?”

The book arrives in stores July 8. But why wait? We’re giving away five FREE copies. Just leave a comment below answering this question: What would you like to see on the Potter Craft news Blog?

We’ll pick five and announce the winners on the blog on July 10.

— Shawn

Sweater Renewal, the first Potter Craft title by Sharon Franco Rothschild, isn’t due in stores until August 19, but we have a sneak peek! Download the wallpaper today and get ready to start gathering your old sweaters, starting your washing machines, and sharpening your scissors …

The 25 colorful, cheerful projects in Sweater Renewal incorporate a diverse range of skills-including felting, applique, crochet, sewing, and embroidery-and range from Short, Sweet & Simple Projects using felted sweaters, such as a cell phone holder and a Fair Isle digital camera case, to Knitted, Felted & Fantastic Projects that you knit and then felt, such as a purse and a felted scarf. Most can be finished in less than a day, some in a few hours.

— Shawn

UPDATE #3: We are proud to announce the winners of the Knitted Critters contest. Thanks so much for the overwhelming response. Please check back in two weeks for another contest. The prize will be a copy of Jodi Kahn’s Simply Sublime Bags.

And … drum roll please …. the winners are:

Edina
Bernie
HelenIam
Laura F.
Elena

We will be in touch over email!

Thanks again to everyone who entered.

UPDATE #2: The contest closed at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Please check back on Thursday for the winners, as well as the three most voted for books. Thanks to all who entered.

UPDATE: Just a reminder that the deadline to submit for the Knitted Critters contest is TOMORROW (Tuesday) at 11:59 pm Pacific Time. Make sure to enter now! Winners will be announced on the blog on June 5!

In her new book, Jean Adel shares patterns for the cute creatures that have made her JEANADEL line at Barneys department store sell out season after season. The hats, mittens, and scarves can be made in three sizes (for children ages 3 to 7) and require basic knitting skills that Jean guides you through-as well as some slightly more advanced techniques (intarsia, knitting in the round) should you wish to challenge yourself further.

The book arrives in stores June 3. But why wait? We’re giving away five FREE copies. Just leave a comment below and tell us your favorite Potter Craft title of all time, and why. We’ll pick five and announce the winners on the blog on June 5. For inspiration, visit our catalog here.

Click here for the official rules.

— Shawn

Simply Sublime Bags, by Jodi Kahn, hits stores July 8. But we’ve got a preview! The beautiful book has 30 DIY projects. Some of the bags you can make include:

Charmed, I’m Sure-brightly colored vinyl makeup bags with vintage plastic charm zipper pulls

Keyhole Clutch-pink-and-white houndstooth fabric lined with duct tape, with keyhole cutouts for handles

Shower Curtain Tote-you guessed it, a funky fabric tote made from a shower curtain

Nights in Black Satin-an elegant evening clutch made from satin ribbon stapled together and adorned with a rhinestone earring clasp

We’ve also put together some desktop wallpaper to wet your appetite. Click on the links below to download different sizes. And don’t forget to pre-order the book!

— Shawn

Denim Revolution goes on sale today. What’s so revolutionary about it, you ask? Nancy Minsky, a former Calvin Klein design assistant, shows you how to mix together old and new to spice up your wardrobe and save your denim from the dumpster. It also has that irresistible greeeeen element which I like because it’s not only earth-friendly, it’s wallet-friendly, too.

Nancy has a great blog you should check out, 21st Century Dressmakers. In addition to her regular posts, she also offers free downloadable desktop calendars. Click here to download her cool May calendar.

— Katherine

Many of you know Erika Knight as knitter extraordinaire, but she has momentarily turned her attention to beading, to applause-worthy results. Today, her new book, Beyond Beading, goes on sale.

Erika hasn’t strayed too far away from knitting, however. She uses knitting techniques to create her jewelry. Click here to download a free pattern from the book!

— Katherine

For more than 25 years, Nancy J. Thomas has been the editorial voice of the most popular knitting magazines, including Vogue Knitting, Family Circle Easy Knitting, and Knitter’s Magazine. She just published a book with Potter Craft called Tweed, which was written while she was the Creative Director of Tahki Stacy Charles. I caught up with Nancy to ask her about the book and to find out what she’s been up to lately.

1. What made you decide to write a book focusing on tweed yarns? What was your favorite part of the experience of writing Tweed?

Tweed yarns are so beautiful, I knew they would make a great subject. I really agonized about where to find information about the history of tweed yarns. Diane Friedman from Tahki Stacy Charles put me in touch with Francis Walsh, a yarn spinner who lives in the northern most county in The Republic of Ireland and works for a mill that makes tweed yarns. He sent me long emails with great information, and we carried on a fascinating email correspondence. It was such a wonderful experience to deal with him, even though we never spoke or met in person.

2. What is it like to have been part of so many different aspects of the knitting industry?

I feel privileged to have had so many dream jobs. I never imagined that I would be involved in so many facets of the knitting industry. I love to knit and crochet so I want to create projects that I would like to make or read about myself. I have always maintained this philosophy, and it seems to work for me.

3. You’ve recently become creative director of Coats & Clark. What’s your favorite thing about your new job?

Coats is a great company. I really love the challenge of making designs for inexpensive yarns that have a contemporary, upscale look. I also love that Coats is a global company so I get to interact with other staffers from all over the world. I’m involved in projects with people from the UK, Germany, New Zealand, and Australia.

4. What are you knitting right now, and what do you do when you’re not knitting?

I knit all the time! I just finished knitting my niece a baby cardigan with a hood and a cotton baby blanket. I also crocheted her a baby blanket. She’s my favorite niece and is having her first baby in June. I just started a tank in a Coats cotton blend so I’ll have something to work on in long meetings. I do love to travel and plane, train, and car trips give me an opportunity to knit. I also love to read and have belonged to a book group for 7 or 8 years: I try to keep up with reading a book a month.

— Melissa

And the answer is…THE SCARF ON THE LEFT! Congratulations to those of you who guessed correctly. It’s made from Handspun Corriedale and Mohair. The scarf on the right is made from Jaggerspun Zephyr 218 Wool-Silk.

This is what Lisa Lloyd says about spinning: “Most knitters I know are fascinated with yarn and fiber and have well-established favorites, either in gauge, yarn company, or type. Being a spinner takes all these things to the next level and beyond. Handspinning opens up unlimited possibilities of yarn. If you can imagine a yarn, you can make it.”

— Katherine

Many of you have already discovered the new book from Lisa Lloyd, A Fine Fleece.

You can read a few recent reviews by bloggers here:

Knitting Without Needles
http://www.knitchat.com/2008/04/08/bookish-thursday-on-tuesday-two-books-hot-off-the-presses/

Brainy Lady
http://brainylady.blogspot.com/2008/04/two-books-and-give-away.html

Another Knitting Blog
http://mimoknits.typepad.com/knitting/2008/04/post.html

Half Baked
http://woodlandsprite.blogspot.com/2008/04/not-just-for-spinners.html

My favorite feature of the book is how Lisa shows the finished project in both a handspun yarn and a commercial yarn so that you can train your eye to understand how fiber and texture affect a piece.

Take the Lisa Lloyd Challenge!
Can you guess which is made from handspun yarn and which is from commercial yarn? Post your guesses in the comments section and I’ll post the answer on Monday!

— Katherine

Shear Spirit is a new book that profiles America’s fiber farms and raches. The authors, Gale Zucker and Joan Tapper, compiled a list in slideshow format of the top ten things they learned while creating their book. I thought I loved alpacas before I read #5, but I love them even more now …

You can watch the slideshow below, or click on the individual pictures to read more from the authors. And be sure to join our brand new Flickr group! To read more from Gale and Joan, check out their blog, Two Shear Spirits.

— Katherine

If you read Knitty, you know that Amy Singer, editor and publisher of the esteemed online magazine, always delivers the good stuff. She partnered with Jillian Moreno for their first book, Big Girl Knits. In this and their latest book, More Big Girl Knits, they’ve done the hard part of figuring out what looks good on big girls by breaking it down into three key body bits: Boobs, Belly, and Butt. They call them the B3. Jillian and Amy base their designs on the principle that looking good and feeling good in knitwear is all about balancing your overall silhouette. Pretty simple, but pretty smart. We interviewed them when Big Girl Knits came out and you can read it here.

Stephanie Martin, who writes the blog Half Baked, has this to say about the book.

— Katherine

Tune-in for more from our talk with Faith, Justin, and Ellen, authors of 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf

Click here to listen to the second part of our podcast interview!

— Katherine

Take a look at this project from 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf. I’m going to dig through my old scarves and whip up one of these.

Click here to download the PDF of the pattern.

And don’t forget to email us photos of your finished projects for our gallery!

— Katherine

For the past few years I’ve worked behind-the-scenes here at Potter Craft, bringing you the Potter Craft Newsletter and working with authors to promote their books. It’s exciting to be blogging on the new Potter Craft blog. I look forward to getting to know you better, so I invite you to ask questions, send us photos of your projects, or just say hi.

A few months ago, I saw a craft project in a magazine that transformed a silk scarf into a handbag. I thought it was ingenious! So cool, clever, and unique. That’s what I love about the new book in the 99 Ways series—99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf—it offers really clever ways to reimagine your silk scarves as pillowcases, pants, even button covers. And some of the projects don’t even require any cutting—they’re simply new ways to wear your scarf.

I recently got to meet the authors, Faith, Justina, and Ellen, when they visited us to record a podcast. They came in rocking enviable hand-crafted outfits and talked to me about how they got started and how they work together. Listening to them made me feel like I could go out there and start my own fashion trend! Meet the girls!

Click here to listen to a clip from the podcast.

— Katherine