9 Library Books to Help You With Last Minute Gifts

What better way to show your friends and family how much they mean to you than with a handmade gift? If nothing else, it's guaranteed to be unique! Carnegie-Stout Public Library has a large and varied collection of craft books, which we've narrowed down to the nine suggestions below.

Crafts From Your Microwave by Alison Jenkins & Kate Morris

(745.5 JEN)

This title offers a variety of crafting options from dried flowers to salt dough, and even some edible treats!

100 Snowflakes to Crochet by Caitlin Sainio
(746.434 SAI)
If you're looking for quick project and you already know how to crochet, this is your ticket. Your aunt, grandmother, or coworker is sure to appreciate a handmade snowflake they can hang from the tree, or use as a coaster. The book is organized with the simpler projects right in the front.

Ductigami: the art of the tape by Joe Wilson

(745.5 WIL)

Now that duct tape is sold in a seemingly endless variety of patterns, colors, and even scents, a duct tape wallet or apron can be customized for anyone on your list.

Socks Appeal by Brenna Maloney

(745.5924 MAL)

Have you ever lost a sock in the washing machine? Of course you have! What do you do with the leftover socks? Don't throw them out! Instead you can turn socks into adorable stuffed animals. Check out Sarah's staff review of the second volume, Sockology.

Crafting with Cat Hair by Kaori Tsutaya
(745.5 TSU)
And what does one do with all of the hair your kitty companions donate to your couches, carpets, sweaters, and slacks? Tsutaya has the answer: make crafts. If you're planning to make a gift, it might mean more if you use cat hair from your friend's cat, though we're not sure how you could collect it and keep things a surprise.

Austentatious Crochet by Melissa Horozewski
(746.432 HOR)
To avoid those awkward "why are you putting cat hair in a plastic baggy" conversations, it might be better to make something inspired by your friend's favorite fandom. We all know someone who just loves, loves, loves Mr. Darcy, so break out that crochet hook!


Star Trek Craft Book by Angie Pedersen

(745.5 PED)

Or maybe your friends are more into Star Trek? Whether their favorite captain is Kirk or Picard, this book has a craft project that will have them saying "'IwlIj jachjaj!" Features crafts from The Original Series through Enterprise (fans of the J.J. Abrams reboot are out of luck). Staff favorites include the Star Fleet uniform for dogs and the make your own tribble.

Animal Hats by Vanessa Mooncie

(746.432 MOO)
Everyone has a favorite animal, or at least an answer to the question, "What's your favorite animal?" While these hats aren't for novice knitters, they are incredibly adorable. Especially cute animal hats include: elephant, lion, and pig.

Wacky Baby Knits by Alison Jenkins
(746.432 JEN)
Really pressed for time? Maybe make some adorable monster booties for a baby. Babies are small, so these projects might go a little faster. Your friend or daughter doesn't have a baby? That's okay, they won't assume it's a subtle hint for grandchildren if you say the booties are for their cat.

October Magazines of the Month: Threads & TV Guide

Our October magazines of the month are Threads and TV Guide. Stop in to check out an issue!

Threads is a publication of Taunton Press, publisher of several craft, home, and garden publications. Threads is focused on sewing and fashion. You can find out more on their website: www.threadsmagazine.com

TV Guide has been in publication since 1953, and offer coverage of television news and trends. You can find otu more on their website: www.tvguide.com

Popular Photography and The Artist's Magazine are our May Magazines of the Month

Get inspired and explore your artistic side this spring! Carnegie-Stout has a broad collection of books dedicated to painting, woodworking, and any number of other crafts. To fit with this theme, our May magazines of the month have a creative bent.

 
Popular Photography began publication in 1937, and is today the most popular photography periodical on the market. They cover information for beginners and experts, traditional film photography and modern digital methods. You can check out the latest print issue or borrow a digital issue through Zinio 

More monthly features and tips are available on their website: www.popphoto.com

The Artist’s Magazine is celebrating their 30th anniversary of publication in 2014. Each issue is devoted to the work of visual artists, primarily those interested in painting. In addition to advice and interviews, they offer competitions and contests.

More features, including videos, can be found on their website: www.artistsnetwork.com/the-artists-magazine

Jennifer Chiaverini! & our October Magazines of the Month

Jennifer Chiaverini author of the popular Elm Creek Quilt series, as well as the stand alone historical novels Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and The Spymistress will be speaking at Carnegie-Stout Public Library on October 14th. Due to limitations of space, tickets are required to attend this event. Unfortunately, all of the available tickets for this event have been claimed. In fact, all of the tickets were gone within 24 hours!

 

To learn more about Ms. Chiaverini, or to find some reading suggestions, check out our Jennifer Chiaverini Read Alikes blog post. And because our read alike post was written before she turned her pen to the Civil War, you might also enjoy this blog post of Historical Fiction of the American Civil War.

In anticipation of this exciting author visit, we've selected two magazines of the month for October: The Quilt Life and Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting

The Quilt Life magazine is a collaboration between the American Quilter's Society and the stars of the television program The Quilt Show. The magazine, which offers six issues a year, began publication in 2010. Their website provides more information, including patterns:
www.americanquilter.com/quilt_life

Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting is created by the team behind the Public Television program of the same name. There are six issues of the magazine every year that include patterns, tips and tricks, and more. There are some fun extras on their website as well, including recipes: www.fonsandporter.com/index.html

The Repurposed Library: 33 Craft Projects That Give Old Books New Life by Lisa Occhipinti

Don’t get rid of your print books just yet! After reading The Repurposed Library, you may find yourself compelled to visit area thrift shops to buy older cloth-bound books—not to read— but to decorate your home. Try doing this with your e-reader! Oops, I take that back; page 85 shows a “Kindle Keeper” made out of a colorful illustrated Western history book repurposed to hold a pad of paper and a Kindle.

Lisa Occhipinti rescues orphaned and outdated books from flea markets and library sales, and turns them into art objects and practical items for the home. The book shows delightful photographs of white doves perched in trees (made from book pages) and mirrors inserted into hanging book covers (one project’s selection is entitled Five Minute Biographies by Dale Carnegie). Directions are clear and project suggestions are simple enough to be both doable and beautiful, especially if you appreciate Shabby Chic design.

One project cleverly converts a Tuscan-colored cover of And Tell of Time by Laura Krey into a clock! My own favorite is the “Book Ledge” on page 43: Three cloth-bound books are stacked as a “bookshelf” for your wall. The wonderful colors used in dyeing these older book covers would make Martha Stewart jealous.

Similar titles in our Library’s collection with inventive ideas for repurposing books include Eco Books: Inventive Projects from the Recycling Bin by Terry Taylor (2009); and Making Handmade Books: 100+ Bindings, Structures & Forms by Alisa Golden (2010). Check out these Dewey subject ranges in the second floor stacks: 686.3 and 745.5.

A final note of caution: These creative suggestions are not recommended for turning our Library books—which are for reading—into Book Burst decorations for your wall. Anyone attempting to do so will be punished! But you might think twice before tossing those Reader’s Digest condensed books.

~ Mirdza Erika Berzins, Adult Services

Sockology by Brenna Maloney

I adore Carnegie-Stout's collection of craft books. While we don't have everything, it's delightfully eclectic and there's always room to expand. The problem with having such an extensive collection is that it's hard to know where to start! You could check out either of the lists I put together for National Craft Month (Craft Books One or Craft Books Two), or browse the New Book Shelves (start around Dewey 646 or 745).

I first spotted the colorful ducks of Sockology in the New Books. Although the idea of cutting up my beloved socks sounded crazy, I kept thinking about the adorable stuffed animals. I finally gave into temptation earlier this month (with the help of a pack of clearance crew socks in entirely the wrong size), and checked out both Sockology and Ms. Maloney's first book, Socks Appeal.

Not only are the projects adorable and fun, the writing is entertaining and accessible to crafters like myself who have only the most basic grasp on sewing, much to the frustration of my more knowledgeable friends and family.

I opted to tackle the cover project of Sockology, the Sitting Duck, because with only five pieces to keep track of and only one technical term (gusset, which until just now, I was convinced was a technical term for the underside of a duck) it seemed to be within my abilities. I managed to follow most of the directions, though I attached the beak incorrectly and I opted to use lentils rather than rice as stuffing. I'll leave it to you, loyal readers, to judge my success, but I can't wait to try another pattern!

-Sarah, Adult Services

Book Sale and Book Crafts

The Friends Book Sale starts today (November 4th) at 4:00 with admission to anyone who is a Friends member. Memberships can be purchased at this time ($5 for a year). From 6:00 until 8:00 this evening, the sale will be open to everyone. The Book Sale will be open from 9:00-3:00 on Saturday. If you bring your own bag (or box), you'll get a free book!

Have more books than you know what to do with them? You might find inspiration in the works of Scotland's Unknown Book Sculptor, or artist Brian Dettmer. The book sculpture on the right is Mr. Dettmer's "Webster Withdrawn."

Or if you'd like to tackle a more practical craft, the internet provides dozens of ideas and projects:

• Create a cover for your eReader using a hardcover book.
• Hollow out a book to create a cover for your mp3 player.
• Turn a picture book into a clock.
• Display photos using a book for the frame.
• Turn a hardcover book into a purse, for a stylish night on the town.
• Use a book to create a vase for dried flowers.
• Turn the pages of a book into a decorative wreath.
• Create a unique lighting fixture by recycling a book.
• Transform old book covers into a literary headboard.
• Make a container for a houseplant using a book.

Please do NOT attempt any of these projects with books which you have checked out from the library, borrowed from a friend, or you might want to read again! And if you can't bear the thought of taking scissors to a book, stop by Carnegie-Stout to check out books with tips on recycling other things into objects beautiful and practical!

"Midwest Living" is September's Magazine of the Month

The kids are back in school, and we seem to be past wicked heat of summer (finally). If, like me, your thoughts are turning toward apple cider and fall foliage, you might consider picking up September's Magazine of the Month: Midwest Living

Carnegie-Stout keeps both a reference and a circulating copy of this magazine, so if someone's borrowed the latest issue, we'll still have one for you to flip through! You can also take a peak at their website, though some content is restricted to subscription holders.

We also have Midwest Living's 1992 cookbook, Favorite Recipes from Great Midwest Cooks, which includes stories and regional information in addition to tasty recipes. You might also enjoy checking out our collection of Midwest Style Cookbooks.

Beat the Heat

With a projected high today of 94°F (and the humidity to match), my mind keeps turning to the colder landscapes of the polar regions. That and ice cream!

For anyone else interested in escaping the heat with a bit of narrative travel, I've gathered together a few book suggestions.

The Perfect Scoop: ice creams, sorbets, granitas, and sweet accompaniments (641.862 LEB)

Planet Arctic: life at the top of the world (591.70911 LYN)

Cold: adventures in the world's frozen places (910.911 STR)

Arctic Dreams: imagination and desire in a northern landscape (508.98 LOP)

Polar Obsession (591.70911 NIC)

The Coolest Race on Earth: mud, madmen, glaciers, and grannies at the top of the world (796.4252 HAN)

The Magnetic North: notes from the Arctic circle (910.911 WHE)

Among Penguins: a bird man in Antarctica (598.41 STR)

The Great White Bear: a natural and unnatural history of the polar bear (599.786 MUL)

For practical advice about hot summer weather, check out the CDC's Extreme Heat guide, as well as these tips from NOAA.

The crafty among our readers should click on the picture of ice cubes up top. The photographer created a method for do-it-yourself fake ice cubes (directions included)!

March is National Craft Month

National Craft Month may not be an officially recognized holiday, but it is the perfect excuse to start a new project, or tackle an old one.

This year, I'll be taking advantage of Carnegie-Stout's collection of books on stuffed animal creation to try and sew a penguin. Are you planning something ambitious? Share your plans in the comments!

Not sure where to start? Check out these resources for tips, tricks, and patterns in Knitting, Sewing, Crochet, Bead Work, Wood Working, Origami, and more!


Craft Books at Carnegie-Stout

More Craft Books at Carnegie-Stout

This month's feature magazine is "Crafts 'n Things." Their website features helpful tips, beginner's guides, free patterns, and an electronic newsletter: http://www.craftsnthings.com/

More Craft Magazines at Carnegie-Stout
Not all of our craft magazines are included on this list, so be sure to check with the Reference Desk for additional titles. Such as Make: Technology on your time, which has instructions on some less traditional crafts. Check out both their main website (Make), and sister site (Craft) for tons of quirky projects, patterns, and videos.

Photo by: Dan Machold