No comments about French Girl Knits: Innovative Techniques, Romantic Details, and Feminine Designs.

3 comments about The Smart Approach to Home Decorating, 3rd Edition (Smart Approach).

1. I picked up a copy of this book while waiting for an appointment, and found SO many ideas that I had to come home and order it immediately! It is FILLED from cover to cover with wonderful, creative ideas to spruce up your home! The pictures are gorgeous and this is an ALL around perfect book for the person who doesn't know where to start! It shows different room settings, color choices, etc. etc. Buy this book, you won't be disappointed!



2. I already own a shelf full of decorating books, but this one ranks in the top three for good organization and good information. It has a lot of smallish color pictures, but more importantly, it has specific measurements and structural information that will help you make rooms and furniture more useful and more attractive. It is very user-friendly. I bought it for my daughter, but I sat down to read it completely before I gave it to her, and I learned some things!



3. For someone who is doing this for the first time, this book is a good place to start.

3 comments about Travel Scrapbooks: Create Albums of Your Trips and Adventuresi'm.

1. If you've ever been on a day trip, road trip, or full fledged vacation and you are looking for fun and creative ways to preserve those memories, this is the book for you!! Not only will you see great examples of "pages" but you will see how entire albums can be created around them. This book is great for all levels of scrapbookers. The only requirement is travel photos. :-)



2. This book shows some very nice and new ideas in scrapbooking. Here in Holland it is really getting better with scrapbooking. I teach people for over three years now, I was one of the first. And these kind of books make that I can offer my students something new every time!



3. It is very informative. Lots of good ideas. I am glad I purchased the book.

5 comments about Hip Knit Hats: 40 Fabulous Designs.

1. I'm a beginning knitter and also this is my first time using circular needles. I found the directions easy to follow and the photos were a great reference so I could see where I was in the pattern. I've tried about 2 so far and they've turned out great. The only thing I don't get is the wrap method. I would have liked more photos and instruction on that aspect.



2. There is a hat in this book for everyone in your life (I had several relatives thumb through and pick out the ones they wanted, and they all found one that made them say "wow, I love this hat"). It is full of a variety of patterns (all knit from the top down), from basic to fancy and fanciful. However, what really stands out are the creative ideas throughout the book to customize the hats even further. I love books that encourage you to develop your own style, and this book does.
   
   My only critiques are the number of printing errors (the author has posted errata at www.pondedge.com) and the lack of details in the instructions describing the methods of casting on. I would love to do the wrap method, but just can't figure out which end of the yarn goes where and what order to work the needles.
   
   This book, in terms of stylish variety and creative ideas, is one of my favorite knitting pattern books. The other one is Scarf Style (you can find some great scarves to go along with the hats!).



3. I realize that a 5 would only work if I went by the ONE pattern I've actually knit, which happened to be one of the error-free patterns. Due to the numerous errors seen on the page described here, I would give a 1 or 2 for the patterns themselves.
   
   But I totally give a 5 for the variety of patterns, the multiple pics she gives for each hat (one hat in two different colors can look sooo different!) and for the instructions on how to combine yarns to get the weight you need, felting instructions, face shape info, etc.
   
   So, a 3 will be it for me. It must be VERY frustrating for those who have made her hats and had serious errors to see so many ratings of 5. I'm glad I got this one at my local library. :)



4. Bought this for my wife, an ardent knitter, for Christmas. She says it is the finest book of hat patterns she has encountered. Recommended.



5. I agree with many of the other comments about the errors, and the fact that this may not be a book for beginning knitters. And fortunately, the first two hats I knit seem to be the ones without any errors in the directions.
   
   But as an experienced knitter who still has problems following patterns (just what KIND of "make one" did the designer mean??), I found the directions for the two hats I've knitted (VALERY, the one on the cover and DUNCAN) simple and easy to follow. I've made both hats several times. They knit up quickly, they look just as good as the photos in the book, and they fit beautifully. In fact, the first time I tried on my finished "Valery" hat, my daughter exclaimed, "It looks just like the hat in the book!" With these two hats, I found I could almost follow the pattern by looking at the photograph, they were so intuitive.
   
   After a long hiatus from knitting, I needed to make a hat for a friend. I searched high and low for weeks for hat patterns that were simple, quick and made beautiful hats. I was surprised at the dearth of easy-to-follow yet attractive patterns.
   
   This book was the only one that had several simple yet lovely hats, with no silly "things" on them, designs that don't rely on a bunch of faddish novelty yarns, yet with enough variations and color choices to keep me knitting and knitting and knitting. I've already made and given away four of the hats in the book, and every recipient has loved them.
   
   I loved the simple guide that showed me how to combine various weight yarns to get the gauges noted in the patterns.
   
   I loved the variations suggested, in yarns, colors, patterns. I love that the gauge was provided for each yarn, so I didn't have to track down a specific yarn to make a substitution.
   
   The "Duncan" hat is so simple, yet I can't wait to try the designer's suggestion to experiment with different patterns and textures on the brim.
   
   I admit I didn't like how the start of the hat looked with my usual two-strand cast-on--a bit too bulky to lie flat on top. I ended up unraveling that first row when I finished, and simply sewing it up with the yarn end. It looks fine.
   
   Again, perhaps not a beginner book. But a breath of fresh air for knitters with moderate skills who want something simple yet different jAND attractive.

5 comments about Bead Fantasies IV: The Ultimate Collection of Beautiful, Easy-to-Make Jewelry (Bead Fantasies Series).

1. This is by far the best jewellery book I have bought. The jewellery is lovely and is quite different to other American beading books I have bought. the main techniques used in this book are bead weaving, bead stringing and the right angle weave (what she calls 'figure eights' in the book.)However, most of the projects use 2 needles which beginers or people used to 1 needle methods might find confusing. i wouldnt recommend this book to complete beginners, but anyone with beading experience would be able to complete the projects in this book



2. I haven't done any of the crafts in the book yet, but the instructions look easy and the pictures are very clear.



3. One of the nicest books ever.Easy instructions and very beautiful example which you can change yourself if it doesn't suit your style.Small and compact book!



4. I received this book today & it's just what I expected. Beautiful pieces,great instructions & very nice pictures.I think I'll be buying all her books now.I strongly recommend this one.



5. I got this book last summer. Despite being the fourth of an outstanding series of beaded jewelry instruction and inspiration, it provides yet even more inspiring designs and instructions. This book, like its predecessors, is content rich and full of unique designs. I continue to get compliments on jewelry made from this book.

5 comments about Ultimate Guide to G.I. Joe 1982-1994.

1. GI Joe toys of the 80's were some of the most fun and exciting ever seen, and this book chronicles them with brilliant excellence! A must have for any fan of the toys!



2. What this guide is essentially comprised of is clinical pictures, bland details and a very dry presentation. This book is entirely geared towards the Joe collector who isn't necessarily interested in the fun or cool aspect of the toy line. For the casual Joe fan or those looking for some glorious nostalgia, the book fails miserably.
   
   The promise of the immense amount of full-color pictures are what sold me on this book. What it actually delivers are unenthusiastic shots with no fun factor at all. Each figure is shown with legs and arms straight out laid on their backs on a flat white background. Each piece of personal equipment is shown beside the figure, not on it. It is all quite cold and boring to flip through.
   The vehicles and bases fare even worse in their representation. They are mostly photographed from a full-on top-down view. A small handful are shown from the side. You only get one photo per vehicle, so if the angle doesn't inspire you (and it never really does), you are out of luck.
   While there is absolutely no action to the pictures, they are very sharp in quality.
   I would have liked to have seen pictures of the cards the figures came on and the boxes the vehicles came in, since the artwork was always amazing. Since this is an aspect to some collectors, I would have assumed it to be included. You can see the actual carded figure or vehicle/playset box about 5 times throughout the whole book. What a travesty!
   
   The information presented with the photos spits out name, classification and then proceeds to take some direct quotes from the file cards. The whole file card is never printed and would have been a great inclusion. Instead you are forced to read what the author decides is important enough to document. In most listings you are given other proposed codenames for the figure, which are obscure tidbits of info I found worthless. Specific figure variants, when actually mentioned, are discussed only briefly with no accompanying pictures. Suggested prices are given but compared to actual prices at hobby shops and eBay, they are practically useless.
   Unless you are a collector looking up banal manufacturing details, there isn't much enjoyment to be gleaned from reading what is printed.
   
   Nearly a full third of the guide covers the 90s era Joes, which many agree are easy to dismiss as part of the Joe universe. Again, only the most avid collector would care for this much info. The guide even goes so far as to cover the Street Fighter series of figures put out by Hasbro in 93. That has so little to do with actual Joes it's not funny.
   
   I had an enormous GI Joe colelction up until my teens and I still love the Joes to this day. I am not a rabid collector. I am a nostalgic fan. For me, this book was a waste of money. No cool photos of the Joe figures with their gear on and no fun displays of the vehicles and such. I read the comics and watched the shows. For me, there was nothing worth reading into here. No interesting information or exhilerating facts.
   Before you go out and get a copy of this guide, ask yourself if you are a general fan or a collector. If you answer fan, pass on this book. It is strictly for the OCD collector.



3. For those of us that collect this is an excellent reference guide. It details weapons, vehicles and just about anything you can think of. The only thing I was expecting was to have pictures of the figures/vehicles..carded. And thats one thing that would have made this book perfect, that aside its a great book and I am glad I picked it up. The pictures included are crisp, clear and the information on them is detailed. Enjoy...



4. My husband and I enjoyed this guide and found it very useful for our collection. Great pictures with accessories. Just seemed very complete for the collector. Well done in my opinion and would recommend.



5. As an avid childhood collector of GI Joe 3 3/4 figures and vehicles, I can certainly say that this guide seems extremely accurate. Although most of my collection sadly did not survive my childhood, this book certainly brings back some memories. It also helps to appraise some the pieces that did survive. I'm only depressed now that I didn't take better care of my original collection as it would have been worth a lot. As a GI Joe geek, it was interesting to see Larry Hama's (the original author of the Joe's Filecards) comments and thoughts on the characters. As a kid, I can certainly say I never gave the ideas behind the characters much thought. I also didn't understand half the things written on the filecards as they had more military jargon than a Tom Clancy novel. It does contain numerous references to the GI Joe cartoons and comics to help illustrate complete character biographies - which is interesting only if you were (or are) well-versed in the comics, the cartoons, and the toys. Overall, this is a great resource for serious collectors and devoted GI Joe disciples, but it's probably a bit too technical for casual fans.

5 comments about A Kaleidoscopia Coloring Book: Abstract Adventure (Kaleidoscopia Coloring Book).

1. Thank you for bringing these wonderful coloring books to Amazon.com! Year after year, at Minneapolis's Art a Whirl I look forward to finding Kendall Bohn's art studio because of the colorful and intellectual art he produces. Kendall is an artist who has not forgotten our children (and the children at heart) and their need for abstract, creative and fun art. Each coloring book is a flawless masterpiece which makes them a fantastic gift for cultivating imagination. At any age, anyone can color one of these beautiful pages to match any room and frame them for all to admire. I look forward to your continued releases!



2. This is one that I have already started on,..with colored pencils,...,..I really enjoyed what little that I have started on,.last night,..Arcystal



3. I Love this abstract coloring book !! This is a wounderful product and i would recomend this to anybody who loves to color abstract coloring pages.



4. This coloring book is imaginative and fun! The pages are full of interesting & creative designs. a++



5. The wild designs to color here present the most perfect break from your other daily activities -- creative or otherwise. This book is so good for releasing stress that Amazon should require a perscription to purchase it. That's some powerful tension-release!
   
   A Kaleidoscopia Coloring Book: Abstract Adventure is filled with beautiful images just waiting for your finishing touches. It's an inspiration.

5 comments about Whittling Twigs & Branches: Unique Birds, Flowers, Trees & More from Easy-to-Find Wood.

1. What you see on the cover pretty much is the whole book. The book mainly shows how to make a few birds. Not worth buying in my opinion.



2. Now I just recently started woodcarving and my wife bought me this book as a gift. I must say it is an interesting book for what it covers. Basically the author shows you how to pick out twigs and branches to make the birds featured in this book. The cuts seem basic and with a glance at them it seems that it would just be a matter of practicing to duplicate his work.
   
   If you go camping and want something to do around a camfire, this might be the book for you.



3. Folks, whittling ain't carving and this book should not be confused with that art form. Whittling is a way to keep your mind and hands busy without watching the [...] tube. The author does a good job of passing on his skills to other whittlers. Twig whittling is an inexpensive way of creating a little give-away art for the people you come into contact with during lifes journey. Materials cost little or nothing; what else could you ask? Very detailed instructions, illustrations are informative and authors advice is invaluable. If you enjoy giving your pocket knife a workout while spending quality time inside your own mind, this book is worth the price.



4. The full color pictures are great in showing step by step how to carve. My boys are 10 & 12 and are learning how to carve! Sometimes they fight over the book. Maybe we'll have to order another one!!



5. I have been very pleased. One of the few "how to" books to learn a skill that I have come across that can actually do the job straight from the book without already having some skill or personal lessons to go along with it. I have been having fun making animals and leaving them around for my children to find.

5 comments about Nicky Epstein's Knitted Embellishments: 350 Appliques, Borders, Cords and More!.

1. I know, I know: "don't judge a book by its cover." But that is exactly why I had passed on this instructional before. The cover - which doesn't invite anyone to even pick up this book - is an awful diversion from the quality of information found here. Apparently, Epstein found an new editor or photographer to give her current works much, much more visual appeal.
   
   Recently, I bought this and was surprised at what I found. This book is a great place to start! It's actually the 'Cliff Notes' to Epstein's other works - a springboard into the 'Edge' series. I have not bought any of the "Edge" series, only because they seem overwhelming and I didn't think I would actually use them (at least at this point in my knitting life). There is enough variation in patterns, ideas, and techniques to challenge and inspire anyone! This skimmed version is a great place to start. I'm encouraged to pick up her other books and reweigh their value in my knitting library.



2. I have Ms Epstein's other books,Knitting Over The Edge: Unique Ribs, Cords, Appliques, Colors, Nouveau: The Second Essential Collection of Decorative Borders which I enjoyed and Knitting Beyond the Edge: Cuffs and Collars*Necklines*Hems*Closures - The Essential Collection of Decorative Finishes about which I was somewhat less enthused. I decided to get this book, because I was looking for ideas for embelishments, and there it was: "Embellishments," just what I was looking for, so I got it.
   
   I think some of the appliqués are quite imaginative, particularly some of the leaves and pieced flower designs as well as many of the knitted cord appliqué designs, like the Celtic knots and most of the closures in the last few pages of the book. (I do love "frogs.") I will certainly try the technique myself.
   
   The appliqué cord technique was also used effectively for faux cables, and although I enjoy tackling a complex cable from time to time as an exercise, I could see the appliqué system for cables as a very effective way of getting a project completed. It would also allow one to experiment with a design to decide what type of cable looks best on a completed sweater, and just where on the sweater it will most enhance the wearer--and all this without having to rip apart the sweater and do it over again!
   
   The integration of beading into some of the edgings was also interesting and not something I would have thought of myself, because I'm not (yet) a beader. I could imagine the technique making something very special from something quite simple. However some of the designs for heavily beaded tassels seem just way too over the top.
   
   I also like the way cross stitch and embroidery in flosses or yarns could be added to a finished sweater to give the piece the look of fairisle, intarsia, entrelac, and tapestry without the bulk and carryovers that occur with the first two.
   
   I am not, however, a great fan of "bobbles" or raised edgings. I enjoy the technique of the former for its cleverness, and have added bobbles to things like purses, but they tend to make knitted and crocheted products look bulky and awkward in places that should probably not be emphasized on some individuals. (My figure, for instance, is bulky and awkward enough thank you.) Maybe on a very slim person, but definitely not a decorative technique I'd use for the more "mature" shape.
   
   
   The designs are well illustrated and enlarged enough for the reader to see the techniques displayed. The author uses the method of charted instructions, which I usually find somewhat difficult to follow but which I can see as very useful for visualizing the finished product and its construction.
   
   Most of my objections, though valid from my own perspective, might not be true of others. Maybe one likes heavily beaded tassles, maybe someone else enjoys bobbles. As one of the other reviewers notes; there's something for everyone in this book.
   
   All in all a book well worth the price to add to ones craft library.



3. Inspirational with step by step instructions. A must have for the knitter that just loves to knit,this book will have you doing so much more. Wonderful use of knitted cords, great edges, fringes, tassel and emroidery stitches. You will always add that special touch to your knitting. Thank you Nicky for sharing.



4. This is a brilliant book. When you want to add that certain something to your finished garment, but don't quite know what, have a flick through this and you will be filled with ideas. Easy to follow instructions and great, clear photos. It's a must for anyone who likes to knit or felt their own creations.



5. I enjoy this book. I use it as a resource when creating one of a kind things like activity play mats, blankets and sweaters. It is every knitter's must have.

5 comments about 200 Knitted Blocks: Traditional And Contemporary Designs To Mix And Match.

1. I love this book! I'm using it to make a blanket for my mother right now; so far, I've knit about 10 different blocks. The instructions are well-written with no mistakes, and each block is shown clearly, some with color variations. There are some suggestions for blocks to combine into blankets or pillows, but I prefer to make up my own design. One caveat: the current picture of the book on Amazon does not show the real cover of the book, the blocks shown in this picture aren't in the book, but the blocks shown on the actual book cover are inside the book. Other than that, there is nothing wrong with it. Highly recommended!



2. I liked the book, for the most part. A lot of repetition, though.
   There are ERRORS in the patterns, which was very disappointing! So far, 2 patterns have mistakes.
   I will not trust any more books by Jan Eaton to be correct, so, instead of buying any, I"ll just check them out from the library.
   
   Very disappointed.



3. There are some excellent ideas in this book, however, there are numerous errors--especially in the lacy patterns. Only two corrections are listed on publishers site. Could have been a lot better.



4. This book is a great book for someone who's interested in learning different stitches. Started using the book as soon as it arrived!



5. Contains many lovely blocks that one can use to learn new skills as well as exercise their creative freedom!