Category: Alissa

  • Fabulous Fiber Arts Picks at the Library | Alissa Wolenetz, Library Director

    I recently rediscovered a passion for knitting after falling in love with the fiber arts exhibit at the Art Center earlier this year. I love snuggling up with a heated blanket and a cup of tea to listen to an audiobook (usually dark, twisty sci-fi checked out from the MontanaLibrary2Go) while I knit away the evenings.

    It turns out that we have some great items at the Library about fiber arts. Here’s a list. I’ve stolen little snippets from the back covers to give you an idea of what they’re about.

    General Fiction

    “The Quilter’s Apprentice” by Jennifer Chiaverini – WWII, romance, tragedy, new beginnings.

    “The Oysterville Sewing Circle” by Susan Wiggs – Homecoming, family, secrets, healing and loss.

    Mystery

    “While My Pretty One Knits” by Anne Canadeo – Intricate, durable patterns of friendship; death of rival knitters.

    “Fool’s Puzzle” by Earlene Fowler – Ex-cowgirls and folk art experts, quilting, museums, complex and cold-blooded crimes.

    “By Hook or By Crook” by Betty Hechtman – Clues, friends, murder by a box of poisoned marzipan apples.

    “Knit One, Kill Two” by Maggie Sefton – Funerals, burglary, sumptuously colored scarves.

    Memoir & Non-Fiction

    “Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater” by Peggy Orenstein – Memoir, no additional description necessary.

    “The Shape of Knitting: A Master Class in Increases, Decreases, and Other Forms of Shaping” by Lynne Barr – Again, that said it all.

    “On the Loom: A Modern Weaver’s Guide” by Maryanne Moodie – Vintage weaving techniques, decor and wearables, gorgeous cover.

    “Modern Macrame: 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home” by Emily Katz – Swoon-worthy aspirational interiors, nice pictures.

    DVD

    “Threads” – The development of needle arts; part of PBS’s Craft in America series.

    MontanaLibrary2Go – eBooks, Audiobooks, and More

    Right now, there’s a curated section of staff picks called “Let’s Get Crafty” that’s worth a look. You might also try “The Wild Dyer” by Abigail Brooks or “Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy” by Rebecca Burgess and Courtney White. If you’d like to check something out without waiting, go for a magazine like “Quilting Arts” or “Sew & Tell”.

    Well, that’s a wrap! (Pun intended.) As always, just let us know if we can help you find anything.