January 17, 2012
The Encyclopedia of Needlework by Therese de Dilmont

Anyone who is passionate about embroidery and other needlework methods has at least heard of Thérèse de Dillmont's famous book, The Encyclopedia of Needlework. First published in 1886, this comprehensive work has been translated into more than 15 languages and has been in constant distribution throughout the world. What you may not know is that this resource is available free, online and for download through The Gutenberg Project.

I haven't found a great deal of biographical information about Thérèse de Dillmont, but if you're interested, you might check these two sites: Anne Wanner's Textiles in History and A Textile Lover Diary

If downloading and printing an entire book seems like a pain, you can always purchase a copy of the latest version, published in 2011 and available through Amazon.com.

January 16, 2012
Handwarmers

I bought these handwarmers at a local health food store. They're knitted from Alpaca wool and are so soft and warm! My knitting skills are so limited they can't actually be called "skills"... So instead, I'm going to look for Alpapca roving and see how well it felts.