Hi friends, It's another grey and dreary day here in Toronto. All I want to do is go home and sit on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a pile of craft books to while away the time until the hot, sunny weather reappears. Lucky for me, I have a pile of craft books waiting for me at home. I've had a good run of great finds recently, at writing this blog gives me just the excuse I need to pick them up and bring them home. Here are the books at the top of my reading list these days. Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitter's Almanac - This is an oldie-but-goodie, a book I'd heard about for years but never actually laid eyes on. Until this weekend, that is, when I found a copy at one of the stops on the TTC Knitalong. It's got a year's worth of projects and a hearty helping of down-to-earth advice for knitters...and more than a little bit of sass. I'd like to have met Elizabeth Zimmerman; this book tells me that much for sure. Linen, Wool, Cotton by Akiko Mano - A long-time favourite for people with the wits to puzzle out instructions and diagrams in Japanese, this was just recently released in an English translation and I snapped one up as soon as I found it. I haven't tried to make any of the projects yet, but I've spent a good long time studying the photos and the instructions, and you can bet your sweet bippy that I've already got a wishlist on the go. I'll start with the cute fabric lunch bag and the long linen apron, and take it from there. The tea towels and embroidered pillow cases look cute, too. Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson - I picked this up two weeks ago when I was on the hunt for something to knit during the knitalong. I'd looked for this on and off for sometime, but could never find a copy at my local big box book emporium. (Here's the thing: small, independently owned yarn (or fabric) stores are a great resource for crafting books. Box stores might have a wide variety, but you never know what you're going to get. At your local yarn store, chances are they've got the book you're looking for, have read it, and have tried a project from it, so they can tell you if it's worth the money. You won't get service like that elsewhere.) Anyway, this one's worth the money - and I've got an inch of baby sweater to prove it! Lost Crafts by Una McGovern - This is less of a hands-on book than the first three, but no less interesting. Author McGovern covers 100 handcrafts, including guddling for trout, caning chairs, making thatched roofs, whittling, tatting, and many, many others. The instructions are basic but they get the job done; if you're interested enough to want more information, she points you in the right direction. There's a lot more to crafting than needlework and glitter-and-glue. What are you reading these days?