Crafting With...What?

September 26, 2012

Working in a library, we come across some interesting books. Crafting With Cat Hair: Cute Handicrafts to Make With Your Cat by Kaori Tsutaya would be one of the more interesting. An informal poll of our staff on this title ranged from, "Dude, that’s awesome!" to "Euuughh!", so perhaps this particular book isn’t for everyone. As you probably guessed, it’s about making felt crafts from that ubiquitous material all pet owners have: leftover hair. I did know a woman who kept a pet Angora rabbit specifically for spinning yarn, so I suppose it’s not that strange. But, it did get me to thinking about some of the other unique crafting titles we have in the collection.

Vampire Knits by Genevieve Miller
Have a Buffy or Twilight fan on your gift list? This book has some surprising and creative knitting projects. From scarves to "blood bottle cozies," there’s a little bit of everything in this one.

Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris
Okay, so Simple Times isn’t exactly your standard craft book. It’s the work of comedian Amy Sedaris (you probably know her better as Jerri Blank from the Comedy Central show Strangers with Candy). After first trying her hand at writing domestic guides with I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, she has now moved on to crafting with Simple Times. Sure it’s crude and crass, but it’s also totally hilarious. Are you ever going to make one of the projects from this book? I sure hope not...

Knockdown Knits: 30 Projects from the Roller Derby Track by Toni Carr
And who doesn’t know a roller derby player, or secretly want to be one? Heck, I can think of a couple currently working for MCPL. Don’t let the rough image fool you though, derby girls love to craft, as evidenced by the knitting projects created for this book by the Naptown Roller Girls of Indianapolis.

How about you? Have any other craft books that you really like? You can join the discussion by adding your comments below!

Happy Crafting!

Liesl C.
Excelsior Springs Branch