Fiber Arts And Sewing

Books

Knit, Hook, and Spin by Laurie Carlson - explains the basics of knitting, crochet, and spinning
Sew Step By Step by Alison Smith - in tandem with guides on Instructables, a good reference for people just starting out sewing things. Clear, precise, but not exhaustive. A pretty good introduction.
1/27/23 The Hero's Closet by Gillian Conahan - contains very useful information for not just making cosplay outfits and costumes but sewing and altering clothes. Especially helpful for learning some tips and tricks to working with tricky fabric like chiffon and velvet.
Kids Learn to Crochet by Lucinda Guy & Francois Hall - frustrating, because crochet is frustrating, but helpful
Crocheting by Blakley Kinsler - Another good guide, with some more techniques and sample projects
You Can Weave! by Kathleen Monaghan and Hermon Joyner - great. Contains lots of techniques for weaving simply but well and on a budget too
Stitch + String Lab For Kids by Cassie Stephens - contains a little of a lot of things but with sound techniques for each. It's wonderful.
Kids Weaving by Sarah Swett - demystifies it and makes weaving accessible on pretty much any budget

Fiber Arts Links

There is actually another Sewing page on Macrev, because of my spaghetti brain. Oof! Please check it out - 12/15/25
To learn how to knit for starters, there is RJ Knits. Then, Nimble Needles can really help you learn to knit. Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman can take you a lot further. - 12/15/25
How To Crochet A Small Square on Instructables is the infuriating and poorly illustrated guide I used to curse and swear my way to learning how. Wikihow has more guides. I'd suggest starting with the Wikihow guides. - 12/15/25
Kids Sewing Projects, added 5/23/23, takes you from the basics to more advanced projects as painlessly as possible. Apparently for everyone, not just kids. My personal recommendations for hand sewing: chalk or use soap to draw your line for sewing on, safety-pin your project together so you can work on your lap instead of at a table, put a bunched up sock in a jar to use as a pincushion so you can take breaks by stabbing the working needle into the pincushion when you get up (so the needle doesn't go missing and then stab you or puncture you in the butt), double the thread, tie an overhand knot over itself three times before you start, use lip balm to smooth over the doubled thread so it doesn't tangle, then sew the thread into a small loop on the wrong side of your fabric three times with three surgeon's knots. If you can make the loose end of the cut threads go into the work (like between fabric layers) or cover it over with loops of more thread so much the better. Then start sewing with backstitch, fasten the darn thing off with three more surgeon's knots in the same way, and there you go. Machine sewing is SO much better. But doing hand sewing this way makes your work machine washable and durable. Which you want, after going through the PITA that is hand sewing. I prefer nylon upholstery thread to cotton when hand sewing since I think it's more durable. Oh yes also metal thimbles can help if you are trying to go through denim or patches. Edit 12/19/25 Needle choice can help. Lick the thread before threading the needle, and choose one that is relatively easy for you to grab but also thin enough to go through the fabric without too much effort - this can really speed up your work, believe it or not. This usually means relatively medium-sized compared to the bajillion in a usual needle set. I don't recommend self-threading needles! If you need something like that, try getting a needle threader instead
On the off chance that you ever need to sew something up quickly, don't use a running stitch. Those are so flimsy it's almost unreal, one quick movement and ka-bam, no more sewn-up, just a gap. Here's a better idea: prepare the thread by doubling it, knotting the end three times onto itself (and layering the knots so they create a large knot), anchoring it to the fabric with a small stitch on the wrong side with a quick square knot (right over left and left over right makes knots neat tidy and tight), and then use a whipstitch to quickly sew up whatever it is. Then if you still have thread, whipstitch it the other way so it looks like a bunch of X's, and square knot it to the fabric with another small stitch into the wrong side of the fabric. It should hold until you can either machine-sew it or backstitch it later on. - 12/19/25
Wearing Woad New 3/14/23 Surprisingly interesting collection of info about natural dyeing with woad, growing woad and other dye plants, mordanting, ecology, and mentions that woad comes in other shades that definitely are not blue. Such as peach?! 10/10 great site
Instructables Fiber Arts collection
Ropemaking Instructable
Ropemaking Instructables
How To Thread A Sewing Machine
Instructables Machine Sewing Class
Instructables Hand Sewing Class
Instructables Sewing Collection
Instructables Knitting Class
All People Quilt A magazine containing a lot of quilting information and free pattenrs. Turns out you can quilt more than just blankets.

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