Stackpole Books GPQ – serie

Jump into this crochet cottagecore collection full of snail steeds and mushroom riders!Mushroom Sprites and Snails are a delightful pairing, offering endless possibilities for crafting magical creatures. With Mushroom Sprites available in various sizes, limb options, and cap styles, and Snails in small, medium, and giant sizes with round or pointed shells, this book provides everything you need to create a whimsical duo. As a bonus, you'll find instructions for leashes, reins, and saddles that allow the Mushroom Sprites to take their Snails on adventures through meadows and forests.Patterns are accessible for all skill levels, with simpler mushroom shapes for beginners and intricate spiraling shells and colorwork for more advanced crafters. All patterns include detailed photos so you can easily follow the instructions to create enchanting amigurumi. Use the included photo galleries and planning sheets to design your unique creatures and track your progress, and refer to the Glossary of Terms and Stitches for helpful guidance along the way.You'll soon be enjoying the company of a whole fairy ring of Mushroom Sprites and their Snail companions!

Listen to the Wool shows spinners how to work with a fleece to find what type of yarn it is best suited to become. By investigating wool preparation from a technical, cognitive, sensory, and spiritual perspective, the reader will be able to confidently make decisions to create a wool’s best yarn.Instead of approaching spinning with the end result in mind and forcing a fleece to meet that goal, e.g., a sport-weight sock yarn, Listen to the Wool shows spinners how to work with a fleece to find what type of yarn it is best suited to become. By investigating wool preparation from a technical, cognitive, sensory, and spiritual perspective, the reader will be able to confidently make decisions to create a wool’s best yarn, allowing it to shine. The book will encourage readers to “do” the “don’ts,” challenge their preconceptions, embrace their mistakes, and enjoy the full journey of fleece to yarn.

Sakiori is an approach to rag weaving used by Japanese peasants to cope with the scarcity of new cloth for clothing and household textiles. In modern times, there is instead an overabundance of cloth filling up thrift stores and being discarded. Weavers can use this source of “rags” to make useful and surprising new cloth. Depending on the fabric used, results can be rugged and utilitarian (like cotton rugs) or fashionable and delicate (like silk scarves). The book begins with an overview of the history and context of sakiori in Japan, followed by methods and tips for successful rag weaving with a variety of materials and looms, including rigid heddle looms as well as floor looms. Charts and worksheets make it easy to find the information weavers need to get started, and 21 projects with instructions and drafts provide inspiration and ideas.

Author Ian Cramb was a fifth-generation stonemason who relied on traditional methods to create and restore beautiful stone structures. In this do-it-yourself manual for homeowners, masonry contractors, and restoration specialists, Cramb drew on his fifty years of life experience in the craft to cover restoration techniques for historic structures in the U.S. and Britain. The book covers various types of stone, stone-cutting, and traditional mortar mixes for walls, foundations, and buildings.

Your one-stop Tunisian crochet resource is here!Whether you are completely new to Tunisian crochet or you already love it and are ready to move beyond the basic stitches, Exploring Tunisian Crochet has the step-by-step instructions you need to master any Tunisian crochet technique. Photo tutorials for basic stitches and advanced stitches (for both left- and right-handed crocheters) get you started on the road to success. Complete your education with expert tips and techniques.Once you've practiced the stitches, you'll be ready to crochet any of the 20 stunning patterns for shawls, scarves, hats, and more. You'll be amazed at the versatility of Tunisian fabrics you can make with the variety of stitches in this book, from lacy shawls with beautiful drape to stretchy hats and mittens and colour work shawls and scarves. The advanced crochet stitches you'll learn open a whole new world of possibilities!

Welcome to the Morgan family home! Let me give you a tour. Each room in this Victorian household has a special purpose and is favoured by a unique feline inhabitant. From the cuddly and adorable Nursery Kittens to Aunt Pru’s Persian, there's a tale behind each kitty companion--and a family member who loves them. From the Cook's Cat to Grandad's Silver Tabby, the Morgans' cats will capture your heart, and the knitting pattern for each will have your needles flying.There are 20 cats in all, with complete instructions to knit each one. Most of the patterns in this book have sections which are worked flat and sections which are worked in the round, so your attention will always be held. A few of them are geared toward the beginner, with shaping achieved by simple increasing and decreasing. Others are more challenging, but even these will be easily accomplished if undertaken with an adventurous spirit. The Morgans and their kitties are sure to delight all cat-loving knitters!

In June 1941, the jaws of the German war machine clamped onto the Soviet Union, with German soldiers—the Third Reich’s teeth—slicing through the Red Army, encircling and killing and capturing. Before the end of the year, the Red Army halted the German blitzkrieg and saved the Soviet Union. It was a defining moment of World War II and a defining moment of military history—a defining moment of what it meant to go to war in the twentieth century, with an army designed to devastate, to kill, to enslave butting heads with an army decapitated by Stalin’s purges. For the next six months, German armies fought toward Moscow but ultimately failed to seize that objective, from the Black Sea in the south to Leningrad in the north. More than just a pivotal moment of World War II, more than just the beginning of the Eastern Front, the campaign toward Moscow—Germans versus Soviets in a no-holds-barred battle for the soul of Europe—speaks to what it meant to be a soldier in World War II. (Far more soldiers, German and Russian, fought and died on the Eastern Front than the entire U.S. war effort.) In a book drawing from hundreds of soldiers’ accounts, and thousands of letter and diaries, Stahel and Luther tell the story of Operation Barbarossa but also the story of men at war in the twentieth century.

Make the most of one of today's popular jewellery trends with Leather Bracelets, a collection of 33 beautiful beaded, knotted, and braided accessories that would be at home on the shelves of the most stylish designer boutiques. Gorgeous worn alone but even more stylish stacked, these bracelets can be made with readily available leather cord and findings and a few basic jewellery-making tools.Each hand-crafted bracelet can be made unique just by changing the colours and chosen charms or beads. Sized precisely to fit the recipient, these bracelets are sure to please.

Omaha Beach witnessed the greatest drama and loss of life on D-Day. Across a four-and-a-half-mile front consisting of sand, stones, and cliffs, largely untested American troops assaulted Germany’s Atlantic Wall head-on, encountering fierce resistance but eventually securing the beachhead. Their actions paved the way for Allied victory in World War II, yet until now, a truly comprehensive history of the momentous battle for Omaha Beach has not been written. In Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944, Joseph Balkoski picks up where other historians left off and weaves personal recollections and historical analysis into a gripping, unforgettable narrative of one of the U.S. Army’s most costly days of World War II. After placing the D-Day preparations firmly within their diplomatic and strategic context—from Gen. George Marshall’s early enthusiasm for a Normandy landing to the Tehran conference, where Stalin’s support moved the plan into its final stages—Balkoski describes the minute-by-minute combat on Omaha Beach. Using a series of detailed maps to illustrate the progress of the invasion, as well as a broad selection of first-person accounts—many given mere weeks after the fighting—Balkoski crafts a seamless story of the action as it unfolded. He allows both officers and enlisted men to speak for themselves, as they vividly recount their attempts to maneuver bombers through heavy cloud cover, the claustrophobic terror of manning a tank aboard a landing vessel, and the relentless fire that greeted them as they inched their way across the beach. A concluding section recognizes Omaha’s Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross recipients, some of them posthumous, and lists the minute details of the landings, such as the order of battle, unit-by-unit casualties, and the equipment the men carried. Equal parts oral history and meticulous reconstruction, Omaha Beach is the closest the modern reader can get to experiencing the Normandy landings firsthand. It is a fitting tribute to the veterans and an indispensable history of one of America’s—and, indeed, the world’s—most important days.Voted a top 5 book on D-Day in The Wall Street Journal, and a top 10 book on D-Day in USA Today.

Bass fishing (largemouth, primarily) is growing in popularity around the country; it is growing really fast in western states such as Colorado, Idaho, and Nebraska due to the accessibility (public water nearby), crowding of trout streams, and new cadre of anglers that prefer alternatives to trout. Jay Zimmerman features 18 cutting-edge patterns from around the country for largemouth and smallmouth bass, explains how to fish them, and has detailed tying steps. Because of how widespread bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted) are, this book should appeal to anglers around the country.

The visual journal is a simple hand-bound notebook in which to create, using mixed media techniques, works that serve as an expression of the soul and create a path to healing, internal freedom, and the sparking of passion.“Visual Journey Journaling” is an innovative artistic language taught by Rakefet Hadar and made up of seven elements: Intention, Magical Coincidence, Background, Images, Lines, Color, and Text. Visual Journey Journaling (VJJ) invites you to a fascinating world where you will reconnect with the your hidden inner artist to create "soul pages" using simple techniques and subtle guidelines to take a look inside yourself. Rakefet has taught these methods for many years, guiding even inexperienced artists to find the stories within themselves.In the first chapter of the book you will learn how to master the seven elements in your journal. There are many fun exercises and a step-by-step tutorial of how to start a simple journal. Next you will learn how to make a soul page in a step-by-step process with the seven elements. You will explore a variety of materials and how to work with them to find and create your pages. You will learn to build your journal and how to bind it into a finished book. Throughout the book and in the final section, you'll see and find the meanings in Rakefet's stunning private art journal pages and read her stories behind them.

At last there is a comprehensive stitch dictionary for Tunisian crochet, with 500+ stitch patterns, each including swatch, crochet chart, and row-by-row instructions.Author of Exploring Tunisian Crochet Lori Harrison is fascinated by the many possibilities for stitch creation available with Tunisian crochet. A Tunisian crochet stitch consists of 5 “bars,” 2 vertical bars and 3 horizontal bars, which can be worked into in over 60 ways to create a single stitch!This book includes comprehensive coverage of these stitch variations, plus hundreds of stitch combinations such as smock stitches, honeycomb, fans, lace, and more. And since Tunisian crochet is worked in two passes, forward and return, working different colors on these passes results in interesting and unique colorwork. She explores these color options, too.500+ Tunisian crochet stitches, each with swatch, crochet chart, row-by-row instructions and tutorial photos when neededGoes beyond the current books on the market to explore all of the possible basic stitch variations, plus more complex stitch pattern combinationsMany variations of colorwork patterns, exploring the use of different colors on forward and return passesIncludes favorite stitches such as lace, shells, knit-like stitches such as stockinette and ribbing, textured stitches, cables, and much moreAuthor Lori Harrison is well known as a master of Tunisian crochet designs. Her first book, Exploring Tunisian Crochet, showed the possibilities of Tunisian for more than just blankets.The most complete reference book of Tunisian crochet stitches available and should be on every Tunisian crocheter’s shelf.

Transform your knitting with 17 stunning colorwork patterns that celebrate vibrant designs from top to bottom, perfect for everyday elegance!Instead of restricting stranded knitting to only the yoke of a sweater, the 17 patterns in this collection embrace colorwork from top to bottom. Modern and traditional motifs are used in new ways to create an array of styles and shapes, from cardigans, hoodies, and short sleeve sweaters to cozy pullovers, ponchos, and even a dress. A variety of colorful yarns are used to varying effects: mohair for soft halos, merino wool for stitch definition, and alpaca for lightweight warmth. The sweaters are unique and sure to be noticed, yet are comfortable and appropriate for everyday wear.Patterns are sized from small to extra large and are appropriate for intermediate knitters comfortable with sweater-making techniques and colorwork. An illustrated tutorial section provides a refresher on stranded knitting, if needed, as well as instructions on how to work a few possibly unfamiliar stitches and techniques. Knitters will be absorbed from start to finish as they add many new favorite sweaters to their collection!

They dropped from the skies, roared over the hedgerows, and turned the tide of history—this is the untold story of the airmen who helped liberate France.By June 1944, Allied air forces were ready to unleash hell on the Germans in occupied France. Massive numbers of bombers and fighters had been assembled in the United Kingdom, as well as more than one million troops poised to invade the continent. Thunder Over Normandy tells the story of the air campaign that began on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and culminated in the liberation of France—one of the largest, most complex, and most successful aerial operations in history. In April 1944, Allied air forces in Europe—including the vaunted U.S. Eighth Air Force and RAF Bomber Command—were placed under Dwight Eisenhower’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force and given a twofold mission to lay the groundwork for D-Day: destroy the Luftwaffe’s battle strength and isolate Normandy from reinforcements. American and British heavy bombers completed these tasks with devastating effectiveness.D-Day began with the midnight launching of 1,200 transports to drop American and British paratroopers and gliders behind enemy lines in Normandy. In a monumental effort, the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions landed behind Utah Beach and fought for towns like Carentan; the British 6th Airborne seized Pegasus Bridge and other crossings near Caen. Toward dawn, 1,000 bombers hammered German positions along the coast, just ahead of the troops who stormed the beaches.As the fighting moved inland during the next two months, Allied fighters and fighter-bombers swarmed in to provide close support for the ground forces slogging through the hedgerows of Normandy. The bombers continued to strike German industry, but priority was now given to destroying V-1 and V-2 rocket sites as part of Operation Crossbow. Bombers were also used tactically in conjunction with ground operations, including the heavy bombardment that preceded the breakout from Normandy in late July.By the time Paris was liberated in August 1944, air power—thousands of sorties, hundreds of thousands of tons of bombs—had contributed mightily to Allied victory. Thunder Over Normandy details the air operations that made this happen, from thundering bomb runs and low-level strafing attacks to paratrooper drops, glider flights, and wheeling dogfights with the Luftwaffe. During the summer of 1944, as this stirring account vividly shows, the Allies were truly masters of the air.

Bright, beautiful symmetry in cross-stitch! Mandalas are intricate circular designs used around the world to invoke calm centeredness through reflection. In recent times, drawing, colouring, and painting mandalas have become popular ways to seek out this inner serenity. It is in this spirit that the talented embroiderer Isabelle Haccourt Vautier offers 20 mandalas inspired by cities and countries she dreams of visiting. Using her imagination and knowledge of the places’ histories and traditions, she has created breath taking mandalas that celebrate the spirit of each destination.A student of colour research and crystal healing, Isabelle highlights the symbolism of the colours she has chosen and a stone that corresponds for each pattern. Completed pieces are shown finished in a variety of ways: wall hangings and banners, pouches and totes, pincushions, tea towels, and more. Each design includes a list of fabrics and embroidery floss colours used and detailed cross-stitch charts. Both stitching and admiring these stunning mandalas will transport you to a place of calm and joy!

The Battle of Kursk was one of the defining moments of World War II. In July 1943, German forces under Erich von Manstein--one of Germany’s best generals--launched a massive attack in an offensive code-named Citadel. A week later, the Soviets counterattacked, sparking a huge clash of tanks at Prokhorovka, the largest armor battle in history, pitting more than 600 Soviet tanks against some 300 German panzers. Though the Germans gained a tactical victory, destroying huge numbers of Soviet tanks, they failed to achieve their objectives, and in the end the battle marked a turning point on the Eastern Front. The Red Army gained the strategic initiative and would not lose it.

The rigid heddle loom is a popular alternative to the floor loom because of its smaller size, much lower price, and ease of use. The rigid heddle loom is easy to use and the perfect size for small to medium items. The early chapters in this book give photo-illustrated instructions on how to prepare your materials, set up your loom, and weave.Detailed instructions are also given for more advanced types of weaving such as saori, lace, and working with pick up sticks and inclusions. To practice the techniques learned, step-by-step project notes are given for 11 pieces including scarves, placemats, cushions, wall hangings, and bags. Here you have a complete course that will take you from your first weaving to many more advanced techniques for your rigid heddle loom.

A solid guide for becoming a better shotWing shooting, sporting clays, skeet shootingExpert teacher and coach shares years of experienceSuccessful Shotgunning focuses on wing-shooting and sporting clays techniques. Gain a better understanding of the shooting process as a whole as you sharpen your skills and become a better shot. How to evaluate moving targets in wing-shooting situations in the field, in a competitive environment, on a sporting clays course, or on a skeet field. Choose the correct gun and gun fit for you; learn to diagnose some common eye problems and correct your aim; tame recoil; and deal with the challenges of various sporting clays targets.Quote from the book: "Successful shotgunning isn't an inherent trait, it is a skill and it must be learned like any other skill. It requires systematic study and the ability to accurately calculate the variables of moving targets. My coaching methods involve an intuitive technique that is based on pure logic and a systematic breakdown of all the variables involved. This is how the experts shoot. Over a period of time they build up a personal mental repertoire of sight pictures, which they can then successfully apply to each target, regardless of whether it is a quail, dove, duck or clay target. They then have the ability to see a subtle but consequential target/barrel relationship on every shot and adjust to each different shooting situation."

If the machine gun changed the course of ground combat in the First World War, it was the tank that shaped ground combat in World War II. The tank was introduced in World War I in an effort to end the stalemate of the machine gun versus barbed-wire trenches, and by World War II, the tank’s mobility and firepower became a rolling, thundering difference-maker on the battlefield. In this detailed, deeply researched, and heavily illustrated book, tank expert Richard Anderson tells the story of how the United States developed its armored force, turning it into a war-winning weapon in World War II that powered American ground forces and supplied armies around the world, including the British and Soviets.For decades, American tanks of World War II have been undervalued in comparisons with German and Soviet tanks—and it’s true that the best of American armor tended to underperform the best of German and Soviet armor during the war. That’s because the U.S. had a different goal: not only to create battleworthy tanks like the Sherman, and to develop other tanks, but also to supply American allies with serviceable, combat-ready tanks. The United States did all this, but until now the complete story of American tanks in World War II has yet to be told.Anderson’s book is deeper and more thorough a chronicle of American tanks in World War II than has ever been done. This book is colorful, vivid, and thought-provokingly insightful on how the U.S. produced a tank force capable of conducting its own battlefield efforts and sustaining key allies around the world. This will be the go-to volume on American tanks for years to come.

When fishing gets tough, fly fishers might be tempted to use bigger, flashier flies, but expert angler Ed Engle knows that tiny, sparsely dressed flies often work when nothing else will. With a little attention to tying the flies and fishing technique, fly fishers will take trout on flies as small as 24, 28, and even 30. Now combining his two classic books on small fly tying and fishing in one updated, second-edition volume, Engle covers the patterns and how to fish them. You’ll learn how to find and observe trout in small-fly water, how to evaluate the major small-fly hatches, how to fish the surface and below, and how to strike, play, and land trout on tiny flies. Engle deftly covers small-fly history and how the flies have developed. Tying tools, special materials, specific patterns for aquatic insects, tying techniques, and a full complement of patterns complete the book.

Welcome baby with a beautiful handmade blanket!A crocheted blanket is the perfect gift for a new baby. Putting the time and effort into making your gift bestows a special meaning to it, and favourite blankets are often cherished into toddlerhood and beyond. Many become heirlooms for the next generation.The 13 designs in this book showcase a variety of stitches and techniques, but all are appropriate for a beginner to intermediate skill level. Crochet them in the colour palettes shown, or use colours to match the nursery or your own favourite combinations. You'll delight in seeing the stitches fly off your hook as your blanket progresses, and baby and new mom will love snuggle time in the soft, beautiful afghan you made!

Add Tunisian crochet to your skill set today and start making pieces with the look of knitting but the ease of crochet.Tunisian crochet, also known as the afghan stitch, is easy and fun to work, and is perfect not only for blankets and shawls but also for place mats and even skirts. The only special tool you need is a Tunisian crochet hook, and you are ready to go. Whether you are a seasoned crocheter or a total newcomer, you'll pick it up easily by following the step-by-step illustrated instructions. Once you've practised the basics, try out your new skills on the five included patterns for an heirloom baby blanket, scarf, skirt, shawl, and four variations of colourful woven-look place mats.

Crocheting items for the home provides a wonderful opportunity to display and enjoy your handmade items every day. Adorn your dining room with a beautiful wall hanging, plants in textured cozies, and the Elm Placemats and Runner. Snuggle into the cozy Arrowwood Throw with your head on a crocheted pillow and your feet propped up on the Wow Ottoman. Crochet baskets and caddies for every room – they can be made to match your décor and are both stylish and functional.Salena Baca has a knack for creating crochet patterns with interesting texture and design elements while using only the basic crochet stitches. All patterns presented in this book are suitable for a beginner to intermediate crocheter, so grab your hook and yarn and get started. You'll love seeing and using your crochet all around your home!

Learn a broad range of techniques for dry flies, streamers, and wet flies by tying the modern flies that everyone is talking about. Author Tim Cammisa teaches you how to tie these simple but effective patterns and then how to take the techniques you’ve learned and use them for most of the other core patterns—old and new—that should be in your box. Includes information on the latest materials, tying tips from other tiers, and 16 patterns with recipes and complete step-by-step instructions.

His call sign said it all:  Sudden Death.  It didn’t take George Uhl long into his tour to learn that in Vietnam death could be lurking behind the next tree, in the next rice paddy, on the next patrol, on his very next step down a damp jungle path.  From April 1966 to May 1967, the Marine radioman was in the thick of things, and in this unforgettable memoir, he vividly describes his tour in Southeast Asia, recounting the sleepless nights, the scorching days, and the terrifying minutes that seemed like days, and remembering the thoughts and fears of a young man fighting a war – and trying to stay alive – thousands of miles from home.

Ed Jaworowski has spent his life learning, practicing, understanding, teaching, perfecting, and writing about casting. He is an acclaimed and widely recognised expert of the subject with an exhaustive list of credentials. This, his third book, is his tour de force. Filled with his 60+ years of casting wisdom, it explains the four principles of casting which if understood can be adapted to meet any and every specific fishing condition. Instead of telling you what to do, how to stand, how to grasp the rod, where to start and end the stroke, and how to move the rod, Ed teaches the first few things that all casts have in common—those principles—and then shows how to apply those fundamentals in endless ways. He covers casting theory and mechanics and then explains how to analyse and diagnose casts.  Based on Ed’s six decades of fishing for more than one hundred fresh and saltwater species, this is a book for all fly fishers, so that whatever fishing situation, whatever rod, whether on a stream, in a boat, offshore, onshore, or wading, the fly fisher understands what the aim is—to deliver the fly to the fish—and is able, because of an understanding of how casting works and what needs to happen, to make the cast and get the fish.

Playing games while on courses is a part of the NOLS life, and course leaders are great resources for games that work—those that are popular and are used year after year. This book contains 100 tried-and-true, field-tested games collected from and vetted by NOLS instructors: getting-to-know-you games, name games, team games for encouraging cooperation and leadership, games on the trail and in the water, and brain/creative/word games.