Random House new release: HatHeads

After teaching himself to knit, author Trond Anfinnsen found that pull-on hats—aka beanies or skullies—were the perfect-size project. As his pile of hats grew, so did his knitting skills, and soon he began personalizing the hats for family, friends, and friends of friends. Each person received a unique hat designed to suit his or her coloring, personality, and style—all for free. Trond eventually teamed with photographer Klaus Skrudland to document what had become an interactive art project, taking portraits of each recipient in his or her hat. Together, the two created, gave away, and photographed more than 200 hats.

HatHeads shares 50 of these hats, all the same beanie shape but with a wide range of designs, offering something for everyone. Each hat is modeled by its recipient, with a full pattern and a funny, affectionate description of how that person inspired the design. Readers then learn how to pick up where Trond left off and create unique, personalized hats for their own friends and loved ones.

Designed in a fresh, graphic style, HatHeads is as unique as its hats, a heartwarming celebration of people, knitting, and the joys of giving.

Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-and-Sew Projects to Wear and Give

Last month, Random House released this beautiful new book.
Kanzashi tsumami is the Japanese art of folding delicate squares of silk into three-dimensional flower petals. In the United States, the online craft culture has sprouted a renewed interest in making Kanzashi with American crafters devising simplified ways to create these gorgeous fabric flowers and incorporating more user-friendly materials like cotton and synthetic fabrics along with the traditional silks.

Kanzashi in Bloom takes the American interpretation of Kanzashi a step further, presenting modern, more easily executed flower designs as elements in a variety of fun, fashionable, hip craft projects. Kanzashi in Bloom offers advice on materials, three petal-folding styles, and techniques for assembling a Kanzashi flower. You’ll also find instructions for 20 projects to wear and give as gifts, including:

• Tiny blossom earrings
• Flowers-in-your-hair clips
• The happiest belt buckle ever
• Elegant floral gift topper

New Red Heart Artesano

New Red Heart Artesano is a versatile yarn with interesting texture and color effects. It has a soft hand and excellent wash performance.

Download color range (pdf).