Rosey Grier

Wonder of wonders, you can still get Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men on MelCat. For those of us in the boy knitting community, this is an iconic title, but I figured it had been banished to the realm of triumphant find on eBay or the local rummage sale.

Fortunately, others have picked up the mantle of fiber arts books for men. Knitting with Balls is all about men who knit and even gives some of the history of men knitting. Sailors and soldiers once had to learn how to knit just to make things like nets and socks.

The current grand dame of knitting herself Debbie Stoller even got on the bandwagon and wrote Son of Stitch and Bitch.

On February 21st, we will host The Rugged Manly Art of Knitting at the Pittsfield Branch Library from 2 to 3:30. Men of all experience levels are welcome. We will provide yarn and needles, and a couple of the guys on staff will be there to show you simple projects. I've put the word out in the knitting community here in Ann Arbor, and I think some experience knitting guys will also emerge from their yarn stashes and show up for knitting fun. It should be a good time. And for further proof of the legacy of men's knitting, here are pictures of Franklin Roosevelt and Cary Grant knitting.

FDR Knitting

Cary Grant Knitting

valentine

Valentine's Day is coming up again, and with it, the chance to show all your friends and loved ones how much you appreciate them.

Some of you have undoubtedly purchased your boxed sets of Valentines already, but remember, nothing says "love" like that special, homemade touch. Come on down to Mallett's Creek Branch this Saturday, Feb. 13 from 2-4 to make a creative Valentine or two for those you love!

amigurumi

Sunday January 31, 1:00-4:00 PM -- Pittsfield Branch: Program Room

Looking for a seriously fun and unique new craft obsession? Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed toys. Whether you're a beginner or have plenty of experience at amigurumi, join us and learn how to make your own deliciously cute amigurumi cupcake, creature or mushroom. We'll have our "crochet cam" set-up to make instruction easier and projected on the big wall!

This event is for Teens in grade 6 & up and Adults. Registration is not required and this program is free of charge. All supplies will be provided

Join us this Friday in the Downtown Multipurpose Room from 6-8:30 pm to celebrate the Caldecott medal winner. The Caldecott Medal has been awarded since 1938 to recognize excellence in illustration. This year the award has gone to Jerry Pinkney's excellent rendition of The Lion and the Mouse, which tells Aesop's classic fable entirely in pictures.

This Friday, after a brief presentation of the Caldecott winner and other historical Caldecotts, you will have the chance to tell stories in pictures yourself. Your imagination is the only limit, so bring all your creativity, enthusiasm and love of art!

Here's to a loud and festive New Year's Eve! We're having a craft program at the Pittsfield Branch on Tuesday, December 29 from 2 - 3 p.m. We will make crazy hats: cone hats, newspaper hats, and crowns. Choose the hat you want to make and then decorate it. We'll also be making noisemakers from plastic cups and beads. All supplies will be provided. This is for children preschool through 5th grade.

Pittsfield Branch | Tuesday, December 29 | 2 - 3 p.m

it's a wrap

Create gift tags and wrap using special stamps, paper and ribbons. Get inspired by checking out, Encyclopedia of Greeting Card Tools & Techniques, or Cool Rubber Stamp Art.

Saturday, December 12 | 1:00-2:30pm | Traverwood | Grades 4-Adult

winter

There's no denying it, winter has definitely arrived -- and with snow predicted for some time this week, it's time to plan how to keep yourself entertained when the weather turns icy.

If you're an outdoorsy type, Boy's Life Magazine has all the information you will ever need, with articles on ice fishing, making emergency shelters out of snow, and ice climbing -- on frozen grain silos. (Strange, but true.)

For those of us who prefer to stay indoors with a hot cup of cocoa, Nintendo Power Magazine provides the latest information on the best new games -- like Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks, the first Legend of Zelda game where Zelda gets to go adventuring herself! My personal favorite, for the name alone, is Zombie Panic in Wonderland in which your favorite fairy tale characters fight...you guessed it ...zombies.

Bridging the gap between outdoor adventure and vegging out is National Geographic Kids, with an article on the return of the lynx to Colorado, and a review of upcoming Disney original The Princess and the Frog.Owl Magazine and its sister publication ChickaDee get in on the act with articles on arctic animals, gifts you can make yourself, and, in ChickaDee, an up-close look at Quebec's Hotel de Glace, a hotel made entirely of ice.

yarn basket

Jillian Moreno, author of Big Girl Knits will demo some cool projects this Saturday at the Traverwood branch, from 2:00-4:00 pm. You bring the needles; we'll bring the yarn!

Maybe you're looking for some projects to finish up before the holidays? We'll have ideas for easy patterns and samples of finished projects. Did you know that AADL carries several magazines with tips and tricks for every level of knitter? Try, Creative Knitting, Vogue Knitting, or Interweave Knits and a couple websites you might try are, www.knitty.com or www.magknits.com Hope to see you Saturday.

rockwell

Join us at the Pittsfield Branch on Wednesday, November 25, 2009 from 2:00-3:30 p.m to make beautiful accent pieces for your holiday table. We will be making turkeys out of toilet paper rolls, napkin rings out of toilet paper rolls or placemats out of pieces of paper. What a festive presentation these things will make!
This program is for preschoolers through grade 5. All supplies will be provided.

alma thomas

As reported by the BBC, President and Mrs.Obama have decorated their private rooms and the Oval Office with a range of modern and abstract art, adding to the extensive permanent White House art collection.

Among them are new pieces by contemporary African-American and Native American artists, as well as established artists such as Josef Albers, Richard Diebenkorn, Jasper Johns, Mark Rothko, and Edward Ruscha. Lesser-known artists such as Alma Thomas (photo), an African-American abstract painter of the 1960s and 1970s and Glenn Ligon are also chosen. (The complete list). A significant number of the library's collection of books on these artists are gifts from the Ladies Library Association.

One New York art dealer described the Obamas' choices as "highly sophisticated". The curator of modern and contemporary art at the National Gallery, where many of the items are on loan from, said it was "great art to live with".