Reddit mentions: The best crafts & hobbies books

I can’t speak for every woman on the planet but I had a somewhat similar situation when I broke my back a few months before I was supposed to start my MBA. Major financial worries about delaying, GMAT, etc.

Initially I think you just need to be there to listen. Gently remind her it took you two attempts to pass the bar. My biggest comfort is the daily act of spooning with my husband every night where he rubs my back. Not like a massage but gently running his hands over my back with no expectation of sex.

If money is a concern, then look where you can be generous. Some of the best gifts are the ones we think are too expensive or we think are unnecessary for ourselves.

Somethings she would probably really appreciate: a day at a spa, like a Korean day spa where you can soak all day, get some treatments, journal etc. In the Seattle area there is one called The Olympus Day Spa that is amazing, in case you happen to randomly live there. Most major cities have places like that.

Lacking that, a long massage, at least 90 minutes where she can really relax. Bonus if she can get a facial. Reflexology and foot rubs are always winners for most women I know. Either pick her up and drop her off or pay for an Uber/Lyft so she doesn’t have to drive. Then, movies and chill.

If you can afford it, take a long weekend and go somewhere really chill. The opposite of Vegas. Her nervous system needs a reset. Think hot springs if you live any near those. Snow. Cabin. No wifi or cell service. Hot springs. That would be idea.

Other things: one of the things that sounds so ridiculous but really bites about financial issues is not being able to afford the makeup and things that make you feel beautiful. If your confidence is shot from something like failing the boards, then not having the money to replace your makeup stocks or get your hair done feels rotten. I hardly wear makeup, but what I do wear is not cheap. If she gets her makeup from Sephora or Nordstrom, a gift card there would be nice.


Also, it would be natural to jump into studying again, but see if you can encourage her to take a break. Let her brain rest. Let her nervous system reset.


I struggled with cognitive function and have experimented a bit with smart drugs. I really, really like nicotine. Not tobacco. I don’t smoke, but I use the lozenges sparingly when I really need to focus. More about it here. I got the lowest dose possible on Amazon.

Also, I’ve had great luck with GABA for anxiety.

I also really like Brain Power line from Bulletproof.

I know lots of people who love Qualia. Gave me awful headaches but I have friends that love it.

Experiment with these long before it’s test taking time. But they can really help with focus and calming.


It’s late and speaking of running out of brain power....I am. But one last thought. A good book with nothing to do with anything related to nursing wouldn’t go amiss if she likes to read.

Two suggestions. For something smart and witty but not dark or deep, every person I have ever recommend the Parasol Protectorate to has loved it.

And Outlander. The main female character is nurse and there are a lot of great medical story lines in there. It’s a huge series and easy to get lost in.

It’s lovely of you to think of how you can support her. Good work.

Fellow fan of series here! Let me see...

Young Adult
Percy Jackson series is fun (and finished, too, I think).
Artemis Fowl series isn't quite as good as Percy Jackson IMHO, but it's got a following.

Fantasy
Harry Dresden series This is one of my favorites. Harry is Chicago's only professional wizard. There are a ton of these books and they are still going strong.
Game of Thrones These are great...but unfinished. If you watch the show, reading the books does help you get even more out of the story, I think.
Wheel of Time Another good series. There is a LOT of this series and it's finished. (Thank you, Brandon Sanderson!)
Mistborn Speaking of Brandon Sanderson... This one is very good. I highly recommend reading the Mistborn books before trying the Stormlight Archive, but only because as good as Mistborn is, Stormlight Archive is even better.
Stormlight Archive Amazing. Man, these are good. The series isn't finished, but the two books that are available are some of my favorites ever.
Kingkiller Chronicles I loved the first book. I could not freakin' believe I enjoyed the second one even more. The third one is still pending.
Temeraire Dragons in Napoleonic times. Super cool premise! This one is not finished (I don't think, anyway).
Gentlemen Bastards Con men in a fantasy realm. It's pretty light on the fantasy elements. Very light, I'd say. I'd also say that it has some of the very best swearing that I've ever come across. :D

Scifi
Old Man's War I'm almost finished this one--it's amazing!

Horror/Thriller
Passage Trilogy I've heard these described as vampire books...maybe zombie books... It's apocalyptic for sure. Great books!

Mysteries
Amelia Peabody Egyptology + murder mysteries. Super fun, but trust me...go with the audiobooks for these. They are best when they are performed.
Stephanie Plum Total popcorn reads. If that's your thing, shut off your brain and just enjoy.
Walt Longmire These get particularly good as it goes along. The main character is a sheriff in modern day Wyoming. (Side note: The TV show is also great--just don't expect them to stick to the books.)

Graphic Novels (Everything recommended can be gotten in a "book" format instead of only in comic form, in case that matters. I've gotten most of these from my local library.)
Locke & Key Eerie as crap. Love the art! This one is on-going.
Y: The Last Man All the men on the planet drop dead in a day...except for Yorrick. REALLY good. This is the series that got me reading graphic novels. Plus, it's finished!
Walking Dead I am not a zombie fan...but I like these. They're not done, but I've read up through volume 22 and am still enjoying them.

Other
OutlanderI have no idea how to categorize these or even give a description that does them justice. I refused to pick it up for AGES because it sounded like a bodice-ripper romance and that's not my bag. But these are good!

I hope there's something in there that'll do for you. Have fun and read on!

Edit: Apparently, I need to practice formatting. :/
Edit 2: I forgot to add the Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1).

A mere 4 months ago I was in your very shoes, having never played DnD but wanting to DM. Now I'm running 3 weekly games [Protip: Don't do this]. Luckily for me I found a couple great resources to help me out:

The Dungeon Master Experience is a collection of articles written by one of the best: Christopher Perkins. He's not only a Senior Designer for DnD, but he's also the DM for a number of groups including Penny Arcade, Robot Chicken, and the other designers over at Wizards of the Coast. This will be your most valuable resource.

New DM Guide Reddit's #1 Resource for new DMs.

So You Want To Be a DM: A great collection of starter tips.

/r/loremasters: A subreddit dedicated to worldbuilding.

/r/dndnext: Like /r/dnd but solely for 5e.

The Angry DM: He can be a bit preachy at times, but Angry DM has a great amount of thought put into everything he writes.

/u/famoushippopotamus If you see him post on something, just read it. He's been DMing longer than most of us have been aware that DnD existed.

DnD Encounters is a weekly event at your friendly local game store. Check it out. It's also a great place to recruit players!

[Your head!](Link Not Found): The only thing you really need to get started is an idea, write it down. You'll learn a lot just putting your thoughts on paper and thinking of how to flesh it out.



I would recommend that you go and pick up the Starter Set (HOLY SHIT GUYS ITS $12 RIGHT NOW. BUY BUY BUY!). It comes with the basic rules, a set of dice, a prewritten adventure, and some characters for the adventure. Get a couple players together and this is all you need to get started. After that you can move onto other prewritten adventures, like Horde of the Dragon Queen, or you can write your own.

It shouldn't be that difficult to find people to play with, some people might care that you've never been a PC, but you don't need to play with them. If you have friends who enjoy gaming see if they're interested. And check out your FLGS (friendly local game store). If none of those work, there are plenty of online options as well.

One last note: In my short time DMing I have to say I did not expect the sheer amount of prepwork that goes into a single session. Players have to inhabit a single character and their mechanics. You need to understand not only the characters at the table, but every NPC, trap, and monster you put in front of them. It can be time consuming. It can be hard. But it is also one of the greatest feelings in the world when you hit that flow state where you and your players are building your world together.

Good luck! And welcome to DnD, where the rules are made up, and the rules don't matter either, as long as what you're doing is awesome.

There is a lot of crap erotica out there, for sure. Finding good ones are hit or miss.

I tried a regency romance once. Super cheesy and cliche. Not for me.

I like Literotica because there are lots of stories to browse. There good stories and there are a lot of bad stories. Sometimes I will open a story, read a paragraph or two, and go right back to searching for a new one.

I've been trying to find good erotica books and series. Every other book is a Shades of grey clone. There are times in most of them where I end up rolling my eyes at some of the dialogue and descriptions. Sometimes, I will skip over parts if I'm just not into it.

A lot of erotica on Amazon for the kindle is free. It will often be the first book in a series to try to convince you to continue reading the rest. I read lots of these free ones and if I like the author/style then I will consider reading more. I haven't found any I like enough yet but I keep trying. Sometimes I can read enough of a bad erotica to do the trick. There are definitely some that I just quit reading.

Not erotica but I will also /r/gonewildstories. Nothing like stories that can actually happen.

The best erotica I have read is the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy by A. N. Roquelaure, which is a pseudonym for for Anne Rice. But be warned, this is very, very heavy BDSM. It might be too much for many and at times it was a little heavy for me and I consider myself to be relatively kinky.

The best romance novel I have read was Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It is a time-travel, historical romance to be exact. From what I remember it was actually a pretty good read. If you are going to read a romance, I think this is a good one to start with.

Though not erotica, Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey is a fantasy novel with some romance/erotic elements. I read it several years ago before my libido bottomed out but I'm pretty sure it turned me on. Interesting read as well. Definitely has a theme of sado-masochism, but compared to the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy it is nothing. If you already enjoy fantasy novels you should give it a go.

Hope that helps. You really have to dig to find anything good. That being said, often the act of searching alone is enough to get my engines revving.

• To echo everyone else, I would also say start with the starter set because it has everything you need to start, including a pretty nice set of dice. You could get away with this for your first session, but you will probably want some
  
• dice This may be your most cost effective way of having a set for everyone, and enough spares for people to grab from for crits and spells like fireball. Everyone will eventually get nicer sets they like more, but this is a good way to start with matched sets. Depending on how happy people are with the player options in the starter set, your next investment will either be the
  
• PHB for more player options, spells, items, and guide lines for how things should work. This is far and away the most import of the three books. As most people have said, you will probably get to the point where everyone wants access to this book. During play, you will probably want 2-3 of these at the table.
  
• Battle Mat D&D can be played in Theater of the mind, but grid combat makes a lot of rules easier to implement and officiate with a grid. The one I linked is pretty big without being overly huge (there are larger ones), and it is vinyl which makes it durable, and it erases pretty well with good wet erase markers.
  
• Miniatures is something else entirely. Most of the groups I play with have more than enough for me to ever have to buy any. Some players will make or buy a mini for his/her character. There are the round cardboard tokens that you could use for cheap. I run a D&D game on Fridays at the school I teach at and have the students use one of their dice as their mini. Monsters are usually balls of playdoh.
  
• After finishing of the LMOP (the adventure in the starter's set) you will either want to pick up one of the other adventures like Out of the Abyss or Princes of the Apocalypse. You might need a Monster Manual to go with it. PotA has a digital supplement with the extra monsters, while OotA does not.
  
• The DMG is optional really. It is great for magic items, alternative rules you could use, and world building strategies. You'll want a copy eventually, but like the MM, you wont need more than 1.
  
• Other things. Look around for things like the Elemental Evil Player's Guide and Unearthed Arcana articles. They have a bunch of free content you could use in your games. They are usually rough drafts so they might be imbalanced, but you might find something you really like in there. There are also tons of homebrew monsters, classes, races, and items if you wanted to expand your game that way.
  
  angel14995 has a great summary of all the books. This list is more useful as a logical purchasing progression guide.

I'll preface this with "to each his own". :)

I'd definitely recommend visiting a local club launch, NAR or Tripoli. I am a member of both our local chapters and the national organizations, so I can fly more often and meet more people.

Estes has a "designers special" that has lots of parts, cones, body tubes, etc. I'd encourage you, however, to not skip over their easy stuff (like the E2X Pro Series kits especially), they make a lot of great kits that you can learn a lot from. I'm Level 2 right now and I still buy simple kits sometimes just to have something easy to fly. Right now my favorite "quick" rocket is the Estes Majestic. Slapped it together in a short evening and was flying it the next day. Lots of fun.

I too am a "born again rocketeer", doing lots when I was a kid, stopping for a long time, then picking up again when I had kids old enough to fly, about 6 years ago. I re-started with the basic Estes kits and worked my way up. Now I'm about to do my Level 3 certification.

When we re-started, I had a hobby knife, cutting mat, and some glue. I bought a launch set kit so I had a launcher and pad. Everything I needed to build fit in a shoe box. Everything I needed to fly, including motors, fit in a shoe box. We hauled a "tv tray" table out to the launch site (a nearby park or soccer field) and flew. Simple.

Then I discovered my local Tripoli club. One visit and I was hooked.

Now half a room is dedicated to build supplies, materials and workspace, and a large number of various size rockets. Build supplies are on three different rack systems around the room, with bins dedicated to things like adhesives, sanding, measuring, airbrushing, electronics, clamps, and parts boxes full of hardware. I get new parts, tools, or other things on a very regular basis. You will always find something else you need. One thing I never knew I'd need was a razor saw with a mini miter box. Use it all the time now. The only thing I can say you will for sure need it a cutting instrument, appropriate adhesives, and time. :)

We haul two large toolboxes to launches, one with just motors and ignition stuff and another with other things like gloves, wipes, field repair supplies and radios. We also take a folding table, a portable shelter, rocket stands, chairs, and of course the mandatory Boonie Hat.

Everybody has their own thing, find your thing and enjoy it. I know guys who love steampunk rockets, or only do accurate scale rockets, or only low power, or only high power. One guy we see like once a year and he brings some monster rocket out and flies it once.

Me, I fly for fun, so I have Baby Bertha rockets and I have a 6+ foot tall 4" rocket with a 54mm motor. I'll fly them both the same day, for the joy of it.

You will also find LOTS of "religious arguments", things like the best this or that. Epoxy, fillet material, finishing method, spray paint, people who only fly Estes or hate Estes and only fly PML. Just do what works for you. Have fun and be safe, listen and learn, and share.

There are a few good books out there as well, depending on what you want to get into.

Handbook of Model Rocketry


Modern High Power Rocketry

Awesome! Glad to see another person interested, smithing is fun! Getting started is actually pretty easy as long as long as you aren't planning on crafting gorgeous blades right off the get-go. You really only need a few things:

• A forge (these can be built surprisingly cheap if you are inclined)
  
• Coal or charcoal to fire the forge (not bricket charcoal)
  
• A smithing hammer
  
• An anvil (can be as simple as a piece of railroad)
  
• Steel (I recommend starting with 1095, railroad spikes, or rebar).
  
• A bucket of oil or water (depending on the steel) to quench the blade in.
  
• A magnet. Those ones on the long extending stick are the best. (This is for checking the heat of the steel when tempering it)
  
  An anvil can be pricey, even used, if you get a real one but a piece of railroad can be obtained pretty cheaply though not always easily. Don't pay more than $2-4 a pound for an anvil if you buy a used one. The heavier, the better but starting out it should at least weigh 60+ lbs, preferably 150+. Don't try to use a jeweler's anvil or a cast iron anvil. There's some good videos covering types of anvils and where to find them. Everything else will be easy and cheap to obtain.
  
  You can find all the info you need to get started by searching YouTube for knife making or knife smithing. Walter Sorrells in particular has a good channel with some high quality videos. He focuses more on making knives from steel blanks than on forging, but he does have a couple of good forge videos and happens to have spent some time studying under Japanese smiths so he has some decent info on forging Japanese swords and knives if you are interested. Honestly, for a normal knife/sword the forging isn't that hard, it's the finishing part that takes all the time, effort, and skill. (Not to downplay the skills of most medieval smiths, they had to be much more precise in their smithing than we do today because we have power sanders and grinders to quickly fix mistakes). Most YouTube channels will focus on smithing knives instead of swords and I recommend you start with the same even though swords are awesome. It's the same techniques and process, but knives are cheaper to practice on and swords are more difficult to get right.
  
  If you want or prefer a book, there are a few good ones for sale on Amazon. The Backyard Blacksmith, The Complete Modern Blacksmith, The $50 Knife Shop, How to Make Knives, and The Wonder of Knife Making are all great beginner books (only the last two deal with actually making knives). When you get some practice under your belt, Jim Hrisoulas has a couple of books on bladesmithing that are designed for experienced smiths who want to build better blades and deals with swords specifically.

Don't just look at power tools.

Put some money into good hand tools. They can be faster and better than power tools. Really.

Power tools can take a lot of setup and test cuts. You can often go to hand tools and get the same work done in less time with better results. I'll take a chisel over a mortiser any day.

For a basic set of hand tools, I'd look for a block plane, a #4 and a #7. There are lots more, but those are the ones you'll use the most. Get a set of chisels and a mallet, too. Look into scrapers for finishing, too. Scraping is better than sanding - it gives a finer finish. I buy my hand tools from Lie-Nielsen. Not the cheapest, but they're incredibly well made and we have put them to the test. They hold up and I don't think I'll ever wear one out.

You'll probably want some power tools for large, ripping operations. You wouldn't want to cut a sheet of plywood by hand.

In the US, most use a tablesaw as a primary tool. In Europe, a bandsaw is more popular. It's great to have both, if possible. You'll also want a drill press - those are hugely useful for many tasks.

Also, I'd recommend picking up Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking and learning how to make all of the traditional joints. Those are far, far better than using pocket jigs with screws and other half-measures. There's a good reason why these joints have been used for hundreds of years. They're not necessarily difficult or take more time, so learn them and use them.

Next, pick up The Power of Limits and learn about getting proportions correct. If you want professional-looking results, you need to use Phi (or the ratio of 1:1.618) in your designs. If you're not familiar with Phi, read this book and search around the Internet for more information on it and sacred geometry.

That might sound far out and unrelated to woodwork, but it'll be a head trip when you discover that your body - and pretty much every living thing - is laid out with these ratios. You'll also find them in most professional objects when you measure them. People have been using Phi in design for a long time. You should, too.

Finally, pick up a book on wood finishing. This one is good. I tend to work with penetrating oils, like tung oil and boiled linseed oil. Those produce superb results.

I play 5th edition and all advice is for that edition. 5E is pretty wallet friendly if you don't get it all at once. Here's a bunch of stuff you can look at to help your decision, though not all of it is mandatory.

• Number one, the cheapest, is to simply review the (somewhat limited, I'll admit) materials available on Wizards of the coast and start from there.
  
  
• Second is available in the form of the 5th edition starter set. I own one of these and it comes with everything you need for a game with a group of friends. A criticism I have of it though, is that experienced players will probably destroy the module included with it. I'd just forego this option entirely if you plan to buy any other materials, but it's a very low risk purchase.
  
  
• Third is just a player's handbook, which you really should own regardless of anything . The 5th Edition PHB has enough material to easily homebrew your own campaign with, but it will definitely leave you wishing you had more to work off of.
  
  
• Fourth is any of the several available modules for the game out right now. Having only played Hoard of the Dragon queen (And it's direct follow up, Rise of Tiamat), I can say that with the exception of a long, slightly boring segment in the middle, it's a solid adventure all the way through for the players.
  
  
• Fifth is the supplemental Dungeon master's Guide and Monster Manual, additional resources to help you craft better campaigns, but unnecessary until later. The monster manual should definitely be the first of the two purchases, in my opinion. I wouldn't even recommend the sword coast adventurer's guide unless you plan to specifically adventure in Faerun.
  
  So now that books are out of the way, let's talk figurines. You really don't need them, because ANYTHING can represent things on a board. But they're a fun thing to collect and use. BUT they are a great and fun thing to have. What we do at my table is have everyone acquire their own. I like to buy from Reaper Miniatures, but local comic book and hobby shops might have them as well. Make sure you have bases that are less than an inch wide (A square inch works best), because if you're using miniatures, then you're using a battle grid.
  
  Speaking of battle grids, they're also not entirely necessary, but they definitely help. This is a very reliable one if you take care of it and don't crease it too much. But the fun thing is, if you have a printer, you can print your own Battle Maps! Just set it to print a grid set to 1-inch increments and have as big or as small as a battle mat as you need. 5E technically uses a hex grid for outdoor maps, but we've always ignored that at our games.
  
  As for dice, I think it's the players responsibility to acquire their own dice, but on the off chance you just want to buy the things for everyone, I find a lot of enjoyment in picking through a Chessex Pound-o-Dice, or a Wiz Dice 100+ pack just so everyone has some. Plus, you never know when you'll suddenly need 20d6 for maximum fall damage!
  
  Other than that, just have pencils, paper, and a good way to keep notes handy and you're set.
  
  This is far from a comprehensive guide, and probably the worst thing you could do is buy everything or nothing right at the start. Consider asking friends or checking libraries for these books (And secondhand bookshops near you!) to save a penny or two.
  
  So, in summary, if I were starting out DMing and buying anything, it would be a player's handbook, a set of dice, and if I weren't confident in my ability to homebrew, I'd buy a module or a dungeon master's guide. But you can go further or less far if you like.

I've got a few suggestions actually! Some are exactly like you describe, non-fiction but presented as a novel. Others incorporate accurate history, but the main characters are fictional.

First,Follow the River. This one is a true story presented as a novel. Great read, it's one of the first books that inspired my interest in what's actually edible in the wild.

Centennial is another great read. Pretty much any Michner is. You do have to get past the first few chapters though. He likes to start his books with a history of the area, which he goes all the way back to the crust of the earth cooling. Once you get past that though, he takes you through the history through the eyes of multiple people through generations. The people are fictional, but the history he covers is the real deal. For instance, did you know that camelids originated in what we call Alaska now?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I think they've made a T.V. show from this one. It has science fiction/fantasy tones to it as it involves time travel, but the coverage of the history is accurate and fascinating. And told from the perspective of someone who was born and raised in WWII era.

And finally, let's go WAY back. Clan of the Cave Bear. The first three books in this series are fantastic. I wouldn't bother going further though. The author traveled to all sorts of digs and painted caves and the picture she brings to life of pre-history is wonderful. Bit of a Mary Sue as a main character, but I happen to like Mary Sues. =) AVOID THE MOVIE! I like a lot of book to movies, understand that they need leeway. They ruined this book on screen.

I can probably come up with a few more if you're interested at all. Reading is a bit of my hobby.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to use too small of plane for the job. The bigger the boards, the bigger the plane.

Most people use a #4 Smooth plane as their starter plane. It's a good overall plane, but if you're trying to get something large flat it's workable but not great.

I usually use a #5 Jack or #7 Jointer plane. I've also replaced most of my irons and chipbreakers with Hocks. This is not a route to take if you don't find hand planing to be a "religious" experience.

Most people think that Hand tools are the "Cheap" way to do it. You can get a cheap #4 hand plane and it will work, but a good quality hand plane will be much more expensive new. See if you can find a Stanley Bailey #4 for a much better plane at a reasonable price. If you find you absolutely love hand planing, I've heard good things about Veritas and using my instructor's bronze Lie Nieson was an amazing experience.

Used planes are hit-and-miss if you don't know what you're looking for. Lots of them are in pretty poor shape, and then you're competing with collectors who want them for decoration. Stanley #4 planes are pretty common on the used market and pretty cheap but anything else gets harder to find quickly (except for Ebay, but then you can't inspect it yourself before buying so it's a gamble). I've found a couple of #5's in decent shape, and I'll occasionally run into something else, but usually too expensive or not in good shape.

Note that you could probably find a decent 4" bench power jointer on craigslist in most areas for less than $100 (usually Craftsman)

If you want to learn how to do lots of traditional woodworking stuff, I'd recommend picking up a copy of Tage Fried Teaches Woodworking. I'm pretty sure he covers planing stock, including winding sticks in there.

For (currently) free Kindle books, David Weber's On Basilisk Station is the first book in the space-opera Honor Harrington series. The second book The Honor of the Queen, is one of my favorites in the entire series. Eric Flint's 1632 turned into a massive and awesome alternate-history series. If you'd like to delve into Alaskan-based murder mysteries, give Dana Stabenow's A Cold Day For Murder a try as the first in the some eighteen book Kate Shugak series.

For paid Kindle books, there's Hugh Howey's Wool Omnibus is the beginning of the dystopian Silo series; the followup Shift Omnibus is actually a prequel trilogy that I haven't gotten yet but is very readable. Naomi Novik's first novel in the alt-history Temeraire series, His Majesty's Dragon, is currently $.99.

In print, Elizabeth Moon's military fantasy The Deed of Paksenarrion is available used for a very affordable price and is an epic series. The Cage was my introduction to a fantasy universe written by SM Stirling, Shirley Meier, and Karen Wehrstein. Diana Gabaldon's Outlander is a sort of alternate history/light romance series set in Scotland that I've thoroughly enjoyed. Brent Weeks' assassin-based (excuse me, wetboy) fantasy Night Angel Trilogy was recently released as an omnibus edition. Empire from the Ashes collects Weber's Dahak sci-fi trilogy into an omnibus edition. Weber and John Ringo co-wrote March Upcountry and the other three novels in the sci-fi Prince Roger quadrilogy. If you haven't tried Harry Turtledove's alt-history sci-fi WW2 'Worldwar' series, In the Balance starts off a little slow plot-wise but picks up good speed. EE Knight's sci-fi/futuristic fantasy Vampire Earth starts off with Way of the Wolf. Mercedes Lackey wrote the modern-fantasy Born to Run with Larry Dixon, and the rest of the SERRAted Edge books with various other authors. Neal Stephenson's cyberpunk and slightly dystopian Snow Crash is hilarious and awesome. Maggie Furey's Aurian is the first of a fantasy quadrilogy that I enjoyed many years ago.

If you're at all familiar with the Warhammer 40k universe, the Eisenhorn Omnibus is Dan Abnett's wonderful look into the life of an Imperial Inquisitor. He's also written a popular series about the Tanith First-and-Only Imperial Guard regiment starting with The Founding Omnibus. He also wrote the first book in the Horus Heresy series, Horus Rising (I highly recommend reading the first three novels together as a trilogy and then cherry-picking the rest).

... and if you've read all that already, I'll be impressed.

Edit: Why yes, I do read a lot. Why do you ask?

There are a lot of amazing suggestions over at /r/fantasy. And more often than not the authors pop in to say hi.

As for my own suggestions:

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon is probably my favorite book/series. It's light and romancy, but has time travel and historical fiction mixed in.

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind is another great book. It is part of a series (which can get pretty heavy in the later books). But as a standalone book, its quite entertaining.

The Sword of Shannara Trilogy by Terry Brooks is a really fun read. Warlocks, druids, elves, magical trees... I thoroughly enjoyed the trilogy, as well as the author's other books. This one would probably be where I'd start if you're looking at getting in to true fantasy.

Hope you enjoy! Good luck :)

I don't have a workspace, I just use the floor, but I can give you some book ideas. I've recently been really into learning about Haute Couture and Claire Shaeffer's books have been very helpful. I find her books super informative and easy to read, and I can easily see myself applying many of her techniques to every day sewing. The books I've enjoyed so far are Couture Sewing Techniques and Claire Shaeffer's Fabric Sewing Guide. I really want a hard copy of the latter as it's a fantastic reference, I have the kindle edition right now. She also has another fabric guide book that is much less detailed that is handy too. Another good book is Vogue Sewing which was one of my first sewing books and is a very useful reference for anyone, especially if you're following a pattern with unfamiliar techniques.

Also, don't be intimidated by the word couture. I know people generally associate it with super fancy difficult sewing, but Claire Shaeffer breaks down the techniques really nicely and I feel like I have a better understanding of how sewing works on a general level now. It's not scary and I'll definitely be using many of the techniques on my next project!

So for 5e there are a couple of things you can look at getting:

• Basic Rules: Look at the section for "Free Basic Rules". These PDFs are basically what you need to start playing D&D. The D&D 5e Player's Basic Rules has information about the basics of the game for players. It's got 4 races (Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and Human) and 4 classes (Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Wizard) and one "subclass" for each class (Life Domain Cleric, Champion Fighter, Thief Rogue, and School of Evocation Wizard). Items, customization, character building, and the general "here's how you play!" are included in this document. Great resource for a simple lookup if you want to introduce someone to the game, since the characters you can build out of it are generally solid characters. The D&D 5e Dungeon Master's Basic Rules is the starting point for your DM. For the most part is bunch of creature/enemy stat blocks with explanations on how to balance encounters to the players' levels, as well as a quick off-hand on how to generate magic items. DMs are the creative source of the campaign, so there isn't much required to actually build a simple campaign.
  
• Dungeons & Dragons 5e Starter Set: This is the most basic form of the game you can get with most things included. Looks like it's $13 on Amazon right now, which is pretty good. The box set comes with a 32-page player guide (mini Player's Handbook), a 64-page Dungeon Master's guide (mini Dungeon Master's Guide/Monster Manual), a couple of pre-generated characters, and a few dice. It's good for getting into 5e if you've never played before since the rules are greatly reduced down to levels 1-6 and there are only 8 classes. Most of the content is the same stuff you can find in the Basic Rules, minus the story that comes with the Starter Set. If someone gets this, everyone else can download/print the Basic Rules and should be good. Most of the content is all about how to play the characters that are in the starter set, not about character generation and the like, so make sure to look at the Basic Rules if you want to play a Halfling Fighter for example. See this comment for more explanation.
  
• Player's Handbook (Dungeons & Dragons 5e): This is the core of most of your games of 5e at this point. This has all of the basic necessities, like character classes, character races, items, spells, feats, etc. This is exactly what you need if you are a player, since this and some imagination allows you to build some pretty fun characters. If you end up playing 5e a lot, I'd recommend that everyone have somewhat regular access to a PHB, considering that 90% of the characters you make will come in most part from this books.
  
• Monster Manual: This is where you'll find the largest collection of all of the "basic" monsters that you can meet in a game of D&D. Enemies in general are in this book, and there is a lot of good explanation into the monsters, their stats, their decision routes, etc. This is super helpful since you can basically do whatever you want with this book and make some awesome fights. Find an enemy you like, but it's too high level? Nerf it somehow, and have your players fight it. I'm actually planning on setting a dragon with her wings clipped and her firebreathing removed, give them a fight, and see how they react.
  
• Dungeon Master's Guide: This is basically world building, combat building, enemy building, item building... basically, if it's not covered in the PHB or MM, the creation of object X or something similar will be in the DMG. It's there for the DMs to be able to balance items or enemies against certain requirements, since there is a lot to take into account. Helpful for the DM who doesn't have as much experience.
  
  So the Basic Rules help out a lot, the Starter Set is basically a physical copy of the basic rules (plus some), and then the core 3 books in order of (my personal opinion of) usefulness are PHB > MM > DMG. I'd say you probably want at least everyone to have a PHB, or access if you guys continue to play.
  
  Aside from that, most of the other 5e stuff you can pick up from wizards are modules. Modules are pre-created campaigns that have quests, items, locations, enemies (number, size, etc.) already pre-designed for you. Each of the following books has some sort of extra character information (like more subclasses, new races, etc.), but nothing is absolutely required. Generally if one person wants to play something (say, an Half-Elf Bladesinger Wizard) they should pick up the book to help build their character and to provide the GM with references to how the character works, but it's not necessary.
  
  
• Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat are two halves to the same campaign aimed at stopping the biggest baddest dragon of them all, the five-headed chromatic dragon Tiamat.
  
• Princes of the Apocalypse is a cool campaign all about cults related to the 4 elements (Air, Water, Earth, Fire) trying to be bad. Pretty well designed, I'm currently running this with my group. They seem to be liking it a lot, but then again, I'm throwing a lot of other things in with it.
  
• Out of the Abyss is a campaign set in the Underdark. it sounds really cool, but I haven't looked into it much.
  
• Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide isn't a campaign but rather a campaign setting book. It's useful for reading up on how the Sword Coast in Forgotten Realms (the "main" D&D world) works. It's interesting.
  
  If you need any other help, please feel free to ask!

For recommendations I'm not sure I can help you, oddly enough the fics that get me off are usually (but not always) written terribly. the erotic equivalent of a Tijuana bible done by a mouth breathing 16 yr old virgin with a loose idea of what a tit looks like. I usually find them on literotica, fanfic.net or deviantART and then click away from them away in disgust afterwards. but I'm sure there are decently written ones for people who get off on grammar, punctuation and spelling on there too.

my grammar natzi friend who reads romance novels has recommended the Outlander series and although they didn't do much for me they were pretty well written, I did quite like the emphasis on brawny historical Scotsmen. DarthAmmonite is pretty good ( and writes in a manner suspiciously similarly to Ursulav's stories ) as is her far more prolific friend incandescens also I do enjoy r/ladyboners and occasionally the new tab on r/gonewild

I find it helps me to just be really, really, open about these things. constant "I'll be in my bunk" jokes and talking about sex all the damn time with my friends helps me not worry if anybody can hear me. besides that, considering how well I can hear the downstairs neighbors going at it, anybody who can hear me can just deal with it.

This is a fun challenge! And I can't stay away from this thread, apparently. I went back and looked for some more matches. I hope you make some of these and post pics! :)

Simplicity (also McCall's and Butterick) have great sales but I love the aesthetic and design of Colette patterns--you should check out her book if you haven't already; includes a bunch of dress patterns along with sewing guidance. A great deal. Colette Macaron might be a good starting point for Fury and Coulson (maybe better not to do strapless dresses for a work wardrobe but the contrast/sheer top could be acceptable?) Hazel would be perfect for Captain America--the seaming may not be obvious from the main pic, but click on the one with stripes and you'll see what I mean.

I think for Loki you could probably make a dress with a green top (maybe start from Colette Pastille from the Sewing Handbook, which has the little cap sleeves) and then sort of a belt/corset overlay out of strips of black fabric--sew three strips with finished edges (fold in half, sew along long end, turn inside out, press) then fold them into a V-shape, overlap them, and topstitch everything with matching thread to hold them in place in the desired shape. Trim the edges straight and finish with bias tape. After fitting the regular bodice, attach the corset dealy to the regular dress top with hand stitching or stitching in the ditch of the existing overlay seams.

I'm working on a dress using McCall's 5800 that would be perfect for Hulk--just sew some decorative buttons up the front. You could start with the same basic pattern for Hawkeye and draw in a square neckline instead of a V-neck, and just sew ribbon or something over the seams to make the contrast stripes.

It depends on what you mean by make your own sweater. Do you mean the knitting, or the sewing? Some sweaters involve no sewing whatsoever, as you can knit from one fabric to the other.

IMO it is substantially easier to sew than it is to knit. Not because knitting is difficult, but because it is time consuming. Purchasing knit material and sewing it together is not that difficult. You just need to find a good pattern that fits you. Or, if you're up for it, drafting a pattern from scratch based on your measurements.

I've been teaching myself how to sew for the last ~4 months, and it's definitely useful. Making something from scratch is intensely satisfying, as is self-tailoring items you already own. I definitely think everyone should at least understand the principles of clothing design and creation, if only so they have a better idea of what to ask for when they go to a tailor, and they can better understand how it works.

If you want to learn the basics of pattern drafting, this is a good book How to make Sewing Patterns. If you'd like to learn how to sew, look up some classes in your area, or scour the internet for tutorials. The most important thing is going to be practice.

Edit: To add on to this. Making clothes yourself is a huge investment of time, and money. You need the right machines, and you need knowledge, practice, and skill. If you want to take it up long term, you'll eventually be able to make button up shirts for ~$2-8, blazers for $10-20, and pants for ~$5-10, but in order to get there you'll be dropping a lot of money and enormous amounts of time.

Often times, just knowing how everything is made will help you determine the manufacturing quality, and will allow you to make frugal purchases of items that will last a very long time.

Also, if you don't want to have to create everything from scratch the pre-packaged adventure books are great. Whether you follow them, or whether you rip ideas from them, they are an amazing resource that can save you a ton of time.

• If you liked CR's Underdark arc, check out Out of the Abyss for a fantastic trek through the Underdark
  
• If you liked CR's Briarwoods arc, check out The Curse of Strahd for a sophisticated "Count Vampire" adventure
  
  The great thing about these books (and others) is you can take as much or as little from them as you like.
  
  Re: other comments about having friends, make new ones! I got into playing IRL D&D by posting on my local /r/[city] saying I was looking for a D&D group, and that I'd be happy to host. Had a weekly group going two days later. Playing D&D is a great way to become friends with people.

Not dick-waving, just establishing credentials: I taught a neuroanatomy lab at Berkeley for three semesters, two with Marian Diamond, and won a teaching award for my efforts, so at least hear me out.

First, have your students buy the Human Brain Coloring Book. It may sound cheesy but it really does help and Dr. Diamond put together an amazing resource.

Second, have plenty of brain specimen (human if you can get them) on hand to let students do some hands-on dissections or viewings of what a real messy organic brain looks like.

Third, most undergrads learning neuroanatomy will be pre-med, so I like to roll in a lot of case studies with MRI/CT scans, videos, etc. Blumenfeld's clinical book is great for this.

Fourth, connect the anatomy to real research going on right now. Talk about how we now don't really think Broca's area is the actual spot for the motor aspects of speech (a la Dronkers). Show DTI images, etc.

Finally, something I've been doing for public outreach seems to be a great draw and works for a first class lecture: the zombie brain. It gets students thinking about how function and behavior link to the brain using something ridiculous, but not-as-boring (you can see me give a half-drunk lecture to a few hundred people at bar at the bottom of that page... it held their attention for 30 minutes).

Good luck!

I too was in your position just a few years back. Here is a list of my recommendations for the entry-level versions of the items you listed above as well as some other things I like to have handy.

• Hammer, $15; This hammer is cheap, it has a peen (for drawing out metal) and is... well... a hammer.
  
• Anvil, $60; This anvil is definitely a beginner anvil but it is what I used for two years until I upgraded. You can pick it up in most all Harbor Freight stores as I assume there is one in every state.
  
• Tongs, $15; This set of pliers will help with quite a few things the main being to hold the metal once heated. I know that these are not what one thinks about when they think "blacksmithing tongs" but I have used similar ones for the entire time I have forged due to their versatility.
  
• Apron, $25; I personally have not used this exact apron before but it is cheap and though not beautiful, it is functional and trust me, spending $25 now on this may very well save you 100 times that in hospital bills.
  
• Gloves, $20; These are the gloves I use at my forge and I can say that there is little to no loss of dexterity and they provide ample heat resistance.
  
• Forge; This is the one piece that deters people the most as it is the most expensive piece. The type of forge you get depends on your budget and your ability/aptitude for DIY work. Here are my recommendations for three different budget levels.
  

• High-End Budget; 2 Burner Blacksmith Forge $489.95
  
• Mid-Level Budget; 1 Burner Blacksmith Forge $350
  
• Entry-Level Budget; This Video will take you through the process of making a Coffee Can Forge. They are suitable for the entry level smith and can, if done right, be made for less than $150.
  
  Now for my personal suggestions;
  
  

• Grinder, $55; This Handy-Dandy little grinder is what I use for most all of my knife smithing. It is pretty cheap and a great entry-level piece of equipment.
  
• Metal, $5-$20; When you are starting off, I highly advise to start with the tool steel available at Home Depot and/or Harbor Freight because they are very cheap and you can stand to mess up without wasting expensive metal.
  
• This Book is what I began learning with and it comes packed with a number of starter projects to help you get started on learning basic skills as well as acting as a reference later on down the line.
  
  I hope this list helps and I wish you well on your journey in beginning Bladesmithing!
  
  
• O

Definitely sounds like you would benefit from creating your own patterns. Yay! I'm wading through a couple pattern drafting books myself right now, and while developing your own basic patterns can be slow, meticulous, and immensely frustrating, it's also hugely rewarding.

There are a ton of textbooks out there, largely written to accompany pattern making classes. This is a bit hard on the person who's trying to learn this in isolation, since so many of the books assume you'll have the extra resource of a teacher. (Might be worth seeing if there's a local sewing studio or community college that teaches patternmaking-- in-person instruction would be nice.) Don't be discouraged, though-- it IS possible to get there alone!

The standard text seems to be Helen Joseph-Armstrong's 'Patternmaking for Fashion Design.'. Connie Crawford, Donald McCunn, and Winifred Aldrich also come highly recommended.

Since all of these books are textbooks, they can be pretty expensive. To try a book before you buy it, see if your public library (or local university library, if you have access) can use Interlibrary Loan to get you a copy of any of the above. Depending on their rules about renewing, you might be able to get your basic pattern made before you have to give the text back. :)

You could also go the draping route. Since I'm completely ignorant on this subject, I'll only leave a link to Kathleen Fasanella's Saran Wrap Patternmaking Method, which produces a sloper without having to do any measuring. (Everything in Fashion-Incubator's 'tutorials' section is brilliant. If you enjoy painfully/beautifully methodical sewing and patterning instruction, you can lose yourself there for days. But I lose my train of thought. Ahem.)

No matter how you produce your sloper, you'll still want a real textbook to help you manipulate your first pattern into real shirts you would want to wear. The sloper is very basic-- it doesn't have buttons, fastenings, interesting seams, or even much extra room for moving. All that comes later.

It's also useful to have a helper on hand for the first projects in the book. Getting accurate measurements of your body is crucial, so you'll need to recruit someone who can be trusted with a tape measure. It's also useful to have a friend help pin and fit the bodice sloper. Ideally you would team up with a sewing buddy who also wanted her own patterns-- I just bully my husband into helping. ;)

Good luck! It sounds like a ton of work, and it is, but I'm a complete novice and I already have the freedom to look at commercial patterns, shrug, and say, "no, I would rather make my own-- I KNOW it will fit better."

First I'll list what I bought and then I'll discuss what I have or what I'd have done differently.

Not listed are an xacto blade/utility knife, cork-backed ruler, and steel square. These were purchased at Harbor Freight.

Awl Haft

Diamond Awl Blade

The awl haft and diamond blade (E42) are great. I like the combo I bought. The handle has a chuck instead of some I saw which need the blade pressed in to the chuck.

Channel Groover

The channel groover I bought is nice. The chuck, similar to the awl haft, is very convenient for quick adjustments.

Overstitch Wheel

Doing it again, I probably would have bought some diamond chisels over the overstitch wheel, but so far it's worked alright. I will be buying the chisels eventually.

Edge Beveling Kit

I had no idea what edge beveler to buy with so many sizes and never having touched leather, so I'm really happy with the one I bought. It comes with 5 sizes.

Harness Needles

I bought 3 sizes of harness needles. Probably overkill but they were $3 a pack and I didn't know what size I needed. I've been using the medium ones and they are working well with the thread I got.

Cutting Mat

The cutting mat is nice. It's a bit thicker than the ones I found locally at Michaels.

Lacing Pony

The lacing pony is probably my biggest regret that I was forced to buy. I don't have access to any woodworking tools so I was stuck purchasing one. I should have had a coworker do it for me in his shop at 1/5 of the cost. It comes in two pieces and the holes in mine didn't line up at all. I ended up having to drill a hole for the screw.

Art of Hand Sewing

The book comes highly recommended from everyone. I've flipped through it but I learned my basic technique from youtube videos. As I try to do more I'm sure I'll reference it.

Thread

I bought .035" waxed cord from Maine Thread. I have nothing to compare it to but it seems to work okay.

Leather

And finally the leather. I'm still not sure if I made the right purchase, although buying a shoulder of leather seems to be a popular beginner suggestion. Already I'd like to have more variety, but I think I'm going to a Tandy Leather this weekend so maybe I'll pick up some other random stuff.

Things I didn't buy that I should have:

Contact Cement

Gum Trag

Burnishing Tool

Hammer/Maul

Leather finish


I actually made a decent stitch I was happy with on my second try. I didn't buy these items because I planned on doing lots of practice on scraps but because I feel good about my initial work I'd like to try to make something. Without those few items I'm kinda stuck for the moment.

I'm not familiar with the Lo book, so I can't say. Read the reviews. You will find that every pattern making book has similarities and differences. I'm taking a pattern making class now taught by a professional pattern maker and while some aspects are quite familiar I can't use a book as a reference because her method differs in certain respects and if I followed a book it would throw me off. I hope that after the end of the class I'll be able to use any book. But it is important to understand one method first, and there are lots of subtleties that I would have missed but for having taken a class. I showed the teacher a sloper book I own but never used and she said it was good. It has a companion book for developing patterns, but she liked the sloper book better.

Getting the sloper right is essential. It's the foundation for the patterns you develop from it. In my once-a-week basic class, we spent about five weeks measuring the form, drafting the back and front bodice and skirt slopers and the sleeve sloper, fitting, correcting, re-fitting, etc. It's a big class and first the teacher does a demonstration but my point is you shouldn't think that you should be able to bang out a perfectly fitting sloper in two hours.

We next did dart manipulation exercises using the pivot and slash and spread methods, then princess style line conversions, then facings. Now we're doing collars.

Most methods use letters to refer to points. They are completely arbitrary: Point "J" in one system is not going to be the same point in another.

If you're interested in pattern making, I recommend Kathleen Fasanella's Fashion-Incubator blog. She's a pattern maker who advises small sewing businesses and bought a small factory. Here's a post in which she explains how she reviews pattern making books.

For a high-level introduction, you might want to read How Patterns Work. It's more the general theory of pattern making, not the nitty-gritty of how to true lines.

I bought this book a while ago and have never used it. I've read it's not that good because the author does not have formal pattern making training.

If it were I and taking a class was impossible, I would try the University of Fashion videos on pattern making. There's a free trial video on drafting a straight sleeve sloper. The tools are listed, every step is shown, and there's a transcript on the site. I think the method shown is very clear and it's similar to others I've seen but it wasn't the method my teacher used. For one thing, we didn't use a chart with standard measurements: we took the measurements from the armscye (armhole) of the drafted bodice. Our elbow line measurement was taken from the waist of our bodice because the elbow of a well-proportioned person falls at the waist. We drew a center line with an L square as a starting point, not a fold. Just these three little things can result in a different sleeve, which is why it's important to use a consistent method at least until you have a lot of experience and understand which parts are transferrable.

Hey, I’ll try to offer up some knowledge.

For tools, I agree with another poster about figuring out what your next project is, then figure out if you need a new tool. I actually don’t have a table saw so I have to get creative with execution. My router and miter saws are my best friends. I also have a No. 4 LN smoothing plane that I use constantly. It’s extremely versatile and it’s very meditative (is that the right word here) and relaxing to use! I find myself reaching for it almost every project, but it may not be as useful on large outdoor projects. Some decent chisels are useful. Lastly, a good, solid work bench or work surface with a vise that doesn’t wobble is very helpful in woodworking.

For cutting tips, first make sure everything is square and aligned on your saws. Next, develop a consistent cutting and marking system so it becomes second nature and you become confident in your marks. My method for marking is that I use a pencil to mark my cut line. I mark in a way so I draw the line on the waste side and cut on the pencil mark. What I mean is that I know in my head to keep cutting slivers off until there is no pencil visible on the piece I’m cutting then I know I’m done.

For joinery techniques, this book below is really good. It discusses the cuts for almost every joint and very easy to follow and understand with plenty of diagrams. It’s definitely dated, especially when it talks about tools and glue, as it’s an older book, but the fundamentals of joinery haven’t changed.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1561580686/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_14_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ATDVGMTHCWW9DYHKH0YW&dpPl=1&dpID=51aWxssSgnL
I don’t know why it can be so expensive sometimes but find a cheap used copy online. This is definitely beginner friendly in my opinion.

I don’t have a lot of knowledge on outside wood, but I know cedar is good and have heard teak is as well.

Honestly a book would probably be best for a beginner. It is great for reference later on down the road as it is all kept nice and neat in one central location rather than bookmarking things and/or printing them out. I have this book and it is awesome. It has everything you want and even stuff you didn't know you wanted. Only 16 bucks NEW or even cheaper used. Then if you want JOINTS this one is pretty good.

NINJA EDIT: But yes, as noclevernickname said, the FAQ is a great place to start for those things as well!

You can pick out an Adventure (like this one and have one of your friends read through it and run the adventure for the rest of you. Adventures like that take much of the creation work off of the DM and typically provide a sort of stepping stone into play.

If you're open to trying other games:
Fiasco is a pretty good role-playing game you and your friends can play. It's much easier to learn and gives you a shot to try out role-playing with. Fiasco also lends itself very well to playing one session of it, then moving on. Most RPGs, D&D, Dungeon World and Fate included, tend to reward multi-session play.
I'm more interested in playing/running Fate Core or Fate Accelerated myself. As a game, it's more focused on narrative and player-characters doing cool stuff than D&D.
Dungeon World plays and feels similar to D&D, only it's far simpler to pick up and play. There are also a number of other games very similar to Dungeon World customized to different settings/genres, like Apocalypse World (post-apocalypse), Sprawl (Cyberpunk), Blades in the Dark (If you've ever played the video-game Dishonored, you'll see parallels in Duskwall), and probably more that I don't feel like looking up at the moment.

I'd be happy to introduce you to Fiasco or Fate, schedules willing. I've played and run both.
I have, but have never played or run Sprawl, Blades in the Dark and Dungeon World; if any of those sound like more fun and you don't mind me learning along with you, they're also an option.
While I've played and run D&D before, I don't find it fun anymore and would rather play/run other role-playing games.

Regardless of whether you take an apprenticeship or attend a college program, I would highly recommend expanding your knowledge on woodworking. There are five basic books I could not have survived without.

"Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" by Tage Frid - This is for a box set of Tage Frid's three books. I bought them separate, but one link was easier than three links. You can buy these off of Amazon or eBay for quite cheap if you're a smart shopper.

"Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology" by R. Bruce Hoadley Edit: Recommended for a better understanding of the materials you're working with.

"Identifying Wood: Accurate Results With Simple Tools" by R. Bruce Hoadley Edit: Recommended because as a carpenter or woodworker, you should be able to identify most common wood types.

If you're just beginning and don't want to spend the $100ish it would cost for all of these, start with Tage's first book. "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: Joinery: Tools and Techniques". It will teach A LOT about design and wood in general, which will help you when applying for apprenticeships and/or carpentry/cabinet-making school.

It should be noted, these are textbooks for the most part and as such, read like one. If you're fresh out of high school, it should be easy to resume an old studying routine; if not, I suggest coffee, a chair that's comfortable and a notebook for note-taking. Seriously.

Are you wanting to learn craftsman type woodworking, or mostly wanting to do around the house carpentry / home improvement type projects? If the former, I'd recommend the set of books by Tage Frid called Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking (http://www.amazon.com/Tage-Frid-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-By-Step/dp/1561580686) to learn the basics and a subscription to Fine Woodworking magazine if just to see some of the interesting stuff that people are doing.

For those power tools, as has been mentioned below but I shall say again, learn about safety. The skin graft on my thumb concurs.

You don't mention hand tools in your list, so I'd recommend getting some decent chisels and planes (made in England or the US, old is better if they aren't too mangled) and learn how to sharpen them well. Using hand tools helps teach you how wood works, the better for you to work wood.

Have fun, be safe, and make stuff.

Needle felting is pretty fun, it’s a good lap project. You can make little animals and plants or appliqué onto any number of things. The price of admission is relatively low if you start with a kit. Also, there’s a lot of stabbing involved, which feels really satisfying.

Has cross stitch burned you out in the needle and thread department? I don’t care for it myself but I really enjoy embroidery. The books age well and are easy to follow. You can continuously add new stitches to your repertoire with practice.

Last one: crochet. The Happy Hooker is a great book for beginners.

May your treatment be uneventful and your recovery swift.

Spike knives are great to practice knifemaking on. They will be decorative however since, as you pointed out, they do not contain enough carbon to heat treat or keep an edge. But do work with them; it's free steel and you can practice how to go about profiling a knife on them.

As far as hammers go, I have known accomplished smiths who are happy with the hammer they picked up at a flea market. I've also known those who have made their own, or those that have bought from Centaur Forge or from other smiths.

It seems everyone has their own idea of what works for them. Quality of steel, balance, and ergonomics are obviously the main priorities, but the rest is up to you.
At this stage, just use what's economical until you start refining your smithing style.

Pick up The Backyard Blacksmith and The $50 Knife Shop. If you've got time, I would also invest in The Art of Blacksmithing, mainly for it's ideas on projects and moving metal.

As for your forge questions, I'm not sure what the best answer is as I primarily work with coal and only occasionally work with gas. The gas forges I use are pretty big, so I don't have experience in your model. Maybe try to stick a RR spike in there, close the doors, and see how it does? You can make small knives for now until you figure out the direction you want to take. Hope this all helped, good luck!

I make this comment a lot here, but nix the pine and get some hardwood. Poplar, maple, oak, whatever you can get. Don't be intimidated. It is actually easier to work than pine. Pine squished and tears. Tools need to be insanely sharp. This album I made demonstrates what I mean. You have a great start, just keep at it. Hardwood will be far less frustrating.

Also Tage Frid's book is an excellent guide. His hand cut dovetail method is spot on and simple using tools you most likely already have. It is also a great reference on all kinds of joinery done simply and effectively.

Also /u/screwikea has some good points about which way the tails go as well.

A.) why are they dropping this on you?
B.) Safety! Safety! Safety! Before you do anything, you need to brush up on safety in both a shop setting and when it comes to tools. Both Hand and Power.
C.) Boxes. Learn how to make boxes. 95% of all woodworking is making a box. Picture Frame??? It's a box without a top or bottom. Dresser??? A box with smaller boxes in it. Well, maybe not 95% but learning to make a box is a pretty good step in being able to take different projects.
D.) Safety
E.) Do you know what kind of tools you will have access too, space to work, how much time these kids are going to have?


You may check out the following Youtube Channels:

• Stumpy Nub
  
• Woodworking for Mere Mortals
  
• Paul Sellers
  
  Some books that might be handy as well:
  
  
• Woodworking Basics - Mastering the Essentials of Craftsmanship - An Integrated Approach With Hand and Power tools
  
• The Complete Manual of Woodworking: A Detailed Guide to Design, Techniques, and Tools for the Beginner and Expert
  
• The Joint Book: The Complete Guide to Wood Joinery
  
• One-Board Woodworking Projects
  
• The Big Book of Weekend Woodworking Projects

I started with the book Stitch n Bitch which is a great intro. I soon realized that I don't learn well from diagrams, so I would watch Youtube videos while reading. The first thing I knit was a garter stitch scarf from that book.

Then I joined Ravelry. Ravelry is like an entire Reddit just for knitting/crocheting, with every resource you could want. There are thousands of great free patterns. It was overwhelming to me at first, so I picked the most popular easy patterns, like the Honey Cowl and Barley Hat.

Happy knitting :)

I would definitely recommend getting some beginner sewing books to start too. It will set you up so much better, so you're making beautiful things from the beginning, and will help you build skills. A lot of times I think beginners get over ambitious, try to make a fancy dress with a difficult (or inappropriate - quilting cottons are for quilting not dressmaking) fabric, get frustrated with fit issues and complicated techniques, and then give up. I think the Colette Sewing Handbook is great, although I think a lot of people on this sub don't like it for whatever reason. Tilly & the Button is more popular and is also fine. Both have blogs and sell patterns which you can use in addition to what's in the books. There are also tons of how-to's online, fitting books, other blogs, and more advanced books once you get into it.

Edit to add: I'm sure you can find these books or similar at the library too, and estate and garage sales are an excellent place to find cheap sewing machines, patterns, fabric, and things like thread and zippers.

A belt is a great project for a beginner. In regards to your tool list I would swap out a few things.

Leather

If you are wanting a dress belt then I would go with a lighter weight of leather. I've got a belt on the bench right now using two layers of 4/5 oz leather. Personally I think that is a good for a casual belt.

What I do is cut the inside liner slightly wider than the actual belt. Then once it is glued I come back and trim it to match the outside.

Thread
That thread looks a little fine. It is recommend for 8 stitches per inch. I would suggest you start with 6 stitches per inch. Something like this would probably be more approiate.

Chisel
I personally don't use chisels for several reasons. First, good ones are expensive. I would rather spend my money on other tools. Secondly with a little practice a over stitch wheel and awl will give you great results. I also don't have to buy new chisels for different stitches per inch.

Awl
I have the awl set you linked to. I don't care for it at all. After a few projects I upgraded it. For a inexpensive awl I would reccomend this haft and this blade. The nice thing about that haft is that it has a flat sides. This allows you to always have the same angle when using the awl.

No matter what awl blade you get you will need to sharpen it. Nigel Armitage has a good video on how to do that.

Glue
Anything will work just fine. I worked in a saddle shop that used barges cement so that is what I use. That is mainly just habit. I've heard of people using wood glue before. As long as it holds while you do your sewing you are good.

The one thing you don't have on your list that I think every leatherworker should have is The Art of Hand Sewing Leather.

http://www.ehow.com/search.html?q=sewing&skin=corporate&t=all

These are not bad, however, in my learning experience, I have never really been able to find a good solid source for sewing videos. Most of the time, only some videos are good from a specific person or company. I usually end up just researching a certain topic until I find a video that is decent. If you are on YouTube, check the ratings so you don't waste your time with ones that others deem terrible. : )

That being said, here is a good list of a variety of people/companies and their videos.
http://sewing.about.com/od/publicationsandmedia/tp/sewingvideos.htm

Blog tutorials can be very helpful. This blog post was where I first learned to sew on a zipper. (And make a handy little coin purse / ID holder) :D
http://u-handbag.typepad.com/uhandblog/2007/02/had_a_quiet_wee.html


I know you said videos, so this may not be very helpful to you, but I learned the most from this book.
http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Revised-Updated-Knitting-Magazine/dp/1933027002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311004049&sr=8-1

It has very basic and advanced techniques. It includes tons of pictures and is written so that anyone can understand it even if you have never touched a sewing machine. I've yet to go through the whole thing and is always my go to place when I want to learn something new.


Good luck and congratulations! :)

I really really love crocheting. Knitting I could take or leave.

I'd say generally if you're more interested in things like dolls and toys, learn crochet and if you're more interested in clothes and scarves, learn knitting. You can do both with either but I think crochet has a strength in shaping things and knitting has a strength in a smooth look which makes clothing decorations like cables look better.

If you do decide on knitting, I highly recommend the book Stitch n Bitch to get you started. It's really clear and has some nice beginners patterns. https://www.amazon.com/Stitch-n-Bitch-Knitters-Handbook/dp/0761128182

What about this pattern? Took me about 4 month of trial an error to learn to sew. and the whole thing was handsewn. Ended up remaking it and it took 6 months of off and on sewing while I was working 50-60 hr weeks at a new job. Three may be a stretch but one by 2016 by hand sewing and not knowing up from down sounds perfectly doable. The Vogue Sewing book was a tremendous help in learning and and i like the old copy from the '70s that i have more than the modern one. There are some content differences but no egregious omissions.

Honestly, $335 seems more than reasonable for a tailored item. 2 years is a long time to save up. I would probably charge more if I did the commission (sorry, i don't take commissions right now). Looking at the other items on that etsy page, the sewing quality could be better but its not terrible. The fit of the Narnia dress is too baggy for a custom item and that's with the back completely cinched tight. You can see a bit of seam puckering along the back seams and front neck line. The last picture of the Girls Civil war dress are a it suspect . Quality of the top looks pretty bad but that could be due to it being way too big or not so great posture on the girl.

Find someone local for the commission if you can. Even the best seamstress in the world wouldn't be able to tailor the suit to your body from across the webs.

Yeah, it's pretty easy to alter. I have this book which is pretty good, but it's a little low on pictures. This is the Burda tutorial and it links to a bunch of ways to modify the block - this one on converting it to princess seams will probably be useful. I totally thought that they had a halter top tutorial but they apparently don't. I also have this Google book bookmarked because it's nicely laid out.

I'd also recommend making your base bodice block out of cardboard and then tracing it onto paper to alter your patterns - it'll save you time in the long run. Good luck! Sundresses were my first introduction to patternmaking too :)

New Complete Guide to Sewing for general sewing techniques.

For tailoring men's clothes, Classic Tailoring Techniques (and women's.)

For pattern drafting, Winnifred Aldrich has a great line of books.
There's also Fundamentals of Men's Fashion Design, casual and tailored. As well as Patternmaking for Fashion Design.

For corsets, Waisted Efforts and The Basics of Corset Building are good.

For making shirts, Shirtmaking.

For learning to sew stretch/knit fabrics, Sew U: Home Stretch is pretty good.

And for just having a bunch of fun with patterns, the Pattern Magic series is plain awesome. I think there's three of them out now.

Edit: thought of more!

The Art of Manipulating Fabric is great. And www.threadsmagazine.com as well as the corresponding print publication.

The title of this made me laugh out loud. I thought you might appreciate it too.

I would love love love a pair of these to keep cozy this winter.

Just for good measure...Oh yay another hang up!!

The best way to learn is to try :) I can highly recommend the Colette Sewing Handbook for lots of information and some great beginner patterns! And if there's anything you need a hand with, I'm happy to help out :)

My grandma taught me to do a sc, but I taught myself the rest from books and youtube videos. Two of my favorite books for learning was Debbie Stroller's The Happy Hooker & Get Hooked. The latter book is directed towards a younger audience, but it was perfect for learning ... everything was simplified! Basic patterns like "working in the round" or a basic Double-Crochet scarf; both have wonderful illustrations & great 'beginner' patterns.

Others suggested that you learn from others ... but that's so overrated! ;-) To this day, I don't know anyone else who crochets ... so it's all me!

There is a great book for beginners called "The Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims that you could benefit tremendously from. It has a section in there about how to layout a forge area that I think works really well. If you search for it at amazon you can do the "look inside" thing and actually see that page before you buy it. But I recommend buying it, its a hardcover with great info and pictures along with a few beginner projects. its definitely worth the $12 us. Good luck with it. heres a link to it http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Blacksmith-Lorelei-Sims/dp/0785825673/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463055951&sr=1-1&keywords=the+backyard+blacksmith

Have you tried knitting? I taught myself with books and YouTube videos about ten years ago. I just finished this a couple days ago! (It looks like this, I made it to take with me to the movie theater in the summer when I'm always cold.) I know it seems like an old lady hobby, but I started when I was 22, and my goes and scarves and sweaters are nicer, warmer, and hold up much longer than the acrylic junk you buy at Target and Walmart.

This book is what finally made it click for me, as well as the site knittinghelp.com. Another excellent resource is [Ravelry] (http://www.ravelry.com) which is like your own online knitting notebook, pattern search, and forums in one. And it's free!

I learned through the book Understanding Wood by Bruce Hoadley. This author is famous for the "Yep, it's wood!" meme. There is a lot of good info for free online, but a solid, trusted, and researched book like this one deserves the inch of space it takes up on your shelf.

The more you know about the material science of wood, the better your projects will be. Good luck!

I have been sewing for what seems like forever. I mostly sew clothing, corsets and costumes and have done a lot of embellishments. Not sure what types of projects you’re interested in but the book Couture Sewing Techniques by Claire Shaeffer is a must have for anyone wanting to learn hand sewing techniques as it applies to sewing clothing. Its beautifully illustrated, has clear photos and easy to read instructions to learn and apply any and all of the sewing techniques you would want or need to create a couture garment. The book shows everything from the most basic stitches to advanced techniques.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Couture-Sewing-Techniques-Revised-Updated/dp/1600853358/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/259-1357415-7367116?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1600853358&pd_rd_r=4d9997ec-7940-11e9-a9b2-57670b156927&pd_rd_w=NWeji&pd_rd_wg=fgcr5&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=397B75RS3KFC698DJWNG&psc=1&refRID=397B75RS3KFC698DJWNG

As a player and Dungeon Master, it makes me so happy to see /r/DnD making it to bestof more than once. :)

For those interested, the newest edition being released book by book right now is 5e (previously D&D Next when it was still in the playtesting phase). Player's Handbook (PHB) and Monster Manual (MM) are the only rule books out right now. The main storyline book out right now is Hoard of the Dragon Queen (HotDQ) and soon The Rise of Tiamat (RoT).

What you need to play D&D IRL:

• D&D Basic Rules for Players and DMs
  
• 3-4 players (PCs or player characters) is ideal
  
• 1 Dungeon Master (DM), who runs the game
  
• Dice (Wiz Dice is a good starting point if nobody has dice. Just buy the big bag.)
  
• Paper and pencils
  
• Optional: A battle mat (like this one from Chessex)
  
• Optional: Miniatures (minis) to represent your PCs, NPCs, and monsters. I use dice to represent monsters in my games, because minis are expensive.
  
  If you want to play a D&D online tabletop:
  
  
• Roll20.net
  
• Use /r/lfg, /r/roll20lfg, or their dedicated LFG function/forums to find other people
  
• Roll20 itself has all you need to play the game - character sheets, dice rollers, built in webcam/mic, special view for DMs versus players, music, handouts, macros, etc.
  
  
  Shameless plug: My group streams D&D 3.5e (older edition) on Twitch almost every Monday night at 8pm EST. I also play and DM 5e, so I'm happy to answer questions about either edition!
  

Some basic information on joinery types. Most common for furniture building would probably be mitered joints, mortise and tenon, dovetailing, and dadoes - depending on the type of furniture.

If you wanted to learn more about joinery, I found this book to be good for beginners. Another good beginner book for all things woodworking, not just joinery, is this one

I just started making a few things last summer and getting some of the more expensive power tools. Feeling like you need to learn everything all at once can be intimidating - even for a med student, I imagine - but if you just look at each step individually it is much less daunting.

One more thing to help out a fellow beginner - this is the website of an awesome woodworking TV show that has free to download step by step plans. The show itself may or may not be available where you are at - I lucked out in that it is based in the town I live in - but the plans themselves are very helpful (and there is a modular bookcase plan you can alter to fit your needs).

edit - I forgot to answer your first question. More advanced woodworker do tend to avoid using nails or screws when avoidable because it joinery techniques are usually both stronger and more appealing to the eye. But, when just starting out, do what you can. To generalize, screws > nails in most (but not all) circumstances.

If you are trying to be frugal about it, sewing your clothes isn't the way to go. It may be good to learn a lot of mending techniques and how to alter clothing.

Answering the actual question:

I second Craftster.org, but also Burdastyle has a ton of free patterns that you can cut out. The two books I refer to most for information are teh vogue guide to sewing (which as an almost encyclopedic how to on every basic thing you would need to know) and the High fashion sewing, which helps you refine your skills by teaching how to correctly do different seams (also explains when and why you would use them.)

Vogue book:http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Revised-Updated-Knitting-Magazine/dp/1933027002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269758900&sr=8-1

High fashion:http://www.amazon.com/Fashion-Sewing-Secrets-Worlds-Designers/dp/1579544150/ref=pd_sim_b_28

You can definitely get teh vogue one at teh library.

Another thing I would highly recommend is to purchase a serger. It cuts down on time and finishes all of your seams to keep things from raveling. It can cost a decent chunk up front, but if you are planning to make clothes, I've found that it keeps them neat on the inside and makes them last longer to fave nicely finished seams.

Shameless plug...
I helped create this module, The Claws of Madness. It can be scaled down for one player, but she might need NPC help in some parts though, like a cleric lacky who follows her, or let her have an animal companion.

About the cleric lacky, make up a cleric for her who is totally devoted to her, does what ever she says to do, but doesn't offer any advice. This person just follows, heals and fights, nothing more. The cleric will level with her and she gets to pick the spells. You roll for the cleric and your wife gives orders to him/her. "Percy, heal me!" "Percy, kill that goblin!" "Percy, climb up that rope." Etc. Think of him as a squire, like Podrick from Game of Thrones.

If you want to do a full campaign for her, Rage of Demons scales down nicely since you need to have NPCs that can fight with you during a good portion of the adventure. The Adventure's League modules are really good too. You can buy the bundle or an adventure at a time. I ran this for my wife and daughter (2 people) and they had a lot of fun.

https://www.amazon.com/Ashley-Book-Knots-Clifford-W/dp/0385040253/ref=pd_sbs_14_8?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0385040253&pd_rd_r=e0ab9849-0e7d-4ba9-a032-9a9d01f9ee48&pd_rd_w=DsijS&pd_rd_wg=En3yr&pf_rd_p=1c11b7ff-9ffb-4ba6-8036-be1b0afa79bb&pf_rd_r=PE3RHZF1NQ3W6QAF2VF8&psc=1&refRID=PE3RHZF1NQ3W6QAF2VF8

That one is the holy grail of ropeworking books. I have yet to get my hands on it so I have never seen it but everyone serious about the hobby loves it.

https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Ropecraft-Stuart-Grainger/dp/1574092480/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=creative+ropecraft&qid=1566544712&s=books&sr=1-1

That is the creative ropecraft. The illustrations can be a bit difficult but its a great beginner book.

https://www.amazon.com/Pawsons-Knot-Craft-Rope-Mats/dp/1472922786/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2/136-7070516-4175455?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1472922786&pd_rd_r=2e8898cd-24a4-48de-a09f-b99388849af1&pd_rd_w=rUDOx&pd_rd_wg=zQIMo&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G&psc=1&refRID=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G

This is one of Des Pawson's books. I borrowed it from a friend once, tons of info. I had to give it back though. ><

https://www.amazon.com/Marlinspike-Sailor-Hervey-Garrett-Smith/dp/0070592187/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_3/136-7070516-4175455?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0070592187&pd_rd_r=2e8898cd-24a4-48de-a09f-b99388849af1&pd_rd_w=rUDOx&pd_rd_wg=zQIMo&pf_rd_p=a2006322-0bc0-4db9-a08e-d168c18ce6f0&pf_rd_r=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G&psc=1&refRID=CTJM8EXWXXN8V6FQH32G

This is a nice cheap book too, I have never seen it myself but it is one that is recommended a lot on various youtube ropecraft channels.

May I make the radical suggestion of learning to sew yourself?

There are classes, and once you have a sewing machine, it's relatively easy to start to make things from patterns - maybe try somthing simple first, and then move onto editing or even making your own patterns from clothing scaled up or down in the right places (I'm currently doing this with a project, and it's relatively easy using deconstructed clothing [a footed sleeper in my case] as a good starting point.

If you need more information on this kind of subject, books such as the Readers Digest guide to Sewing ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Readers-Digest-Complete-Guide-Sewing/dp/0276446410/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325004944&sr=1-1 ) or the Vogue sewing guide ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vogue-Sewing-revised-updated/dp/1933027002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325004950&sr=1-1 ) tend to be fantastic (I own older editions of both of these books, and they are well worth getting!).

Other than that, I'm sure that some of the shops like Privatina may well be able to help you if you send them an email...

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking.

This three piece set (the last is frequently left out because it's mostly plans for his furniture, but there's excellent info in it as well) is a comprehensive guide to woodworking, in no-nonsense fashion, from the ground up. Tage goes over hand tools, sharpening, power tools, etc...

The guy was an editor at Fine Woodworking for years, as well as being a professional craftsman, as well as a teacher for many years. He knows his stuff, articulates it in a legible fashion, and doesn't get caught up in hand tool vs power tool trends, etc...

http://www.amazon.com/Tage-Frid-Teaches-Woodworking-Step-By-Step/dp/1561580686

Double sided belts are usually just 2 pieces of leather, 8-9oz sewn back to back. Adding a third layer would add bulk, but almost no strength, and it might cause unsightly buckling as the outside leathers aren't as thick. If all you need is a belt, single thickness belts of 12oz+ would be much easier, and you can still opt to sew up the working end for some practice. Generally, it's advised to start with smaller projects like card holders, so you can get the practice and it's not a big deal if you screw up. Backed belts are hundreds of stitches, so unless you're really determined, it's not a starter project.

When it comes to stitching, Al Stohlman's Art of Hand Sewing Leather has all you need to know about western saddle stitch. No chisels, just 2 needles and an awl. You'll get decent results just fine with a bit of practice.

Other things you'll need:

• Diamond awl
  
• Groover
  
• Oversticher/ spacemarker
  
• Harness Needles
  
• Thread
  
• Beeswax
  
• Contact cement
  
  SLC has a decent starter kit, but other recommendations are out there too. For thread, I use Barbours Linen 6 Cord and wax it myself. You'll need a pony or sewing clam, but I made mine, so I can't help you there. I only use a punch when I'm hand sewing very thin or flimsy leathers.
  

These are very basic suggestions:

Colette's Beginner Book
Very nice, focuses on sewing clothing, comes with patterns.

[Fabric Reference] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/089689536X/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00)
Tons of information on fabrics.

Reader's Digest Guide
Lots of sewing techniques and information. You can get the new edition but the old ones are cheap!

Gertie's suggestions
Most, if not all, of these books came from Gertie. Just Google "building a sewing library" or something along those lines and you will get great information. Don't neglect blogs! The internet is a vast sewing resource. Good luck. :)

This book for Evolutionary psychology seems quite good as it is published by the Cambridge University Press, although I have not studied much on evolutionary psych. Also, anything by Frederick Toates is very well written, and we use this book in my biological psychology lectures at university and has a lot of neuroscience in it.

However, textbooks can unavoidably be quite expensive (even though you can sell them afterwards, getting the initial cash can be hard without a student loan). As an alternative, you might want to look at the A Graphic Guide series. I read the Introducing Psychology one during my A levels when I didn't have much money and found it really useful, although a bit short. There is one specific to evolutionary psychology, too.

Finally, a researcher at my university told me about this book, written by one of his lecturers, that helps you to understand more about the anatomy of the brain. It is a colouring book where you colour in each different region of the brain, but each page gets more specific about each brain region. The book isn't that expensive either. Here is a link. :)

Hope this helps, and good luck on your psychology quest :D

I haven't had the chance to start my own project yet, but I purchased this book and think it's an AWESOME reference. The internet is a great resource, but I'm a really visual person and like to flip through a book instead of clicking on a screen when I'm working on a project. This one is very useful too, though it has more details on working with fur.

I don't thinks so, really! There are lots of great books for beginners, the one I learned from is Stitch 'n Bitch, along with help from my dad. The Yarn Harlot is another great resource - I really love everything she writes.

If you know somebody who knits, they're usually thrilled to help somebody learn. You can also see if you've got a yarn store nearby that does classes, or rec centers will do classes sometimes too.

I personally don't think you are too old.

I used to sew for fun when I was 16, stopped after leaving school and began again at the age of 23/24. I have been steadily re-learning all of the techniques I was taught at school, and have been attending college courses on sewing and dressmaking too. I am now at the stage where I am working on my own project portfolio, but will happily admit that I am still learning lots of new things.

I will agree with /u/heliotropedit though. you do have to be completely 100% dedicated to learning everything you can.

You will end up spending hours and hours practicing the same techniques over and over again. You will want to quit at times and need to motivate yourself to carry on and push through to the end. You'll want to cry on occasions at how tired you are and how you feel that your work simply isn't good enough and how it never will be. You will see other people wearing beautifully crafted garments and feel angry at your own lack of skills. but when you finally break through and create a perfectly drafted and constructed garment, you will realise all of that time, pain, upset and sheer panic will have been 100% worth it.

But before you ever reach this point, you need to be completely certain that it is what you want to do, the tailoring profession is very difficult to break into and it takes true dedication and sacrifice and time (years) to make it.

NB a few good books to help:- (the first three books are good for beginners, the last 4 books are aimed at the more intermediate level sewers)

Easy Does It Dressmaking

The Sewing Book

The Dressmakers Handbook

Couture Sewing Techniques as recommended to me by /u/heliotropedit.

Couture Sewing: Tailoring Techniques

Classic Tailoring Techniques: Menswear

Classic Tailoring Techniques: Womenswear

Are you working with hand tools or power tools, primarily? Or, I should say, what will you be using on this bench?

For hand tools, you typically want a bench much lower, allowing you to keep your arms locked out and get the power from your body weight and legs. The rule of thumb is "the rule of your thumb." Stand with your arms at your sides. Stick your thumb straight forward. This is the height of your table. 30.5" for me.

For power tools, you don't have to worry about that sort of thing, and instead should have the workpiece closer to you for better visibility. 36" height is common.

Before you buy or build anything, do yourself a favor and pick up Chris Schwarz's Workbenches book. You're pretty much describing the English workbench in your post, and Chris goes into it in great detail, along with accompanying build plans.

Any good standard sewing book will give you the basics. The Reader's Digest Guide is a good one. This new pattern from a small independent designer named Sewaholic is intended for beginners. I would try making it.

After mastering a skirt like that I would move on to one with darts, a zipper, and a waistband.

As for websites, I like the newish University of Fashion because the teachers are professionals. There's a fee, but it's worth it. There are some free lessons you can watch to see if you like it.

If you click on my name, and then on the "Submitted" tab, at the very bottom are some posts I wrote on how to gain control on a sewing machine, how to press, and some advice for beginners.

*1) There are lots of websites that link different stitches. Most stitches start with the same foundation chain (unless it's a chainless foundation row which is a different ball game). In particular if you're just starting out this book The Happy Hooker was very helpful to me.

• 2. My favorite way to combine two yarns is the magic knot. There are lots of videos of it on youtube. Once I do the magic knot I like to dab on "Liquid stitch" all around the knot, it is a glue specifically meant for fabrics.
     *3) Reading patterns takes patience. My best suggestion for learning is find a chart of abbreviations (sc= single crochet, ect.). Then find a pattern that has a video that you can watch as you read the pattern. An easy one would be Bubble-gum Shawl which is free on ravelry, and here is the video.
     
• 4. Not sure what you mean by cornerning. Usually nice neat corners come from not dropping stitches (count count count). Also most blanket patterns will instruct you how to make the corners so they aren't wonky.
     5) Hooks are really preference. At least in my opinion.
     6) My favorite hooks that are a reasonable price are these. Once you become a faster hooker these wont rub your hands raw.
     7) I listed one book above, the other good one is The big book of stitches
     8) Brands of yarns or what hooks or what?
     9) I've been told cotton yarn works great for bags. Otherwise usually a pattern will indicate if it's necessary to use a specific type of yarn.
     10) I'm not sure what tools you got. I use plain old safety pins as stitch markers. Usually on long rows I'll mark off every 30 stitches. That way if I lose count I only have to count off a few stitches instead of 230+ or whatever the case may be.
     *11) Weaving in ends- usually they become less visible once you tighten up your crocheting a bit (tighten your tension). When I'm done weaving in my end I like to dab liquid stitch on it, then use a bobby pin to pinch it (hold it) into place. Take the bobby pin off before 30 minutes otherwise you end up with a wonky line. I usually leave it on to "pinch" for 15-25 minutes. I don't know why 30 minutes is the cut off but thats just what I've noticed.
     

If my husband got me the scarf I'd be thrilled. If she likes to cook the cookbook is a great choice. The other book you linked has good reviews, too.

If she has not read the series yet you could throw in the first book. If she likes to read she's going to love the series.

For outright erotica literotica is hard to beat. Everything is nicely categorized, rated, it's easy to find something you'll like. Some are short pieces, some long, some in between.

I'm a BDSM/kinkster and/or into pretty dark stuff, so I don't have any other good sexy book recommendations that seem like they'll suit you.

But Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series is so freaking good. There are lots of ways to describe the books, amazon will do a better job than I can right now.

Can't go wrong with the handbook if you like dead trees.
http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-7th-Official/dp/0471472425/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416447676&sr=8-1&keywords=handbook+of+model+rocketry


For videos check out Apogee components youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/user/apogeerockets


Check out the National Association of Rocketry's website www.nar.org

Also www.tripoli.org but they are more focused on High Power, the NAR website has better beginner information.


I really like to point to starter kits as a good way to get started. They come with launch pads and proper ignition systems and instructions not only on how to build the rocket but also how to launch it.


Asking questions here is always a good idea!

Welcome to knitting!

I'm still fairly beginner too. I just bought this book - recommended on this sub -and I'm finding it super helpful for all of that knowledge on picking yarn/needles, basic stitches, how to fix mistakes, etc. I wish I'd had it when I first got started.

http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-The-Knitters-Handbook/dp/0761128182

Good luck, and have fun!

Crochet is actually really easy. You can easily teach yourself, and there are plenty of internet resources to help you. /r/crochet is a really great community too.

I am self taught from this book: The Happy Hooker.

and if you want more help than that, here is the "beginner" page from my crochet blog

Actually I'm going to tell you NOT to start by altering your own clothes. It is actually easier to make something new than to alter clothing. I suggest you learn to sew from the following books: The Colette Sewing Handbook by Sarai Mitnik, the SEW Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp and Stitch by Stitch. All three of these books come with patterns for all sorts of projects. Once you graduate to some harder things, and especially if you are interested in sewing 1950s-inspired retro clothing, try Gerties New Book for Better Sewing By Gretchen Hirsch. This book has beautiful patterns and also helps with more couture techniques. Happy sewing!

For books I highly suggest the following books:
http://www.amazon.com/Couture-Sewing-Techniques-Revised-Updated/dp/1600853358/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372453039&sr=8-1&keywords=couture+sewing
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Photo-Guide-Perfect-Fitting/dp/1589236084/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y

The first one is great if you ever have an interest in doing high end stuff properly, and the second one is just super useful. Great guide to altering existing patterns and making your own!

I'm personally a fan of McCunn's How to Make Sewing Patterns and Aldrich's Metric Pattern Cutting series, but as /u/JBJeeves said, everyone has their own way of doing things. It's really a matter of experimenting to find out what you like best; personally I like having books in front of me to follow along, but some people thrive on the creativity that can be had in draping their own patterns from their imagination.

A few downsides to a trough:

It collects dust and wood shavings and is harder to keep clean, hiding the tools you placed there. The nicer ones have sloped or open sides so shavings can be swept out easily.

Eventually it'll get filled up with your tools, when you really should be working cleaner and putting tools back in their place. This depends on your personality.

Harder to add holdfast holes in the back of your bench, which could be good for things like battens which help with hand planing.

It makes your bench lighter. Yes the other comment said this was a benefit, but it can also be a drawback. Some people like a heavy bench so it has less tendency to move when hand planing or general bashing.

One issue however that is a non issue I think is that you need a solid surface in the back for hammering or doing other operations. I find that you tend to do 99% of work at the front 12 inches of a bench.

For further reading on workbenches, I suggest Chris Schwarz's Workbench book. The blue one.

If you're ok with a $165 POS from HF, maybe you're ok with a $175 workbench that you build yourself:

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/projects/175_workbench

That guy uses a lot of tools that you probably don't have, but you don't need a lot of tools to do this stuff. It just makes it go faster.

That same guy also wrote a great book on building workbenches. The first chapter of the book describes a list of pitfalls in bench-building, most of which are implemented by that HF bench: Not heavy enough. Storage in a bad place. Limited work-holding capabilities. Front legs not flush to the bench. Probably more I'm forgetting.

This is the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Construction-Popular-Woodworking/dp/1558708405

Also, have a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD39949332C7FB168

In that video, Paul Sellers demonstrates how to build a workbench with nothing more than a few hand tools in his back yard and some 2x4s from the home center. He uses a couple of sawhorses and a tree to flatten his boards, and as the workbench shapes up, he starts using the partially-built bench to help with some of the other parts. It's really neat to watch and the techniques demonstrated in these videos will help you in any workbench build.

> How much does an average launch cost?

There is no such thing as an "average launch." Even if you restrict this to a specific motor class, there are many other things to factor in such as whether you factor in all of your shop supples, how much you need to spend on gas driving to a launch site, whether you factor in club fees, and countless other items.

> Is there any website better than amazon for buying engines, wadding paper, etc.?

For LPR motors, typically the best price can be had at Michaels taking advantage of their 40% off coupons. For MPR and HPR motors, you can often get your best deal purchasing from an on-site vendor at a club launch, particularly if HAZMAT shipping is required.

> How far can I expect the rocket to drift after the parachute deploys?

Depends entirely on the wind speed and the size of your parachute. This can be modeled in a simulator such as OpenRocket.

> And are there any good books/websites about this hobby that can possibly tell me more?

This is your best read for getting started:

http://homepage.usask.ca/~llr130/launch/wmci-estes_rocket_manual.pdf

Apogee Components has a huge amount of info on their website but unfortunately navigating it is an absolute nightmare. They also have a great channel on youtube.

This is pretty much the definitive guide in print:

https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-7th-Official/dp/0471472425

And when you move into larger rockets:

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-High-Power-Rocketry-Mark-Canepa/dp/1412058104

Yep, your best bet would be to buy the cheapest set of crochet hooks you can find, like these, and then some cheapie worsted weight yarn, preferably in a lighter color like this but I bet you could find it cheaper locally.

YouTube has a lot of great tutorials that really nail it down, but there are also good books out there for beginners, like Happy Hooker that not only has patterns, but also instruction on how to do a number of different types of stitches.

Everything I do uses only slip stitch, chain stitch, single crochet and double crochet, so if you can learn those, you're golden. :D

I read The Art of Hand Stitching Leather and this saved me a ton of time. I built the horse mostly to the specifications in the book and it is really helpful. Hand stitching takes about a third of the time for me now. A good awl and good technique in punching the leather made a huge difference in the quality of my stitches as well.

I would think you don't need the buttons down the front, they will only make it more complicated/get lost in the gathers. I've never made a skirt like that but I would add enough fabric at the waist to be able to turn under the raw edge then fold it again to be able to encase an elastic. You may also want to research half circle and full circle skirts. Also, you can make a prototype out of cheap fabric or a light muslin to see what happens. I learn a lot through trial and error...Also you could add pockets if you're up for it...everybody loves pockets!
edit: half and full circle skirts won't have as much gathering at the waist so maybe your rectangle will work better
edit 2: sorry for getting long but it looks like the elastic might be stitched down a half inch from the top to give it that look:) I would really recommend this book for sewing: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Step---Step/dp/1606522086/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449794192&sr=8-1&keywords=readers+digest+complete+guide+to+sewing (I have the old version)

As well as buying that book, i also bought this book from Amazon.

The Sims book is a great resource for getting started. She walks you through the very beginnings and I loved her photos.

The Weygers book is just insane in terms of what you come to understand a qualified blacksmith is actually capable of creating. It's not as polished, but I think that you could pretty much maintain a small society with the information in that book and the proper skills. He has a special focus on tool making (he's a wood carver and looks to have made each of his tools) as well.

I'm pretty sure the Handbook of Model Rocketry (made by NAR) is pretty good; I have an copy which I've looked at a little bit and it seems pretty thorough in covering the subject. It looks like there's also a kindle version, here's the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-7th-Official/dp/0471472425

When I learned to knit way back in the day (before YouTube existed), I used Stitch 'n Bitch and liked it a lot. I didn't go crazy with those included patterns, but I made a few of them. I mostly used the book for a reference.

For me it clicked when I understood how the stitches worked. It wasn't so much pattern acronyms or how to use the needles, it was knowing the construction of knit and purl stitches. Then the more complicated stuff fell into place. I think Stitch 'n Bitch actually goes through that.

I also really love Knitty. I ate that place up, especially before Ravelry existed. The site can be a little annoying to navigate, but they have a good selection of articles explaining different techniques. I love how their patterns are sorted by difficulty.

I'm sure Ravelry and YouTube are also amazing for learning, but I haven't used them!

Hey! one of my times to shine! inaccesible places to tie knots is something people have been perfecting for 100's of years! One of the great ways to to pull out a vehicle is with an axle hitch or in this video. However, what the video doesn't show you is all you need is to get a loop around the axle (can be done with a pole with a hook on it),pull the loop back towards dry land, and the magic part is you can tie all the parts of the knot away from the hazardous area (e.g. the slushy water/ice with the car buried in it).

The logs in this video are being used to keep the pulley contraption from simply pulling the car into the ice and essentially breaking the ice further.

edit: Going to page /u/Dunyvaig so he can take a look at these possibilities as well

Source: I've been a fan of knots for a significant portion of my life, and one of my favorite books of all time would be The Ashley Book of Knots

You are playing a module called Out of the abyss

The story starts with you as a prisoner of the drow in the underdark. Seems your DM wanted to do a pre-session showing how the characters end up there, so indeed he was not going to give you a choice there.

Overall it seems you DM is just new and trying to follow the module to the letter. It takes time for you to improve and be able to be more flexible and work with the ideas that come from the players, improvising as you go.

These sort of problems are quite common with inexperienced DMs. You have to figure out if you are having enough fun and willing to wait the DM get more confident or if you would rather leave the group and search for a more experienced DM.

In case you decide to stay, try to explain to your DM what certain parts of the adventure you didnt like and why. At the same time, try to mention the parts you did like. DM job is tough and can benefit from friendly constant feedback.

Hope it works out for you

you will need to a decent workbench.
Start here
http://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Construction-Popular-Woodworking/dp/1558708405
Christopher Schwarz does a great job of laying it out. He studies old texts. His 18th century joiner's design hailing from France is outstanding. I made one a couple of years ago and it’s awesome. I also just recently read his book on hand planes and it’s also excellent.
The popular woodworking blog is also a good place to find stuff
http://blogs.popularwoodworking.com/editorsblog/
also try
http://www.lostartpress.com/
the fine woodworking forums also have excellent hand tool neanderthal section.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/
also try
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To/INDEX_How_To.htm
I could go on and on but that should give you something to think about?

Wood technology student here.

Wood consists of millions of microscopic cells bound together by natural glues like lignin and cellulose. Wood also varies in density from one part to another, for example sapwood and heartwood. If you are going to do these experiments you should know that the results may vary by a great degree depending on what species or part of the tree you end up using. Balsa for example is one of the lowest density species and feels almost like Styrofoam. Ebony on the other hand is extremely dense. There is also a big difference between hard and softwood.

You could try contacting your local wood supplier and ask for a sample kit of different species, it will cost some money but it might be worth it.

If you are interested in buying litterature on the subject, I would recommend 'Understanding Wood' by R. Bruce Hoadlay.

Good luck with your wood torture!

Have you tried making your own? Sewing is not that hard. I'm a guy and am in the process of learning.

There's a lot of youtube videos that show you the basics. It's also good if can take a crash course. I live in Austin and there's about five different places that offer sewing classes for around $60 to $90. All it takes is usually one class to learn how to setup your sewing machine and the basics on how to sew straight, backstitching, etc.

I recommend this book on how to make your own patters. It describes exactly how to custom make petterns for skirts. It shows you how to fit it so that it fits perfectly.

Good luck.

I don’t know what the poster above was talking about. This is a great machine. Go to the vintage sewing machine sub reddit if you’d like to find others with the same machine. It’s nice if you have specific questions.

Next, take a class or get a really good book. This is a great one.

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Sewing-Step-Step/dp/1606522086/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=complete+sewing+guide&qid=1570288200&sprefix=complete+sewi&sr=8-1

This is more focused on rocketry than space; however, this might be interesting. I have only read bits of it, but this sub has recommended it before as a relatively "gentle" introduction into rocketry, but also contains more technical material in the appendices if your child would like to forge ahead.


http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-Edition-Official/dp/0471472425


Though it concerns model rockets, many of the basic principles are all still relevant.


There are plenty of cheap older versions out there too that cover similar material, maybe just lacking a bit on electronics and internet resources.



Edit: if they are interesting in astronomy and those aspects maybe a basic introductory parent-child project on radio astronomy or a simple telescope would be fun too!


Here is an "Itty Bitty Telescope" project to make basic radio telescope if you happen to have an old TV Dish:
http://www.aoc.nrao.edu/epo/teachers/ittybitty/procedure.html


Other radio astronomy ideas too: http://www.radio-astronomy.org/getting-started

This book is a classic. It's my favorite. For all the up to date techniques as well as traditional methods of work, books put out by the Taunton Press are the best. They also publish Fine Woodworking, the best periodical on woodworking. If I could choose a gift certificate for me, it would be for Woodcraft or Rockler.

I recommend R. Bruce Hoadley's "Understanding Wood" (Here's an Amazon link < http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1561583588?pc_redir=1404667512&robot_redir=1 > if you like 99% Invisible or Dan Carlin's podcasts, you can buy it through their sites*)

This is the book we were directed to when asking these types of questions at my Carpentry Trade School. This book will answer all of your questions, and the ones you haven't thought of yet.

• not affiliated with any products or 'casts, just love em while working.
  
  Bonus: Meme from another of his books, haha. http://weknowmemes.com/2011/12/identifying-wood-yep-its-wood/

I'd recommend picking up a sewing book that comes with patterns, like the Colette sewing Handbook or BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook

I have both. The Colette book is laid out kind of like a lesson plan where you sew all the projects in order, and they gradually introduce new techniques. They cover a lot on fitting, but not a ton on modifying the pattern to look different.

The BurdaStyle book is laid out in a more "traditional" way, so all the reference stuff is at the front, then they move onto the patterns. The book has great details and ideas on changing up the patterns to suit your preference.

I also picked up Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing recently, which if you're into vintage style clothing, I'd recommend you pickup later on. (it's a more intermediate-level book, so I would recommend working on other patterns first.)

You seem to have a lot of advice already about machines so I'll just say that a good place to get some basic knowledge is sewing.org. They have some free projects on there but check out their guidelines, there's 1-3 page synopses on how to do just about everything a beginning sewer needs to learn. It's a fantastic resource. I also recommend this book that has very clear diagrams and instructions on tons of techniques.

Both Vogue and Readers Digest have pretty good books that cover a majority of techniques. That will cover the basics, but if you think she would like something a little more fun and less textbook-y, you could try this and this. The authors both have blogs that I follow, and I really like them!

1. This book, so I can learn how to knit. Because I really need a hobby.
   
2. Allegiant is my most wanted e-book right now, I've read the first two in the series, and I would really love to finish the series. :D I wanna know what happens! lol.
   
3. If I were a book, I hope that I'd be a great one.

I like learning from books.

I suggest first going through this book: Handbook of Model Rocketry

Learn the concepts (things like CG, CP, thrust vs impulse, etc) and apply them by building multiple rockets with different aspects.

Once you've gotten everything you can out of that book, get this guy: Modern High-Power Rocketry 2. Work your way through it by joining a local NAR/Tripoli chapter. Get your L1 cert, spend some time there doing multiple projects. After you've done a fair amount, go get your L2. Maybe a year later, go for your L3. Projects you can do in each cert level:

• Go for speed
  
• Go for altitude
  
• Two stage
  
• Dual deploy
  
• Cluster
  
  Or just have fun building rockets you think look cool or are fun to fly!

Depending on your area, rift sawn white oak can be quite expensive. I'd highly reccomend making your first bench out of southern yellow pine / doug fir, depending on what region you are in. It will often end up 1/2 price or less. If you really like the look of the oak, or can pick it up super cheap, it will make a great bench.

Even if you decide to make your bench out of SYP / DF, oak is a great accent wood for your vice chop (if you go for a leg vice) deadman, or endcaps. I think the Paul Sellers bench as designed doesn't use any of those features, so maybe that's not super useful for you. Check out Chris Shwarz's workbench book for more ideas and a comprehensive review of woods and their use for workbenches.

I read 3 books, one which was not very good and 2 that were phenomenal.

My favorite was probably The Backyard Blacksmith. It had great information and detail. I couldn't have been happier.

The Home Blacksmith was pretty good and has given me some projects for the future.

The one I did NOT like was The DIY Blacksmithing Book. It was garbage. It was little more than a pamphlet. looking around in google and youtube provided MUCH more useful information than this book. For a few dollars more the other books were MASSIVELY more helpful. The "DIY Blacksmithing Book" was a complete waste of money.

No problem, let me know if you have any other questions. Pyrogirl mentioned this book, which I bought for a class. It's quite excellent and has good descriptions of techniques if you're interesting in high-end sewing.

In addition, the same author has a book about working with various types of fabric. You can find the page on lace here.

You may have some difficulty marking the lace as normal home-sewing techniques (wax paper, pencil, chalk, etc) dont like to show up on sheers. If you're up to it, thread-trace everything. This will yield the best results but can be time consuming as hell, especially if you're not used to hand basting. Otherwise, mark with pins or safety pins.

If you're working off of a commercial pattern, you can simply aline edges instead of marking stitch lines, but make sure to take a good look at the seam allowance before hand. Most commercial patterns have 5/8" allowance, more than enough to finish with a 1/4" french seam, but it's always good to check.

1. Older machines have a good reputation, generally, because they tend to be more metal than plastic the older they are. Do you have the manual?
   
   
2. If you don't want to take your machine to a professional, here's a helpful video: https://youtu.be/FmfWu83I0ZI
   
   
3. I always recommend in-person classes. I'm assuming you're in the US? In any case, look around you, fabric stores, community colleges, sewing lounges, all offer beginner sewing classes.
   
   If that is not possible, a good vlog is Colleen G. Lea of FBSTV channel. Unfortunately, her playlists are not the best so look around, she even teaches how to thread a needle!!! https://www.youtube.com/user/FashionSewingBlogTV/videos
   
   Also: https://mccallpattern.mccall.com/collection/learn-sew-fun US sleeve patterns go on sale regularly at chain stores like Joann's and Hobby Lobby. Since it's Thanksgiving, I susptect there is a $2 sale going on right now.
   
   As a rule, you need to a) know how to use your sewing machine b) know how to sew straight seams and c) know how to sew curved seams. The rest is variations on those skills.
   
   If you intend to sew clothing for yourself, see if you can borrow this book from the library, it's supposed to be based on the curriculum of a Fancy Design School: https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Fashion-Sewing-4th/dp/1563674505/ref=nav_signin?crid=ZYH8KIICFOAN&keywords=connie+crawford+books&qid=1574865107&sprefix=connie+crawfor%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-2& (sorry, couldn't get the shorter link to work).
   
   You will also need a good reference book like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1606522086/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_NMO3Db0YYHHR5

I bought myself a machine, some fabric, these two books, scissors, and some other miscellaneous supplies.

The Reader's Digest book is a really good idea since the back has a decent section on tailoring, and is full of useful information on everything else you'll need to know. There are probably also some books specifically on tailoring; check your local library.

Practice making straight lines on a piece of lined paper before you start on cloth. Getting your lines straight is super important.

Everything after that is just practicing.

I'm just beginning myself, but Al Stohlman's The Art of Hand Sewing Leather is pretty much the go-to resource for learning how to hand stitch.

Yeah, it definitely is. Barring a teacher though, I recommend taking a look at knittinghelp.com as they have lots of videos and tutorials on all things knitting. The Stitch n' Bitch book also has very good instructions - it's hell to learn from a book, but I know several people who have learned successfully from this one, lots of cute patterns too.

A frugal lesson tip is to try putting up a craigslist ad to trade something you could teach for knitting lessons. For instance, I've put up a few in my day to trade me teaching knitting lessons for Spanish lessons, and it was fun.

If you're looking for workbench info, in addition to the Paul Sellers video that has been linked, I highly recommend Chris Schwarz's book on workbenches. I linked to the copy on Amazon, but my local library has it so maybe check yours as well.

He talks about a ton of different aspects of workbenches and runs down the pros/cons to a lot of different types of vises and designs. I found it super interesting.

This is when it's helpful to knit with other people - while it's definitely possible to teach yourself how to knit on your own, it's way easier if you have a person that can actually show you what to do! I taught myself to knit using YouTube videos and books. For books, this is one that I know some people like. This book is also a popular option. The website www.knittinghelp.com has a lot of good videos for basics.

There's all sorts of pre-made campaign modules that have already established worlds and towns and people and adventures. You can find them in game stores or pretty much anywhere online. A few of them include Curse of Strahd, Horde of the Dragon Queen, and Storm King's Thunder.

Best of luck with the DMing!

Nothing wrong with books! I see someone has already said, "Forget it just go to YouTube", but I think there's something to be said for reading a book too.

Peter Korn's book, Woodworking Basics, is a pretty good, project oriented overview including both hand tool and machine basics- it was kind of the semi-required text my first semester at community college.

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking is the classic that comes to mind.

Get this book: http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-Crochet-Happy-Hooker/dp/0761139850

It is fantastic at explaining everything from the most basic stitches to reading patterns. Don't try to look at patterns online till you get a good explanation about how to read patterns and how to do the basic stitches. YouTube is also pretty good at showing different stitches, but I though it was easier to start with the book.

Also start out out with a medium or large crochet hook and a equally medium or large yarn. Just look around at your local craft or fabric store at the options and you'll see what I mean about sizes. That's about all you need to get started.

Last spend a little extra money on yarn that isn't super cheap and rough. It's more pleasant to work with.

I am not a huge fan of romance novels but Outlander by Gabaldon has lots of romance and a great story to boot. http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561

Knot books:
This book is great for the basic, every day kind of knots. I'd suggest this one to get the basics down.
If you have a lot of time/money/desire to learn knots, this is the knot bible. It is awesome. I found a used copy in good condition for cheap, so if you have a used bookstore, I'd suggest poking around in there for a copy. This book is HUGE (600+ pages) and incredible. However, it is somewhat excessive, with a lot of knots you'll probably never use.
As for sailing books, I like this one for explaining the basics. It not only explains how to do certain maneuvers, but why. The example on proas tacking is one of my favorites.

CG is easy -- put a motor in, pack the recovery system and find the point where it balances. That's the Center of Gravity.

CP is calculated via modeling. The easiest way is RockSim or Open Rocket. It's the center of aerodynamic pressure.

Do you understand the significance of CP and CG to flight stability? If not, I'd suggest you pick up and read a copy of either Modern High Power Rocketry 2 or The Handbook of Model Rocketry

Both are very good reads with a lot of great info.

Construct a full pair of pants for yourself from a pattern as a muslin and then use that to tailor. To size down it's a lot easier once you know how pants are constructed and there's essentially only three places that get trimmed. If the pants have butt pockets like jeans style then you shouldn't go down more than 3 sizes but for dress slacks you can essentially whittle them down as far as you like.

Here's a very good sewing book I recommend https://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Revised-Updated-Knitting-Magazine/dp/1933027002/

• I have not been well. Sickness and death and other bad things. But hey, New Girl started tonight, and it's Sons of Anarchy night, so that's nice.
  
  
• I've been drooling over ILNP's Homecoming.
  
  
• How about some lotion bars?
  
  
• The Dune series is one of my all time favorites, and I've been reading the Outlander series recently.
  
  
• Mani! Here's a better picture.
  
  
• Happy anniversary!! I hope you two have a great day. :)
  
  Thanks for hosting!!

Heh. Just send him here. :)

What he needs and how he ought to set it up depends very strongly on what kind of woodworking he wants to do (cabinetry? furniture? chip-carving? bowl turning? hand tools vs. power tools?), and simple personal preference.

Without knowing any of that, it's hard to give much good advice. But if you're looking for a good book that will serve any beginner, you could get him Chris Schwartz' book on building your own workbench:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1558708405/ref=s9_psimh_gw_p14_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1AFA3F624Y2S9N986GSR&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

It's something of a rite of passage for every woodworker to start out building their own bench, and that book ought to give your man all the information he needs to figure out what kind of bench is going to work for him.

Jokes and memes aside, it's actually a great book. It's literally about the microscopic structure of wood. The author also has another classic, Understanding Wood: A Craftsman's Guide to Wood Technology, which has a few chapters on it. Great gift for woodworkers.

The most useful knot is the one best suited to the task you are trying to accomplish. The strongest knot depends on what type of load you are dealing with. Check out The Ashley Book of Knots. I got this book just after Basic Training, and used to practice knots while on fireguard or CQ.

What kind of sewing are you interested in? Is there something you want to be able to make? I make quilts, and I am teaching myself how to make clothing so I recently picked up a few books to help me improve my skill and I really enjoy them.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589235126/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1589234340/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1574327968/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933027002/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i03?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You could build a nice, sturdy, useful bench from lumber at Lowes for less than those benches. Plus you'll actually will do woodwork when you build it! Do some research and look around a little. Remember you are building a fixture to hold pieces of wood and to clamp wood. When you decide to build a split top roubo out of southern yellow pine, post pics!

This guys workbench is all you need, I would have wanted the legs flush to the table top. http://lumberjocks.com/projects/108012

I am currently in the research and development phase of my bench building right now. This book has been a great resource to set you thinking in the right direction.

Backyard Blacksmith like Raeladar recommended, by Lorelei Sims
http://www.amazon.com/The-Backyard-Blacksmith-Traditional-Techniques/dp/1592532519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341272167&sr=8-1&keywords=backyard+blacksmith

The Complete Bladesmith by Jim Hrisoulas has a TON of detailed info like forgewelding (important throughout blacksmithing, not just bladesmithing)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Bladesmith-Forging-Perfection/dp/1581606338/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341272167&sr=8-4&keywords=backyard+blacksmith


and The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers has good info as well
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Modern-Blacksmith-Alexander-Weygers/dp/0898158966/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

my library is growing from these books as well as the forge I'm putting together.

I love the Readers Digest Guide and Vogue Sewing. Both books are packed with very useful information, but maybe she would like a more stylish-looking book to start out with. The Burdastyle Sewing Handbook or The Colette Sewing Handbook might be more inspirational.

I am by no means an experienced blacksmith, but I found this book to be fairly enlightening when I was first getting into it: The Complete Modern Blacksmith.

It covers stuff like the forge /u/ColinDavies outlined.. and gives a very good intro into the "bootstraping" nature of blacksmithing (IMO :D)!

I like that mug! Great handle.

I didn't include a link to the book because there are so many re-printings. I've got a nice hardcover that also could make a good coffee table book. This is it. Had to go find it, again.

Chris Schwarz, who's one of the contemporary popularizers of hand tool woodworking, wrote a book where he tried to figure out the minimal kit he needed: The Anarchist's Tool Chest. He also wrote a popular book about benches which contains instructions for two different models. You'll need a decent bench and one of those is a sensible first project if you're really committed. If you don't want to make something that big to start off with the book has lots of good info on what features a bench needs so you can modify what you already have.

Yeah, you are most likely not pulling the yarn to the front when purling.

You want to look at the whole row before starting and make sure each stitch is hanging neatly with one loop of thread over the needle. If there is a loose bit of thread hanging over the end, or one of the stitches is pulled half up over the needle so you have both of the stitch "legs" up on the needle, then you need to rearrange your yarn.

Holding the needle with the stitches on it in your left hand, pull the yarn down and to the front before you start purling. That's it!

P.S. Here is a great book for beginning knitters:
http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-The-Knitters-Handbook/dp/0761128182

MAKEUP!! I'm a huge fan of it in general, loving NYX and BH Cosmetics at the moment.

Also super cool that you get to learn about lasers and microscopes, I'm a little jealous.

Sewing is tricky! I highly suggest checking out Vouge Sewing it really helped me a lot with understanding how to alter patterns, and determining how to figure out what part of the dress is or isn't fitting right.

Most working knots are pre-historic or a-historic.

Since natural fibre rope tends to decompose quickly, most knots do not survive for archaeologists to find them (the biggest exception is knots used in Egyptian tombs). By the time people started writing about knots such as in Ancient Greece, most of the key nautical knots were already in widespread use.

Other knots are not mentioned in ancient history, so we can guess that they were developed more recently, but they were invented by sailors who were either illiterate or didn't bother writing them down, but instead passed the knot on to other sailors by direct instruction. Given that sailors tend to travel widely, the most useful knots spread globally (probably rather quickly). Eventually those knots got documented by someone like Clifford Ashley, but the story of their original invention was lost by that point.

The Ashley Book of Knots has a number of cute stories in it although the vast majority of its knots have no history. The History and Science of Knots discusses the methodological problems with determining a history as much as history itself.

As to your particular example, you can figure out the properties of a knot by testing it. People like Ashley and the International Guild of Knot Tyers have extensively tested knots that have come down to us through history. Although many knots work so differently in synthetic fibre that a lot of the knowledge from even the mid 20th Century doesn't apply on a modern ship.

I can't believe no one mentioned sewing books yet. There are so many kick-ass introduction to sewing books out there now!
Most of these talk you through setting up your machine all the way to making some pretty nice garments. They are a must have. I'd go for love at first stitch if she's into quirky younger fashion and the collette book if she's a little more conservative. Both include a few patterns to start her off.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-First-Stitch-Demystifying-Dressmaking/dp/1611802342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418696695&sr=8-1&keywords=love+at+first+stitch

http://www.amazon.com/Colette-Sewing-Handbook-Techniques-Seamstress/dp/1440215456/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418696786&sr=8-2&keywords=colette&pebp=1418696800367

Frank and Beans!

I'd love to read this book, since I hear so many people talking about it and it looks up my alley.

Used books are fine, I just prefer they be in good shape since I am one of those people who babies their books :)

These sound like an excellent resource. Thanks for elaborating, OP.

Here's a link to the Amazon page for anyone curious.

If you're struggling with basic brain anatomy, I cannot recommend enough The Human Brain Coloring Book. This is human anatomy, not sheep or the more common rat or mouse, but still extremely, extremely useful.

The other main suggestion I have for studying neuro concepts that others haven't mentioned yet is drawing. Draw neural circuits with excitatory and inhibitory connections marked (or glutamate and GABA-ergic, etc). Draw a circle with the sequence of events that occur during an action potential. Make tables or charts or whatever is appropriate for the material. Work from memory each time, then check back whether it matched the textbook or handout - this is sometimes called active review, and is much better at reinforcing information than the passive review of reading over notes multiple times. Combine this with anki-type SRS flashcards and you'll be unstoppable.

If your wife has a sense of humor, this was my favorite book when I was starting out. Has great illustrations and straight forward patterns. My first sweater was a pattern out of there, and I managed just fine.

Back on the crafty bit: This book helped me a good bit when I needed to uneff my knitgame some. And it's fairly good for teaching yourself to knit from what I remember. Beeen awhile since I last looked through it. I should go back through and reread it. And I've got an extra copy that's in pretty good shape if you're interested. Thought I did. Should look.

I've been playing a Dungeons and Dragons Out of the Abyss campaign for a few weeks with some friends now, and i'm really getting into it.

I'm playing a bard storyteller, so outside of the campaign i like to write down the adventures from the point of view of my character. (+- 2 to 3 pages of text per session).

The clue is that when it's all done, my bard would have written the most epic tale in the world.

I'm thinking of posting them to r/DnD when I'm happy with the quality of the text, but i'm by no means a storywriter and it shows: it often looks like a ten-year old telling about his field trip at school. Even if nobody likes it, i'm practicing my writing skills (and English written skills, as it isn't my native language)

I agree with what much of u/hoffbaker has said already with a couple notes. If your shopping through craigslist and pawnshops for tools (and you SHOULD) I would recommend a corded drill unless you find a barely used cordless. It will likely be cheaper and certainly more reliable. Mallets are cheap, but if you dont want to buy one right away you can always us a sacrificial board to protect your work.

Additions: Hand rasps and files, a few ratchet straps, miter box (make it yourself). Finally grab a copy of Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking (there are 3 books in the series)

https://www.amazon.com/Teaches-Woodworking-Joinery-Veneering-Finishing/dp/1561580686

If old timey wood working rocks your boat, I highly recommend following Chris Schwarz. He has done a lot to popularize the Roubo bench and other older tools and methods. He also wrote two of the best books on workbenches (https://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Construction-Popular-Woodworking/dp/1558708405).

There's also a good video about the Roubo workbench at http://www.popularwoodworking.com/video/roubo_workbench_tour

You can follow Chris at:

• http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog
  
• https://blog.lostartpress.com/
  
  His latest research has him investigating Roman workbences (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/christopher-schwarz-on-roman-workbenches-2) although that's probably not as useful in a home workshop as a Roubo.
  
  If you really want to go off the deep end into traditional woodworking, you also have to check out Roy Underhill's Woodwrights Shop, a show that has been airing on PBS for over 30 years. Chris is a regular guest on there.
  
  http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/home/
  
  If you couldn't tell, I'm a little bit obsessed by all of this traditional woodworking stuff.

From everything I understand, this is probably your best resource: Chris Swarz

There's also a video series that Paul Sellers did on making his workbench. Start here and work your way through all 10 parts. There is a ton of useful information on working with hand tools in this particular video series.

I sort of used plans. I highly recommend finding http://www.amazon.com/Workbenches-Design-Construction-Popular-Woodworking/dp/1558708405

My library had it, but I bought it because I found it so useful. Unfortunately, I found it after I had started my bench. I will probably end up making a new one in the style of his "French Bench" aka the Roubo bench. It has a lot of the same features, just different construction details and shortcuts. The bench is perfectly workable, but I could do much better next time.

And I'll make the bench top thicker next time. I'll probably shoot for 4-5" finished next time.

I recommend Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. It's now a TV series on Starz. Some bill it as romance, but I think of it more as a time-travel adventure. There are eight books in the series, so if she likes the first, she'll have a lot of reading to do.

http://www.amazon.com/Outlander-Diana-Gabaldon/dp/0440212561

I used Chris Schwartz's book, found here on amazon.

Great book, and an interesting read. Includes schematics and some very helpful step-by-step information.

I do have a copy of Bruce Hoadley's excellent [book] (http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Craftsmans-Guide-Technology/dp/1561583588/) on wood, but this online tool is quick and easy once you understand how it works. I have even used it successfully to demonstrate to customers that the reason their doors are "defective" is because they humidity in their house in Alaska in winter is less than 20% and there is nothing I can do to eliminate the wood movement.

You could get a book like Stitch n Bitch, and maybe pick a pattern from it and get the supplies for it. I learned from this book and it was pretty good for the basics. Some of the patterns seem nicer too.

I would recommend a book or 2 in addition to YouTube. When learning a new knitting technique, I find it really helpful to look at still images or illustrations first, then watch a video to see it in action.

OP, I learned how to knit though a combination of Debbie Stoller's Stitch n Bitch and knittinghelp.com.

It's definitely possible. Just break it down into manageable chunks and do small swatches as you learn. I was knitting simple scarves the first week and moving on to hats and other things within a month. Soon you'll be making cabled sweaters and fancy blankets and all sorts of crazy knits!

Edit to add: Whatever you do, don't knit your first project with Lion Brand Homespun. For some reason, a lot of new knitters (myself included) reach for that yarn for early projects and it just never works properly. Use a simple soft acrylic or wool-blend. Red Heart Soft is a decent choice and quite affordable.

I would really like a used copy of Outlander. My friend recommend it to me earlier this year as I have a soft spot for Historical Fiction and haven't read a good romance story in awhile.

It's listed on my books WL as well.

Thanks for the contest!

Oooh! I highly recommend the book Stitch 'n Bitch for knitting. It taught me how to knit and it's awesome and funny!

http://www.amazon.com/Hoard-Dragon-Queen-Adventure-Wizards/dp/0786965649/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425978484&sr=1-2&keywords=rise+of+tiamat

Not pdf form but it's cheap enough on amazon that you can try it and see how you enjoy it. There's also a second book to this specific campaign and between the two takes the characters from level 1(? not sure) to around 15. Also keep in mind most of these are made for 4 person parties

I did the same for neuroanatomy, I used this book, some of my classmates thought I was stupid for using it, but it's really helpful and easy. Coloring the structures while repeating the name as Buddhist monks pray really helped.

Read everything you can. Books are one of the best tools a smith can have IMHO. A good book to start with is backyard blacksmith by Lorelei Sims. It is filled with pictures and has good ideas and techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Backyard-Blacksmith-Lorelei-Sims/dp/0785825673

There are some good books out there! I like the Stitch 'n Bitch ones (the patterns are so dated, though) and the Knitter's Companion (I think the illustrations are pretty clear in this one). I found this one called The Knitting Answer Book in a Sam's Club I don't know how long ago. I'm not sure how great it is because I've been able to find answers in the others and online. These books + Youtube are how I taught myself.

Colette patterns has a neat entry-level book, which comes with 5 clothing patterns! Their patterns are sized a little differently than regular patterns, but they are known for their clear instructions (usually a big frustration for new seamstresses).

My favorite sewing book ever is a little older, from Reader's Digest, if you believe that. Not the sexiest present, maybe, but super-useful. It shows you how to do everything, and the illustrations are plentiful and very clear.

>Btw, before knotfags jump my ass, I'm sure this isn't the perfect or most safe way to tie a truckers hitch but wtf it works for simple/small loads.

As a "knotfag" I can assure you that that wasn't even close to a Truckers or Carters hitch.

I'm pretty fucking sure Ashley had something to say about clotheslines.

)

The complete guide to jointmaking is a pretty basic place to start. You can then move onto Tage frid's joinery book. This one is a little more in depth.

With that being said, in the case of a table and table top you will first want to construct the legs to have aprons so they are not free standing legs. This will help some with racking. You can then use a biscuit cutter or table saw and table top fasteners to attach the leg/apron assembly to the top.

Don't be intimidated by one of the most rewarding parts of camping, ie.. playing around with rope and stuff.

Just get some and start practicing knots, it's big fun and a very useful skill to have.

Check out this site for some decent instructions on setting things up, and even how to make some stuff your self and save gobs of cash.

Two books on knots I can recommend that aren't prohibitively expensive are this and this. That 60 dollar price is wrong, I don't know what's up with that, but that books should be around 16-20 bucks.

Of course this is the 'bible' of knots, though a bit pricier. I don't own it, but wish I'd gotten it instead of those other two.. meh.

A word of warning.. If you start asking about hammocks, someone is going to point you toward the hammock forums. I won't tell you to avoid that forum, but be careful there. There are some dubious characters there, and the forum as a whole will steer you in the wrong direction for sure.

Pick and choose, especially if you have more time than money.

I wouldn't buy anything from any of the members, or any of the 'cottage industries' often linked there. Their ethics being questionable, at best.

If you're looking for an adventure to adapt that's set in the Astral Sea there's Hunt for the Heretic in Dungeon #203 http://www.dmsguild.com/product/155343/Dungeon-203-4e

The upshot is that there's a pirate ship that's been raiding the world from the Astral Sea and the authorities want to bring that to an end. It's geared toward players around level 14 or something like that so you'll need to pull the numbers back quite a bit, but the bones of it might make for a fun adventure--you might even make whole different encounters with different, more level appropriate threats.

Another suggestion if you want to go with a published adventure would be Horde of the Dragon Queen. At the end of that adventure you end up teleporting to a somewhat unusual location to face off against the main villain. That final battle could just as well be on the Astral Sea, at which point the PCs might find themselves having that place to themselves, as in they have a stronghold (ehem and potentially a dragon friend) to enact their Skyrim fantasies as they fly around IN THE ASTRAL SEA!

Here's that one on Amazon if you're interested:
https://www.amazon.com/Hoard-Dragon-Queen-Adventure-Wizards/dp/0786965649/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506588515&sr=8-1&keywords=Horde+of+the+Dragon+Queen

Some resources:

Edit: based on comment below where you said it needs to be done by next tuesday, more advice: there may be kits and engines at wal-mart. If you can buy motors locally, do that since they need to be shipped ground and may not arrive in time. You can order kits & supplies from amazon today and they'll be here by friday; just make sure you get a kit that can use the engines you can get locally.

1. You can order kits, engines, and/or raw supplies for making rockets from several places online; I've ordered a few times from here: http://www.hobbylinc.com/model_rockets
   
   
2. Book: The Handbook of Model Rocketry by Stine. I used this book when I was starting out to build my own launch system, and learn how to build a model rocket. http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Model-Rocketry-Edition-Official/dp/0471472425/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396546539&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=handbook+of+model+rocketry+sixth
   
   
3. Open Rocket software: Rocket CAD design plus flight simulator. Useful for designing a rocket and checking your design. http://openrocket.sourceforge.net/download.html
   
   
4. Estes educator info, some good overview and tech docs there: http://www2.estesrockets.com/cgi-bin/wedu001P.pgm?p=publicat
   
   
5. Ohio 4H "design your own rocket" pdf: http://www.ohio4h.org/sites/d6-ohio4h.web/files/Designing%20Your%20Own%20Model%20Rocket.pdf

It takes a lot of time to design a campaign. The one I'm running now, I started penning two years before I even met these players. And it's just a heroic tier setting, for levels one through ten.

If I were you, I'd pick up Hoard of the Dragon Queen. I think this was the first full-sized adventure for 5e, apart from the starter kit. It should have plenty of material for you guys to enjoy.

If a picture is worth a thousand words then you just abridged Bruce Hoardley's [Identifying Wood] (https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Wood-Craftsmans-Guide-Technology/dp/1561583588) I wish more people understood that thin tangential cuts like the one above best illuminate the anatomical cellular structures necessary for accurate wood identification.

Also, try your local library for knitting books. (Mine is excellent.) Videos normally concentrate on one topic, without much talking around the topic. Books develop stage by stage, and have time to tell you why things are done that way and what alternatives you could use -- making it much easier to learn to do your own thing.

Libraries (or bookshops) let you compare books to see which style you like. These two are often recommended: Teach yourself Visually Knitting and the Stitch 'n Bitch Knitter's Handbook. These two also seem good: Debbie Bliss Knitter's Book of Knowledge and Knitting in Plain English.

check out "Backyard Blacksmith" by Lorelei Sims. It covers the basics of what smithing is, basic tools needed, basic smithing techniques, different types of steel, how to make your tools, and how to heat treat your tools. The last section is a collection of about 20 projects, arranged from basic to advanced that you can start on day one. It even tells you what sizes of stock to use, and breaks the project down into steps. Probably the best basic book I've come across.
https://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Blacksmith-Lorelei-Sims/dp/0785825673/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474489905&sr=8-1&keywords=lorelei+sims+book+backyard+blacksmith

• Stitch N' Bitch
  
  
• The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns as well as anything else by Ann Budd!
  
  
• The Knit Stitch Pattern Handbook, should you ever feel like designing.
  
  
• Knitting Without Tears
  
  
• Around the World in Knitted Socks
  
  
• The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques
  
  
• Extreme Double Knitting
  
  I could go on :)

Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking: A Step-By-Step Guide to Essential Woodworking Techniques is a great book for learning techniques. It's a three book set. The first book covers basic techniques and joinery, the second book covers more advance techniques like veneering, shaping and inlay and the third book has some step by step guides for some projects.

You can get the first two books in a combined paper back version. There is also a hardcover box set that includes all three books and DVD but it's more expensive. You only really need the first two books as the third book only covers specific projects.

If you want some more book ideas do a search for "books" here. There has been a few good threads on books here.

Get, read and absorb the following:

• The Complete Modern Blacksmith
  
  
• Step by Step Knifemaking
  
  
• The Complete Bladesmith
  
  
• This one is arguable, but I've enjoyed my 1977 copy. How to Make Knives
  
  The knowledge is more important than the tools. That said, don't scrimp on the anvil, the vise and the flatter hammer.
  

Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker
The title was funny, and I'll just assume you don't have it.

i confess I don't actually know what a single skein is, and etsy didn't seem to have any results. What is it?

Anyway, just focus on the positives of the bad job. Just like you said earlier - you'll get through it. And you do have good coworkers, so that's something. Make a game out of it maybe; how many callers in a row will hang up on me, and is it close to what I guessed ahead of time?

I'm a bit of a generalist. I always have lots of projects going on at once, each in a different state of completion. The books I have listed I do own, and read and pick through the most often.

The first two are generalist books. I say that because they both have such a breadth of information it's hard to describe them. The third is more specialist in that it covers only a single subject, but does so in such detail and in a recipe type format that it's easy to follow along. It starts with how to build a blacksmith shop, what tools you need, and how to use tools you make to build bigger tools to help build other, bigger tools.

https://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country-Living-40th-Anniversary/dp/1570618402

https://www.amazon.com/Self-Sufficient-Life-How-Live/dp/0756654505/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FR7BRBKJ9CA3XRWW1N8H

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Modern-Blacksmith-Alexander-Weygers/dp/0898158966/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473081102&sr=1-15&keywords=blacksmithing

I always recommend the Reader's Digest Guide and Vogue Sewing to anyone looking to start a sewing library. They cover very similar ground, so take a look inside each. I prefer Vogue most of the time, but it all depends on how she learns best.

Outlander first book in the AMAZING series :)

Its hard to really judge since the leather and the thread are the same color, but the thread looks too thick IMO. Keep working at it and if you stitch in a contrasting color you will really be able to see your mistakes, helping you improve.

Sewing just takes practice, keep at it and watch this vid if you haven't already

This is also a really good book