About twenty-two years ago, sitting in my college dorm room, I opened a care package from my Aunt Debby and found an amazing book—a collection of small handspun and handknit hats, scarves, mittens, and socks called, Homespun, Handknit. Published the year I graduated from high school, this collection reflected the spinning community at the time and the designs—classics as they are—are still relevant today.

I can't tell you how many times I've opened the book since then to find ideas, learn new techniques, and knit garments. It is a cornerstone in my knitting library. So imagine this: it is twenty-one years later, and I have the great good fortune to not only work under Linda Ligon (founder of Interweave, editor of Homespun, Handknit, and truly a woman extraordinaire) and edit the magazine that generated the contest entries for the original book, but then I was asked to compile the next book—the next-gen Homespun, Handknit! It was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

Once I started breathing again, I knew just what to do—and started making a list of all the people I could think of who might be interested in putting their creative powers to work to make beautiful, practical, handspun, handknitted designs that both honored the past of Homespun, Handknit and also reflected today's handspinning community.

If you haven't had a chance to peek at this book yet, let me show you a bit of what you'll find inside!

*Adorable and practical matching sweater sets for toddler boys and girls (complete with hats and mittens!) by Sarah Anderson.
*Sara Lamb's Lace-Up Mittens (lower left) with luxuriously long cuffs are sure to keep the snow off your wrists this winter when you get into that inevitable snowball fight.
*Diane Mulholland's Wisteria Lace Shawl (upper left) is perfect for showing off your handspun lace and throwing over a simple shift to make a casual outing more memorable.
*And in just an afternoon you can whip up one of Kristi Schueler's Chutes and Ladder hats with a bit of bulky yarn.
*Spend a bit more time on an intricate little bag by Kathryn Alexander and create a whimsical bag for your treasures.

And there's much more—shawls, scarves, bags, socks, hats, mittens, and adorable baby garments.

I hope you find what you need in this book—inspiration and challenges that take you to the next level of spinning and knitting, comforting projects that soothe your soul when you need it the most, and practical designs that can be the foundation of your next creative project—all the things that the original Homespun, Handknit book was (and continues to be), and yet reflective of the yarn you're making today.

I'd love to see your versions of the patterns—share them on our website at www.spinoffmagazine.com.

—Amy

P.S. Don't forget to celebrate spinning and weaving week! It's coming right up—October 5-11. Details for how to celebrate can be found on the Spinning and Weaving Association website, at www.spinweave.org/news/events-upcoming.html.