Anticraft: Knitting Beading \u0026 Stitching for the Slightly Sinister by Renee Rigdon

Anticraft: Knitting Beading \u0026 Stitching for the Slightly Sinister Reviews

• 
  Eden

  While it's true that the world of crafting is riven with winsome, sweet, and treacly projects and the stores that cater to them, I think there may be more open a category than this book lets on. The book is informative regarding the techniques used to make specific projects, but almost every project is based around skulls and a decidedly Goth aesthetic. The book design itself is littered with irrelevant 19th century woodblock cut graphics, and the authors think themselves witty. Wish they were.
  
  I like the idea of what this book could be, but as a sanctioned subculture masquerading as an alternative or "anti" culture, it's really not much more than a collection of the same information in black instead of white. Hot Topic makes millions of dollars per year cashing in on this easily capitalized upon "anti"culture. I feel like such a rebel.
• 
  Lara

  
  I reviewed this for PopMatters.
  
  Here's my text:
  Let’s get the obligatory mention of the duct tape corset out of the way straight off.
  
  With the small sacrifice of an old tee and possibly the help of a close friend you can craft your own perfectly fitted and ‘slightly sinister’ corset. Besides this project, there are several other excellent features in Anticraft: Knitting, Beading and Stitching for the Slightly Sinister. The photography is sensational, even when the showcased project isn’t overly exciting. Black and white backgrounds provide a fabulous contrast to colorful (think ebony, blood red, and “ichor green") projects frequently adorned with skull motifs. The settings are invariably dungeon-inspired hangouts with antiqued decorations. Just flipping through and looking at the great pictures might keep you from noticing that a simple skull-accented hat is edged with faux FunFur. Which I didn’t realize came in black. I can’t actually picture this one on any self-respecting goth-chick, but the appeal of The Anticraft is not limited to those with yarn stashes exclusively containing various shades of black and red. All the better for the book sales, really.
  
  A couple of favorite patterns of mine include ‘The Whilameenas,’ a crocheted two-headed rat, and ‘Three Owls,’ a mini-parliament of felted and embroidered feathered friends. There are many goth-leaning crafters out there (witness the success of The Anticraft website, now on issue number nine), and each of them can find something fascinating among the collection’s 25 projects.
  
  The extra material in the book is a big plus. One feature is the ‘mood enhancer’ paragraph the accompanies each project, in the usual manner of listing materials and tools needed to complete it. Here the authors recommend music, movies, or books to match the mood of the project. Themed recipes and comic strips featuring the authors are also great touches. And the whole book is illustrated like an art project, with vine-like doodles, Victorian-style wood-block prints, and explanations of pagan symbols. At the back there is the customary crafting techniques section, although this one contains illustrated instructions on creating your own chain mail. On the whole, the book is a pleasure to flip through, but most of the projects are either too intricate or too impractical to really bother making.
  
  The point is more about the inspiration and finding a place in the community of Anticrafters.
• 
  Kate

  I couldn't help it... knitting for the "slightly sinister"? There are some great projects in this book. I especially liked the Bella armwarmers, and the Poison Ivy boa. The projects also include random dark bits like playlists and inspirations... one mentions how Martha Stewart, in order to be as crafty as she is, must be in league with dark forces. Some projects are a little ridiculous in their weirdness (two headed knitted rat dolls, anyone?) but overall it's a fun book for anyone interested in the darker side of crafting.
• 
  SmarterLilac

  Hee hee. If you've ever wanted to learn how to knit a menstrual cup cozy or paint your nursery black, this is for you.
  
  Fun commentary from Anticraft:
  
  (From the introduction) 'Creation from chaos is natural. We've come to a place where we've realized that we have this actual, physical need to create things. We're sick of homogenized culture...we create to fill these holes, to be able to sleep at night knowing we've done something, even a small something, to confront the manufactured culture that is currently being churned out.'
  
  (On the nursery) 'Ah, the nursery. A place of sunshine and light, a place for your dear, sweet schnookums to rest his pretty little head. If teddy bears and nonironic unicorns irritate you, how do you think you're helpless infant feels about these things? Just because he cannot talk doesn't mean that he should have to endure--shudder--cuteness.'
  
  'Baby talk is neither energy efficient, nor is it Anticraftastic. If someone came up to you and said, 'Oh, aren't you dark and scary? Who's dark and scary? Oh, you are, you creepy little thing you,' you would at least give them the icy stare of death. Should your child be forced to endure this because they have not yet mastered the icy stare of death? We say no! Talk to your child as though your child were a real, live person. She may seem like a squirming, eating, pooping monster right now, but one day she will talk. If you want her to be able to talk down to others, you have to talk up to her now.'
  
  'Your child did not ask to be an advertisement for the local mall. Children do not care about what's 'in' this season, and you probably don't either.
  
  (On your Keeper and/or Diva Cup--not my favorite thing, but to each her own) 'Every menstrual cup deserves a finely crafted bag to keep it clean between cycles.'
  
  (On crafty adornments in the pirate style) 'Everyone has a little pirate in them, whether they be a pirate of the high seas, of the high frequencies, or of the high bandwidth usage.'
  
  Hee.
• 
  jess

  although this falls into the genre of "yet another alternacraft guide," i want to give the anticraft some points for vision. the crafts are a little spooky, goth-inspired, and the authors appear to remain sufficiently surly and self-conscious about the marketing of goth crafts through the book. the projects are fairly simple, drawing on very basic skills & very common materials with some seriously repetitive themes (need skull & cross bones for the whole family and every piece of your interior decor? this is your book). i admit, though, that this thematic inspiration is more appealing to me than the material-driven craft projects in the majority of alternacraft books these days. while i don't often find the right obscure materials to complete the projects from other books i've perused, i know i could definitely find the materials and inspiration to craft creepy clothing, accessories, and gifts from this book. also note-worthy are a few scattered recipes, music & movie recommendations, and various other subcultural references. the design is cut-and-paste, and looks a lot like a zine. the printing is solid, dark ink.
  
  it's possible that i am giving this book too much credit because i absolutely love that they include a pattern for crocheted bondage restraints, but really. what more could a girl ask for from a craft book? just some single crochet bondage.
  
• 
  Cissa

  Lots of fun ideas here!
  
  Oddly- since I am a knitter- the crochet patterns are more appealing to me than the knitted ones- though I do love the Skylla cozy that is a knitted kraken! While I also love the long serpent stockings, adjusting them for my size is more than I feel inclined to try. There are a couple of hats with fun skull-and-crossbones motifs, though!
  
  In crochet, the Briar Rose decorative scarf is really nifty. I also like the vulture-themed bag, and the 2-headed rat stuffie. And there's some kink stuff, for those inclined that way...
  
  Fewer things stand out for me in the Sewing and Misc sections, though I'll mention that the former has a pretty "Wheel of the Year" skirt, and latter includes some basic chain mail as well as a gorgeous "Tree of Life" beaded shrine piece or wall hanging, as well as other beaded designs.
  
  Sprinkled in are a number of recipes that look tasty, as well as various short articles on themes and motifs. There are basic instructions for the crafts included in the back.
  
  Very fun, for crafters who like projects with a twist!
• 
  S Robie

  this book is just plain awesome in a cup. a very eeeeevil cup.
• 
  Emily

  The authors were trying way too hard with this. Part of the issue is ambition--too many types of projects rather than a number of quality projects with options for variation. Also, a whip made with crochet? Right.
  
  Then there's the interior book design--incredibly distracting. Ok, anticraft, sinister, what have you, but I've got to be able to find the page numbers, particularly if the design also doesn't make it clear where a project begins and ends and I need to rely on the table of contents.
• 
  Ami

  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. I had to recently downsize my sizable book collection and this is one I just couldn't bear to part with (even if it weren't autographed to me, which it is :D). I have enjoyed all of the projects I chose to undertake (I plan to do them all eventually) and the ones I did for gifts were well received.
• 
  Cami

  I'm all for different things on the market. Although many of these projects were very goofy Halloween-like crafts (see the two-faced rat doll), I really liked the actual instruction in the back and think I may actually get how to knit now.
  It was awfully fun to read, too.
• 
  Josie

  A really interesting read! The projects are not for the feint at heart, but having a warped sence of humor helps!
  
  The projects are not for the 1-2-3 beginner, but can definately be saved for later when more practice has been garnered with the choosen craft.
• 
  dejah_thoris

  If you're into one of the three crafts mentioned in the title this might be a four-star book. I like the aesthetic and most of the projects, but I'm not going to try to teach myself from a book ever again. (They have a techniques chapter for those who can follow along.) My favorite project idea is the Wheel of the Year skirt, but I'd make mine moon phases because all that sewing is daunting to contemplate. The sole cross-stitch project is a landscape covered by the word "stitch" in graffiti lettering, which would be tempting except the pattern features only the word and not the background. On the plus side, there are some excellent vegetarian receipts I'll be copying for future meals.
• 
  Jessica

  Easy to follow patterns, comics, insights, and even a medical page for craft related injuries. There are only two crafts that I'm planning on trying, but there's something for any type of crafter in here. Well, as long as you're a little strange. Or a lot strange. Both are good.
• 
  Michelle Morrell

  I would say this is an irreverent look at crafting but it was deadly serious, written by those with a true love of the crafty dark arts. And hey, if you ever need to crochet a cat o' nine tails or make a duct tape corset, you know where to go!
• 
  Jo Starr

  This is great as a coffee table book to look at the unique items created but it didn't inspire me to actually make any of them.
• 
  Stella

  Okay, so I'm probably not destined to actually make any of these anticraft projects. But reading the book was hilarious, and it makes my heart a bit more gleefully dark to know this exits!
• 
  Gabriella

  Meh. I couldn't find a copy of this book anywhere to leaf through it and see what sort of patterns were inside, and the reviews I was seeing everywhere weren't of much help either. Thankfully, I was able to loan a copy through my library. "Anti" "sinister" crafts could mean a lot of things, and that is what I couldn't really gather from anywhere online without having seen the book myself. But now that I've read through the book, I say that in this case, "anti" and "sinister" is represented with a VERY Hot Topic aesthetic, that is a little too teenage for me to appreciate in my twenties. Lots of crafts with skulls and crossbones. I know if I was 16 and knew how to knit I probably would have enjoyed this book, but I can't say that I do now. Also, several of the patterns (armwarmers, gloves) - the ones that don't have skulls on them - are pretty basic and available for free on Pinterest, pattern websites, and other knit/crochet books and magazines.
• 
  Erssie

  Erssie had 3 projects in this book:
  Book is discontinued but available on Kindle.
  The three patterns above are available in a booklet Gothic Trio by Erssie Major on her website
  Erssie Knits
  
  * Belladonna Sleeves
  
  
  * Pop Art Skulls Pillow
  
  
  * Gothic Glam Yule Hat
  
  
  
• 
  Dracolibris

  If only I was crafty enough to make these projects! This book is awesome. I may have to learn some new skills just so I can have an excuse to knit or crochet cthulhu, er, I mean octo-designs. I also liked that it wasn't ALL knitting- there are a wide variety of project designs in here to appeal to the darker side of your crafty soul. I think this is going to be a popular addition to my teen craft collection.
• 
  BookMouse

  I periodically check out the Anticraft website to see what their latest ezine has. I was excited to see that there was also a knitting/crochet/craft book out. Their designs appeal to my "suburban closet-goth" personality. While not many of the designs are ones I'd wear to work or Bunko, but they're cool none-the-less. There are some I think I might make. It's a good book, and I also like how they have extra little articles and tidbits of info. It's a fun book worth a look.
• 
  Diane

  I certainly enjoyed the spirit of this book. Aimed at crafters who are sick of pastel yarn for baby clothing and nicey-nicey craft projects this aims to round out the patterns available.
  
  I did like the skull baby sweater (OK I loved it) and the double-knitted skull cap and a few other projects. Like most craft books, not everything will appeal to everyone. There are patterns for adult (ahem) crafts as well.
• 
  Andrea

  Beautifully laid out...but not a single pattern that you can't find in a hundred other books with better instructions and charts. If you are just starting out i'd skip this as most require a bit of skill and a good understanding to decipher out what they are really instructing you to do. On the other hand, the book "looks" fantastic and was inspiring from a graphical design perspective so it's not completely worthless.
• 
  Alanna

  I love the premise of this book, but the execution was lacking for me. The aesthetic of the book is great and while none of the projects were that bad, none of them were that good either. The only one that got a reaction from me right off the bat was the Wheel of the Year skirt, but even that didn't make me go 'ooh'. I think perhaps a beginning crafter might take more from this book than someone with a lot of experience. Not bad, but I won't be buying a copy either.
• 
  Joanna

  I checked this out because I had read a review that seemed to imply that there was more than just knitting, beading, and stitching projects; apparently I misread. Since I neither knit, bead, nor stitch, this book was kind of lost on me. I would recommend it to those of you who do any of those, though.
• 
  Allison

  Not entirely finished lookng through this one yet, but so far it's a cutesy little collection of crafts and movie recommendations and recipes for, I'm assuming, the DIY folks who used to shop at Hot Topic? So, not really my cup of tea. But it's amusing, and has a good variety of different patterns.
• 
  Kim

  This book is fun and is loaded with lots of unique patterns. If you're a beginner, this is not the book for you. This book ranges from intermediate patterns to downright ridiculous (i.e. see beaded tree art). Still, it's worth owning for inspiration and who knows? Maybe one day I will knit the lace stockings.
• 
  Mckinley

  My biggest issues is that the photos aren't well done. It's more about being hip and showing off on the author's part than showing the projects! It's great to add more variety of projects. I didn't look closely at the instructions, but I hope they are sufficient. The thing is based on the design and layout, I'd be less likely to believe they are.