Finally: a teen knitting book actually written by a teen who understands what’s hot and what’s not, what’s chic and what’s for geeks. Sarah Paulin loves fashion and she’s created a closet’s worth of patterns that will add flair to any hip chick’s wardrobe. With knitting so popular now, what girl could resist making the lacy shrug in bright melon, accented with eyelash yarn? Or a stylish chunky scarf with a loop detail and a kicky knitted tube that does double duty as either a top or skirt? In addition to the cool clothes, trendy knitters will find a journal cover with a fun flower closure, a cozy throw in sherbet shades, and purses that range from flirty clutches to retro totes with pompom embellishments.

Just open a magazine or turn on the TV and it’s clear that moms-to-be are proud of their "baby bumps.” No more hiding those growing bellies; today’s pregnant woman wants to wear stylish, modern, even edgy fashions. And these 22 gorgeous knit projects, created by a pool of talented designers, fill the bill. Expecting mothers--and the friends and families who want to knit them a gift--will be overjoyed to find so many attractive possibilities. A truly luxurious cashmere car coat features bell sleeves and ribbed cuffs, while a v-neck tank design (made from a simple stockinette stitch) uses pleats that can accommodates an expanding tummy. From a cleverly designed cowl sweater with discreet nursing panels to a dazzling beaded black evening dress, every garment is beautiful.

From An Affair to Remember to Legally Blonde, "chick flicks" have long been both championed and vilified by women and men, scholars and popular audiences. Like other forms of "chick culture," which the editors define as a group of mostly American and British popular culture media forms focused primarily on twenty- to thirtysomething, middle-class—and frequently college-educated—women, chick flicks have been accused of reinscribing traditional attitudes and reactionary roles for women. On the other hand, they have been embraced as pleasurable and potentially liberating entertainments, assisting women in negotiating the challenges of contemporary life. A companion to the successful anthology Chick Lit: The New Woman’s Fiction, this edited volume consists of 11 original essays, prefaced by an introduction situating chick flicks within the larger context of chick culture as well as women’s cinema. The essays consider chick flicks from a variety of angles, touching on issues of film history, female sexuality (heterosexual and homosexual), femininity, female friendship, age, race, ethnicity, class, consumerism, spectatorship, pleasure and gender definition. An afterword by feminist film theorist Karen Hollinger considers the chick flick’s transformation from the woman’s films of the ’40s to the friendship films of the ’80s and those of the "return to the classics" trend of the ’90s, while highlighting the value of the volume’s contributions to contemporary debates and sketching possibilities for further study.

Join the movement! Four million strong and counting, hip, young chicks with sticks are putting a whole new spin on knitting--while turning last fall's Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook into a surprise national bestseller (from The New York Times to the L.A. Times to BookSense) with 215,000 copies in print. So influential is the book that the number of Stitch 'n Bitch knitting groups tripled in the past six months--spawning a Stitch 'n Bitch Nation. Written by Stitch 'n Bitch author Debbie Stoller, Stitch 'n Bitch Nation features 50 hip, new, even funkier and more fabulous patterns by Stitch 'n Bitch designers, who come from San Francisco to Brooklyn, Chicago to Cambridge to St. Paul, Minnesota. The Om Yoga Mat Bag. Felted Monster Slippers. The London Calling Union Jack Sweater, because even punks get cold in winter. A Double-Duty Shrug. Polka Dot Tankini. That '70s Poncho. The Boob Tube. Spiderweb Capelet, Cabled Newsboy Cap, Chunky Baby Booties and Baby Bunny Hat. And the most ingenious project, a Knit-Your-Own Rock Star doll--with a choice of Joey Ramone or Henry Rollins. All designs are complete with full-color photographs and step-by-step instructions, and are made from sexy, contemporary yarns, including multicolored angora, alpaca, lace, and mohair. Includes the best tips, shortcuts, and techniques from Stitch 'n Bitchers, profiles of knitters and their groups, and a how-to refresher on all the stitches used in the book.

The inside story of an upstate New York serial killer who abducted, raped, and murdered women and hid their bodies in his home. In the late 1990s in Poughkeepsie, New York, prostitutes began to go missing off the streets of the old Hudson River town. Due to the women’s nomadic lifestyles, which many people condemned, few in the town noticed they were gone besides their families and Lieutenant Bill Siegrist, who suspected that a serial killer was behind the disappearances. Local prostitutes described a strange man lurking around, leading Siegrist to Kendall Francois, an overweight, slovenly middle school hall monitor nicknamed Stinky. Police brought in Francois for a lie detector test, which he passed, and they were forced to release him. Area women continued to disappear. In a shocking twist of fate, Francois was finally arrested when a woman he had raped managed to escape from his house and ran into a roadblock set up by Siegrist. She led the police back to Francois’s home, and the hall monitor soon gave a full confession and cut a deal with the prosecution. By then, cops in Tyvek suits had already found eight bodies concealed in the attic and crawl space of Francois’s house of horrors. To this day, one victim is still missing. From the author of numerous true crime books, including Lobster Boy and Deacon of Death, this is the frightening story of a brutal murderer whose neighbors never suspected what was going on behind his front door.

Four bizarre true crime stories about serial killers, murder sprees, sideshows, and church pulpits in one sensational volume. These grisly true crime books by a former New York Times columnist chronicle four shocking and disturbing cases. Body Dump: Few people in Poughkeepsie, New York, paid mind when prostitutes started vanishing off the streets. Nor did anyone have hard evidence to link the disappearances to suspect Kendall Francois, a slovenly middle school hall monitor nicknamed Stinky. Then, one woman escaped his house of horrors and led authorities to the ghastly secrets hidden in Francois’s attic. Flesh Collectors: When social misfit Jeremiah Rodgers and racist devil-worshipper Jonathan Lawrence met in a Florida penal system mental hospital, they discovered a mutual lust for sadism. Then, they were released. What followed was a thrill-killing spree of murder, rape, and cannibalism—the makings of an “unforgettable . . . true crime classic” (Dan Zupansky, host of Blog Talk Radio’s True Murder). Lobster Boy: With his lobster-claw hands and stunted legs, Grady Stiles Jr. traveled the carnival circuit as Lobster Boy. He was also a violently dangerous husband and father who had been convicted once before of murder. After years of abuse, his wife—a sideshow wonder known as the Electrified Girl—fought back with a murder-for-hire. Deacon of Death: By day, Sam Smithers, deacon of the Baptist church in Plant City, Florida, was a family man beyond reproach. By night, he was a sex-addicted killer who trolled for prostitutes. When the decomposed bodies of two women were found off a rural road in Tampa, no one suspected the clergyman. Then one day, a local woman saw sweet Mr. Smithers cleaning his bloody axe.

'Naughty Needles' applies homespun crafting know-how, vintage flavour, and step-by-step instructions to modern bedroom culture. Each project features a full-page photograph, along with materials list, tools list, and helpful tips.