'The Close Knit Gang' is an exclusive collection of baby and children's knitting patterns shaped by a timeless, elegant, vintage style. The patterns in this book cater for all levels of knitters from the absolute beginner to the more experienced looking for a challeng.

Knitting has recently exploded in popularity. Professionals, punks, and feminists are embracing this ancient craft, an activity that was previously relegated to the realm of the traditional woman, the mother and homemaker. While knitting books featuring such hip projects as iPod cozies and yoga mat bags abound, few explore the subculture of knitting in any depth. Who are these people? Why knitting, why now? Wills takes the reader on a fascinating tour of this subculture, complete with lively anecdotes and revealing interviews. Those who are new to the craft will enjoy a fascinating introduction to the knitting community, while those who have been unable to put down their needles since knitting that first scarf will glean new ideas for their next blog session, online shopping spree, or knitting group get-together. Knitting has recently exploded in popularity. Professionals, punks, and feminists are embracing this ancient craft, an activity that was previously relegated to the realm of the traditional woman, the mother and homemaker. Books that cater to this new generation of knitters are flooding the market with patterns for such contemporary projects as iPod cozies, yoga mat bags, and laptop covers. The attitude of these publications is decidedly hip, featuring models sporting tattoos or piercings. Missing from the avalanche of knitting books, until now, is one that fully explores the subculture of knitting. Who are these people? Why knitting, why now? Intrepid journalist and avid knitter Kerry Wills set out to find out. She takes us on a fascinating tour through the history of knitting, exploring the lives of such women as the revolutionary Elizabeth Zimmermann, whose strong opinions and classic book, Knitting without Tears, popularized knitting in the 1970s, anticipating current trends. Wills visits knitting groups that meet at such places as a feminist vegetarian restaurant, churches, pubs, and senior centers. She describes political activists who knit tree cozies to protect the trees against developers, groups that knit afghans for Afghans, and knitters who make shawls for people with cancer. She also explores online knitting communities. Those who are new to the craft will come away feeling more connected to the history of knitting as well as to their place in today's universe of knitters, while those who have been unable to put down their needles since stitching that first scarf will glean new ideas for their next blog session, online shopping spree, or knitting group get-together.

"If you're looking for an easy charmer, this is the novel for you."—Shondaland When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop. Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans for what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop.... Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secret. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brothers to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the “knitty-gritty” of the business, and together they make plans to reinvent Strong Knits for a new generation. But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe their relationship can last longer than she can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always. After all, real men knit.

When an acquaintance turns up murdered outside the intended classroom space for her yarn shop, Kelly Flynn unravels a long list of suspects.

The DIY fashion brand presents ten fun and easy crochet projects featuring Ra-Ra Raffia—the endlessly versatile plant-based yarn. Raffia yarn is made of one-hundred percent long wood fiber, making it not only vegan and biodegradable, but also water-repellent and quick-drying. This light and eco-friendly yarn adds structure to your projects, making it perfect for crocheting hats, bags and other accessories. Here you’ll find ten crochet projects that show off the ease, versatility and style of Wool and the Gang's line of Ra-Ra Raffia yarns. Ranging from beginner to intermediate skill levels, the projects include bags, hats and baskets, which are then further embellished with raffia yarn embroidery. General techniques are covered at the end of the book, with step-by-step instructions accompanied by clear illustrations.

This is the first comprehensive collection of original research reports on the status of street gangs and problematic youth groups in Europe, as well as a set of special, state-of-the-art reports on the current status of American street gang research and its implications for the European gang situation. Professionals and students will find these papers easy to comprehend yet fully informative on comparative street gang studies.

In contrast to the pattern of long-standing occidental street gangs modelled in the North American paradigm, new-age gangs have appeared as loosely organized, with a high degree of interchangeability of their membership. Associated with this structural fluidity is an equally significant geographic mobility, which paradoxically does not appear to diminish the intensity of personal bonds formed within and between ‘new-age’ gangs. The dimensions of fluidity of gang membership and geographic mobility across police jurisdictions is increasingly seen as the organizational pattern of emerging gangs, in large part shaped by worldwide patterns of human migration and globalization. While the structure of new-age gangs appears as loose-knit, what must be emphasized is that this characteristic is reflective of a criminal network of economic commodity-based ‘turf’ as opposed to a close-knit geographically anchored ‘turf’ that has characterized the prevailing North American (occidental) gang model. This volume illuminates the structure and organization of increasingly emergent, fluid and mobile, new-age gangs within the context of transnational networks. The implications for law enforcement agencies is two-fold: i) the fluidity of new-age gang players challenges investigative techniques that remain predicated on suspect recognition through modus operandi repetition by those involved, and; ii) the movement of new-age gang players across police jurisdictions challenges the sharing of police information. This innovative work will be of interest to researchers in Criminology and Criminal Justice, as well as related disciplines including Sociology and Anthropology studying gangs and group-organization. It has strong implications for practitioners and professionals working in law enforcement, public policy, or with at-risk youth/young adults.

Drawing on extensive interviews with gang members, this book provides a vivid portrayal of gang life. Topics include the profiles and motivations of gang members; the processes of gang evolution, organization, and recruitment; gang members' uses of violence, media, and technology and the role of gangs in the drugs trade and organized crime

The Prison Path: School Practices that Hurt Our Youth takes a unique and unapologetic look into the practices, social norms, construction, and policies within our schools that mirror prisons. From the physical building to the labeling and placement of special education students, schools are reflecting correctional institutions. Beyond the mundane and into the world of social cliques, discipline policies, uniforms, and ethics, this book highlights how similarities between schools and prisons create a hidden and dangerous environment for at-risk students. While many schools and teachers are doing the best they can while facing budget shortfalls, it is the inherent policies, procedures, and normalities that are thought of as being part of the school experience, that may be the most hazardous for at-risk students. Therefore, this book highlights these occurrences and juxtaposes them with similar situations within prisons, providing an eye-opening and daunting look at prisons and schools. This book will cause teachers and those within education to question the practices, policies, and norms that we consider part of the typical school experience. Some additional key features of this book include: Chapter by chapter examination of the similarities in prisons and school Detailed look at the process of special education labeling and its detrimental impact on students Examination of the role of social cliques and gangs in institutions A unique look at the school-to-prison pipeline In-depth questions to ask oneself about to improve schools Dangers of inviting school resources officers into schools and cutting guidance services Real-life scenarios