In 2006, filmmaker, author, independent curator and all-round creative person Faythe Levine travelled 19,000 miles across North America to document the burgeoning contemporary craft movement.

Embracing emerging artists, crafters, and designers working in traditional and nontraditional media, contemporary craft mashes up historical technique, punk culture, and the D.I.Y. attitude. The participants share ideas and support each other through websites, blogs, boutiques, galleries, and craft fairs. Together they have forged a new economy and lifestyle based on creativity, determination, and networking. 

For HANDMADE NATION Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl have selected 24 makers and 5 essayists who work within different media and have different methodologies to provide a microcosm of the crafting community. The book features photographs of the makers and their work, as well as discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them.

A documentary film directed by Levine about contemporary craft (also called HANDMADE NATION) is currently in pre-production and will be released in 2009. Here’s a sneak peak:

You can also read Faythe Levine’s blog about the movie here!

Crafty? Creative? Curious? Here are some books that will delight anyone with a passion for crochet, knitting, sewing, or anything hands-on.

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KYUUTO! JAPANESE CRAFTS! AMIGURUMI! (Chronicle Books).

Kyuuto! = Cute! Japan crafters know their stuff, especially when it comes to cute crafts like amigurumi (small crocheted creatures so cute you could cry). Chronicle’s Kyuuto books are translations of Japanese craft books, so you won’t have to order the books from overseas—and then try to figure out the patterns based on pictures alone!

Also check out KYUUTO! JAPANESE CRAFTS! LACY CROCHET!

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SOFTIES: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals by Therese Laskey, foreword by Leah Kramer (Chronicle Books).

Softies, plush, stuffed animals… whatever you call them, SOFTIES is an adorable collection of sewn creations from acclaimed artists from around the world—plus instructions and patterns to make your own! SOFTIES was compiled by Therese Laskey, the creator of the blog Softies Central, with a foreword from Leah Kramer, founder of Craftster.org.

* See some photos from the book on Not Martha.

*Download a pattern for one of the softies from Craft magazine’s blog.

* Meet some of the colourful characters in the book in this SOFTIES video! Ha!

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FIELD GUIDE TO KNITTING: How to Identify, Select, and Create Virtually Every Stitch by Jackie Pawlowski (Quirk Books).

FIELD GUIDE TO KNITTING is a great little stocking stuffer ... that will also teach you how to darn those stockings! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) This is a great little comprehensive guide full of tons of stitch patterns plus other essential knitting advice.

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CRAFT INC.:  Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco (Chronicle Books).

If you’re thinking of turning your craft from a hobby into a business, CRAFT INC. will be your guide. It’s full of information on business basics like setting prices, plus inspiring interviews with craft superstars such as Lotta Jansdotter and Jill Bliss, who offer real-world advice.

* Read Print & Pattern‘s review of the book (with some great photos of the lovely interiors).

* Read an interview with the author, Meg Mateo Ilasco, on WhipUp.

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THE GUERILLA ART KIT: Everything You Need to Put Your Message out into the World by Keri Smith (Princeton Architectural Press).

For a good dose of inspiration, check out THE GUERILLA ART KIT. Created by artist Keri Smith, THE GUERILLA ART KIT is full of fun ways to make your mark on the world, though always in a non-harmful and non-intrusive way. Rather than grafitti, Keri Smith’s ideas of guerilla art are things like throwing seed bombs to plant random gardens in the city, or creating fortune-cookie-style fortunes for other people to find. Just the kind of things that brighten up someone’s day.

* You can see a sneak peak inside the book on Book By It’s Cover.

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Still crafting the perfect present? Perhaps our other Gift Guides will help.