Look no further than the book Punch Needle
Published by Hardie Grant £14.99
Photographs by Catherine Frawley
Punch needle is the very modern take on rag rugging, it uses a tool to punch yarn or strips of fabric into a stretched base fabric to create a series of stitches. In the same way that you embroider or cross stitch over a printed or drawn design, so you can create your own needle punched pieces of work.
Having just been to the Autumn Winter 2019 home ware collections, this craft is so on trend and this book will enable you to make some of those fabulous textural, soft products yourself.
The author, Arounna Khounnoraj is a great pair of hands to help us master the art of needle punching. She has a masters degree in fine art and in 2002 set up, with her husband John Booth, her multi-disciplinary studio Bookhou in Toronto.
Together they explore a variety of printing and embroidery techniques through making utilitarian objects such as bags, home goods and textiles.
Inspired by the seemingly never-ending ways you can combine different stitches to create contemporary homeware, Arounna has been instrumental in the current modern punch needle renaissance.
The book opens with an overview of the fundamentals as Arounna teaches in her studio workshops. As a result the ‘how to’ sections are as simple and clear as possible. Most projects only have two components – the punching and the making. Each project has a design drawing, and step by step instructions, for both the punching or hooking element of the work, as well as the means to turn the punched pieces into a wide variety of different items. There are charts featured throughout to help recreate the designs given in the book.
There is also a web site at bookhou.com/pages/patterns so that you can download patterns if you are nervous about drawing them freehand. The tools and materials sections are small, as so little is required of this craft. You are shown how to stretch a frame and how to transfer and image. You are guided on how to create the stitches and how to fid inspiration and design your own patterns. The finished projects are lovely and once you pick up this book, you will want to be making.
creativecolour.org 
Hi! I just received your book in the mail. I am very excited to start creating again. I am looking forward to the blanket/ throw project. Just need to source a good blanket.
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