First off, I do not speak Japanese. However, that has not prevented me from acquiring a growing Japanese craft book collection. To keep this addiction in check I try to limit myself to two trips a year to Kinokuniya a Japanese book store on 6th Avenue and 40th Street. Descend into their basement level and you will find an extensive collection of craft books for all kinds of disciplines. Interested in sewing a smart little chapeau? There's a book for that. Want to needle felt a zoo of critters? There's a book for that, as well as shelves of sewing, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, jewelry and paper craft books. These are some of my recent finds:

I had to get this embroidery book because of a serious fascination with the creepy crawly.

ISBN 978-4-86191-352-5

And how can you resist all these pretty flowers?

ISBN 978-4-391-13164-2

So far, I've found that most books have very detailed diagrams making it possible to figure out how to make something without having to read the instructions. In addition, there are several resources to help you along.

Finding the Books

Craftlog has a detailed list of online sources for Japanese books and a list of books by ISBN number. Sweet Sassafras also provided a post on how to buy books. Especially helpful is her link to the Inspiring Images From Craft Books Flickr Pool allowing you to virtually browse the books and identify them by ISBN number.

Language

Sometimes a picture is not worth a thousand words. For those instances when you really need a translation, Felt Cafe Japan has assembled a glossary of Japanese sewing, knitting, crocheting, and beading terms.

Now that I've shared my craft book affliction, what kind of craft books do you like and where do you find them?

Simone
groundsel.etsy.com