Non-Fiction Books

The Crafty Samoyed Knits was the first in a collection of breed specific knitting books, highlighting all those characteristics that make those dogs special. The collection of designs displays the many activities Samoyed dogs do and the looks and personality that endears them to their owners. This color updating of the book contains more than twenty five charted designs to be worked into the twenty five knitting projects including sweater and accessories. Designs range in size from infant up through men's 2x depending on the garment. The charts are in full color and are accompanied by a series of articles discussing the many activities in which the breed participates. Photos illustrate both these activities and the garments throughout. Author Peggy Gaffney has been showing and breeding her Samoyeds of Westernesse dogs since 1968 and has used those years of experience to inspire a collection of picture knit dog designs which now appear in her books and pattern collection. The Crafty Samoyed Knits was the first of the books in the Crafty Dog Knits collection which includes books for owners of Labs, Goldens, Newfoundlands, Bernese Mt Dogs, Poodles, and Welsh Corgis.

The Crafty Labrador Retriever - Knits, tells the story of the Lab's life through all the activities loved by the breed, from the show ring, to hunting, agility, obedience, dock diving and more. There is even a biography of Buzz, the top winning Labrador Retriever in the history of the breed. Peggy Gaffney then uses this inspiration to make charted knitting designs of all these activities . In order that these designs may be worked by the enthusiastic knitters, she has written directions for more than 20 sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, afghans and even Christmas stockings. Sweater patterns cover all age groups from infant to adult. For those who don't know how to knit, these charts can be worked onto readymade sweaters in duplicate stitch. This is a special book for knitters with a love for the Labrador Retriever.

Best selling novelist Debbie Macomber, a lifelong knitter, says "Peggy Gaffney has introduced a new idea into the knitting realm. Your're in for a real treat." Debbie Macomber, who often includes Goldens in her novels, is talking about the new idea of creating a whole book that deals with designing portraits in knitting of a single breed of dog. As she explains in her Forward to The Crafty Golden Retriever Knits, "Really, what could be better? Yarn, a pair of knitting needles, a good pattern, and a faithful companion by your side." The concept starts with stories. These stories about the Golden give the reader a broad understanding of all the activities the dogs enjoy. They are written by Peggy Gaffney with the help of those who know and care about the breed most. These stories in turn inspire portraits. These are portraits of Goldens hunting, doing agility, rescuing a child, diving from a dock, and performing a myriad of activities that make these dogs distinctive. Only these portraits are created using knitting stitches. The knitted portraits appear as more than 20 charted graphs that knitters may work into any of the 24 sweater and accessory patterns included. The Crafty Golden Retriever Knits is beautifully illustrated with over 75 photographs of Goldens involved in every possible activity as well as just being dogs. The photographers who illustrate the book are Betty Schmidt, who specializes in photos of dogs competing in field trials or hunting with their owners, and Mary and Joseph MacQueen, who photograph dogs from their own Nitro Golden kennel. Mary shares the experience of her work in search and rescue and drug detection in which she and her dog Ch. Robin are vitally active and the story is an inspiration. The Crafty Golden Retriever Knits is the third volume in the unique Crafty Dog Knits series from publisher Kanine Knits. The concept is to take a single breed of dog, tell about all the things they do that are distinctive to that specific breed, and then turn this information into designs. Author-Designer Peggy Gaffney, also a lifelong knitter has spent the last 40 years breeding and showing purbred Samoyeds. She has insight inot the world of purebred dogs and the passion and loyalty each owner feels for his specific breed. The two previous books in this series are The Crafty Samoyed Knits and The Crafty Labrador Retriever Knits.

ALONE AT LAST... ...OR NOT.Just married, Kate Killoy and Harry Foyle set out to begin their honeymoon at a vacation home they've purchased along the Millionaires Mile on Lake George in the Adirondacks. However, impediments to their wedded bliss crop up in the form of dead bodies in the basement, a missing treasure, and a house filling up with police, FBI, relatives, and killers. Christmas is right around the corner and this mess is ruining Kate's favorite holiday. So to preserve the spirit of the season, and enjoy a real honeymoon, they must find the answers, thwart the killers and solve the crimes. So Kate and Harry, with the help of Kate's Samoyed dogs Liam, Dillon, and Quinn, and a strong desire for a REAL honeymoon, set out to do just that.This is the fifth in the series of Kate Killoy Mysteries of suspense for the dog lovers.

Subtitled Knitting Projects for Dog Lovers , The Crafty Bernese Mt. Dog Knits is the fourth in author/designer Peggy Gaffney s Crafty Dog Knits series published by Kanine Knits . It tells about the Bernese Mountain Dogs and the activities they love. Peggy Gaffney then takes these activities and converts them into graphic charts that can be worked by knitters, cross-stitchers, beaders, or needlepointers. There are 25 charts within each book. Finally she has designed classic patterns for sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, afghans, etc. into which these designs can be knit. The designs include the Bernese Mountain Dog: Standing, Puppy in the Basket, Puppy Sitting, On the Mountain, Gaiting, Obedience, Sitting, Puppy in the Window, Agility, Carting, Head Studies, Jumping the Wall, Lying Down, On his couch, In a Christmas Wreath and more. When writing about the Bernese Mountain Dog, she covers many topics such as: History of the Bernese Mt. Dog, Farm Dog to Show Dog, The Berner as Family Dog, Berner as Herder, Berner Goes Carting, Obedience and the Bernese Mt. Dog, Agility and the Bernese Mt. Dog, Tracking with a Bernese Mt. Dog, As Service Dogs, and much more. With more than ten different styles of sweaters for adults in both men s and women s sizes from x-small to 2x, there is probably something that will appeal to you and there are five different styles of sweaters for children sized from infant up to children s size 12. All measurements are given in both inches and centimeters. Gaffney has taken yarn and painted beautiful portraits of the Bernese Mt. dog in action that will warm the hearts of Berner lovers. She also goes into ways in which the hair of these dogs may be incorporated into the designs. Author/Knitter Debbie Macomber says of these books, Peggy Gaffney has introduced a new idea into the knitting realm...you re in for a real treat.

Subtitled Knitting Projects for Dog Lovers, The Crafty Newfoundland Knits is the fifth in author/designer Peggy Gaffney s Crafty Dog Knits series published by Kanine Knits . It tells about the Newfoundland Dogs and the activities they love. Peggy Gaffney then takes these activities and converts them into graphic charts that can be worked by knitters, cross-stitchers, beaders, or needlepointers. There are 25 charts within each book. Finally she has designed classic patterns for sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, afghans, etc. into which these designs can be knit. The designs include the Newf pair standing, Out for a Sail, Obedience, Newfoundland Medallion, Ready to Go, Lighthouse, On the dog, Large head profile, Puppy in the Window, Sitting, Puppy, Standing Large motif, Trotting, On his couch, To the rescue, Come home, Pulls a cart, Off the dock, and many more. When writing about the Newfoundland, she covers: History of the Newfoundland, As a show dog, As a family dog, Doing water work, Doing search and rescue, Learning to dance, Carting, Obedience, Tracking, As service dogs, and more. With more than ten different styles of sweaters for adults in both men s and women s sizes from x-small to 2x, there is probably something that will appeal to you and there are five different styles of sweaters for children sized from infant up to children s size 12. All measurements are given in both inches and centimeters. Gaffney has taken yarn and painted beautiful portraits of the Newfoundland dog in action that will warm the hearts of Newf lovers. She also goes into ways in which the hair of these dogs may be incorporated into the designs. Author/Knitter Debbie Macomber says of these books, Peggy Gaffney has introduced a new idea into the knitting realm...you re in for a real treat.

The Crafty Welsh Corgi Knits is the sixth book in The Crafty Dog series from Kanine Knits. Author-Designer Peggy Gaffney captures both the Pembroke and Cardigan Welsh Corgis in action illustrating all of the activities that are unique to the breed and illustrates them as intarsia knitting designs. There are 25 intarsia patterns in the book. They can be knit into 25 different knitting projects, from sweaters, hats and scarves to afghans, a pillow and even a Christmas stocking. The book also has the story of these breeds, including their history, all the ways they have worked down through the years and what activities they take part in now. The book is illustrated with more than 70 photographs. Debbie Macomber, best selling author and knitter, has said that Peggy Gaffney has introduced a new idea into the knitting realm...you're in for a real treat.

The Crafty Poodle Knits came out in print in 2009 but is now available here in digital form for your tablet. The book not only contains twenty-five graphic charts of picture knit patterns showing Poodles in action but also has twenty-five different items you can knit. The designs are interchangeable. The clothing patterns range in size from infant up through men's 2x. Author/Designer Peggy Gaffney has been active in the world of show dogs for more than fifty years and has a knack for creating picture knits that accurately represent the dogs. Also included in the book are articles covering every aspect of the Poodle world and what these dogs enjoy doing.

The Crafty Llama and Alpaca Knits by Peggy Gaffney is the ninth book in The Crafty Knits book series published by Kanine Knits. In this case, author/designer Peggy Gaffney moves away from the household pets of dogs and cats to take on the world of camelids, llamas and alpacas. The reason for this diversion from her usual subject is the growing market of natural yarn from these animals that is now available from North American animals. Thousands of farms across America are raising these camelids in wonderful conditions and with the best of care. That means that annually, when they must shear them in order for the animals to deal with the heat of summer, that the fleece which is incredibly soft can be spun into yarn and knit into any of the 25 designs available in this book. Since alpaca and llama come in more than 20 different natural colors, the yarn doesn't require dying and therefore is a truly green product. As with the other books in the Crafty Knits series from Kanine Knits, part of the book deals with the animals, their history and everything about their lifestyle. Many aspects of this lifestyle provide the inspiration for the 25 charted intarsia picture designs which can be knit into patterns for 25 patterns for sweaters, hats, mittens, scarves, afghans, pillows, and even a Christmas stocking. The patterns come in all sizes from infant all the way up to men's 2x. This means that you can create beautiful sweaters for the entire family picturing these animals. Designs are charted so that even relatively novice knitters who know only the knit stitch and the purl stitch will be able to complete the pattern. The joy of working on picture knits is that the beauty of the design grows more visible as each row of the sweater pattern is completed. When you have completed the design, the beauty of the picture, which you have painted with yarn as part of the sweater, will astound you.

Enjoy a pattern collection of sweaters and accessories for the family featuring more than twenty life-like portraits of kittens and puppies. Something for everyone from baby to adult. Intarsia picture knitting makes this book special.