Used by everyone from the Druids of early England to the Dwarves of Middle Earth, runes breathe magic that you can enjoy. Consulting the rune stones is like reading tarot cards. Several traditional systems advise you how to reach in, how to cast the stone or stones, and how to interpret them. To inspire letter artists, Margaret Shepherd created the set of rune stones shown in Learn World Calligraphy. The steps given here show how to make your own stones.

Style is a luxury, and luxury is simply what makes you happy. Over the years, founding editor in chief of domino magazine Deborah Needleman has seen all kinds of rooms, with all kinds of furnishings. Her conclusion: It’s not hard to create a relaxed, stylish, and comfortable home. Just a few well-considered items can completely change the feel of your space.

Here at CrafterNews, we’re looking forward to a season packed with crafty events that are sure to beat the winter blues, including fabulous fiber festivals, yarn markets, knitters’ retreats, and much more. Take a look at our winter crafts calendar to see what’s happening in your local area.

Vogue Knitting Live took place in New York City on January 14-16, and yarn lovers of all stripes took over the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Knitters and crocheters from up and down the Eastern seaboard came to attend the gala dinner, attend classes and workshops, sample new yarns at the yarn tasting bar, and learn new skills at the beginner’s bar.

Last week, we shared the exciting announcement that individual knitting and crocheting ePatterns will now be available from Potter Craft. During the coming weeks, we will spotlight a few of our favorite projects.

December is the most popular time of year for engagements, according to Brides magazine. If you were one of the 18 percent of couples who were engaged this holiday season (or know a recently engaged couple), we have a treat for you!

It seems as though Melissa Leapman never puts her knitting needles down for a moment. As soon as she’s done writing one book, she’s off teaching, designing, and dreaming up her next big project. Recently, she took a moment to chat with us about her new book, her love of classical music, and the dangers of living with yarn.

The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to break out of your comfort zone and try a new craft. We’ve shared some of our authors’ resolutions for 2012. Now CrafterNews wants to know what’s on your list. Since we all know how hard it is to stick to a resolution, we’re giving away five beginner-friendly books to help you on your crafting adventure!

Welcome to 2012! We’ve clinked champagne glasses, sung “Auld Lang Syne,” and toasted the end of another year of fabulous crafts, books, and of course the talented designers who write them. But we can’t forget about another tradition: making New Year’s resolutions! We wondered what our crafty experts had on their agendas for 2012, and these five authors gave us a sneak peek into their plans, hopes, and dreams for the coming year.

Did you receive an iPhone this holiday season? If so, we’ve got just the craft for you–knitted iPhone socks! Upon upgrading to the iPhone, CrafterNewser Seth Morris asked his knitting-savvy mother-in-law to knit him and his wife felted iPhone cases. Read on for a description of the iPhone socks and a series of photos.