"The book is too gorgeous for words. Even if it were a blank book, it would be too gorgeous for words. And the deck! It's just plain fabulous. I love the size and feel of the cards, especially the weight. They're substantial, and they carry a soothing calm about them. I think what I'm trying to say is they're real, not just in the physical sense because that's obviously true, but in the emotional sense. They're not a toy, they're a tool, and yet they're very approachable. Thank you.

Congratulations, everyone. You've created a most beautiful and most functional piece of art (my favorite kind)."

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WONDERFUL RESPONSES TO THIS PROJECT! We have received nothing but accolades from everyone who has purchased a set and we are thrilled to see that everything about our endeavor is being appreciated -- the text of the book, the simple, yet emotive illustrations, the tactile feel of the cards. Sets are still available, but we feel we are officially in the "champagne-zone" with this four-year journey and your kind words have very much been the bubbles in that champagne. THANK YOU ALL.

is, quite simply, a Tarot deck with original art, and accompanying book with original card texts, for knitters. Every deck and book has been printed, by hand, on an iron hand-printing press.

The cards in the deck -- a standard, 78-card Tarot deck with many traditional corrollaries -- are printed on Magnani Pescia, a 300 GSM cotton stock in a pearl-grey color. They are 3.5" X 5.75 " in size. (The deck stands about 1.75" high when stacked.) The cards are printed with images and corresponding titles on one side, and with a traditional card "back" design on the opposite side. These cards are NOT coated or laminated. Use them with respect, as you would want someone to respect a piece of your own knitting, and you will be able to use them for a long time. (I have been using my own KNITTING TAROT deck regularly for over a year before the books and decks went on sale, and have no dings, or creases whatsoever. If you were looking for Tarot cards that you could stick in your bike spokes, look elsewhere.)

Two "extra" cards come with the deck, which can be removed for use in doing readings. These cards simply offer information about the printing of the deck and provide a place to number the decks in the edition. The decks come wrapped in Japanese kyoseishi paper -- literally translated as "strengthened paper", this fine paper with its clothlike finish will provide some protection for your deck, although it's likely that many KNITTING TAROT users will want to knit a bag for their decks (use the dimensions above for guidelines).

The KNITTING TAROT book was hand-printed on Mohawk Superfine Text, in the typeface Garamond Old Style and Garamond Bold. The book measures 7" X 9.5", is 169 pages, and includes five ruled pages in the back of the book, for recording special readings. The books were Smythe-sewn by the Hoster Bindery in Ivyland, PA. Smythe-sewn bindings are of extremely high quality. The pages of the book will lie nice and flat when the book is open, but since they are all sewn in, in signatures, the pages will never tear out the way a glue-bound book will. The KNITTING TAROT books have cloth ("hardcover") cases with an embossed image under the dust-jacket. The dust jackets were printed digitally by Piccarri Press (our handpress did not accommodate the size of paper necessary for the jackets).

The KNITTING TAROT was begun in 2003, and was written by Amber Dorko Stopper and illustrated by Megan Leigh Dorko. (A short pictorial history of the progress of the printed book and deck is available for perusal.) Both the book and deck were printed using a Pratt-Albion handprinting press (a very similar press, the Albion Foolscap Iron Handpress, can be seen). Every title of every card, every letter of every word, was handset and hand-spaced in lead type and printed, four cards at a time, two pages at a time.

THE KNITTING TAROT book-and-deck set is available in an edition of 170. NO REPRINTS, FACSIMILIES, OR FURTHER EDITIONS WILL EVER BE MADE AVAILABLE. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY LIMITED EDITION ITEM. Although we are indeed grateful for and honored by the requests from knitting shops and galleries who have asked to carry THE KNITTING TAROT, it will be sold only through this site.

THE KNITTING TAROT book-and-deck set costs $95, plus shipping and handling. Shipping and handling is $25 for domestic orders (U.S.), and $40 for international orders. All sets ship Priority mail (or International Priority), with tracking, signature confirmation and insurance. They will be available as long as we have them to sell, and then they will be gone. LIMIT ONE SET PER CUSTOMER.

For purposes of shipping, the books and decks will come safely packaged, but the decks will not come with a permanent carrying case. We believe that anyone purchasing a KNITTING TAROT deck will want to knit a bag for their deck. (We hope to see lots of pictures, too.)

Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.

For those who order by December 31, 2007, your book will also be signed by both the author and illustrator, and, while supplies last, you will receive a magnesium cut (drawing) of our choosing, used in the printing of THE KNITTING TAROT to keep. (They ain't gorgeous, people. They've been used and used well. But they're the real thing!) Sorry, all the cuts have been spoken for!

THE KNITTING TAROT is an endeavor of PAYSANS SANS PEUR PRESS, a private press located in Philadelphia.

For a press to be private a double qualification seems necessary: the books it prints must not be obtainable by any chance purchaser who offers a price for them and the owner must print for his own pleasure and not work for hire for other people. -- Alfred W. Pollard.