Ravelry Knitters discussion

Well the votes are in - and we must have reached that part of the year where we want to read about knitting again. I find late spring to be the beginning of the knitting slump - not that I don't want to knit, but I'm a bit less frantic to do so, and with all the spring events, birthdays, graduations, work picnics, and end of school concerts on my calendar, I haven't gotten much of a chance to do so. I'm hoping June (and this book) brings some inspiration!

I just bought this book. I'm going to blame this group when my husband asks, "Not another book?" ;-) t be truthful, I have been looking forward to reading it since I saw it was to be published.

I just got my copy from the library. Yay! Finally I can read a book with the group! (My copy of Major Pettigrew finally arrived as well...)

well it looks like my library has this one too. I've missed the past couple months and will be glad to be participating again.

So far this month's book has me thinking in all different directions about knitting. I'm surprised but why should I be? All of the writers are excellent and none are wallowing in trivialities or cliches like so many knitting novels do. I may not agree with all of them but they are stretching my mind!

I've given this book one sitting and just did NOT connect with it at all. Not sure if I'll give it a second chance or not.......

I am sticking with this because the writing is well done, but so far, all the essays are about learning to knit, but not being a real knitter (I have yet to read one from someone that I felt really, truly, loved knitting - and still does it). We'll see if Sue Grafton changes my mind, but I definitely think these writers are writers first (and some of them just wanted to write about something, and aren't passionate knitters). That said, I'm so curious about Andre Dubus's story that I'm off to see what else he writes....

I ejoyed many of the essays dealing with all the diffrent directions and impact knitting played in peoples lives. The knitting itself is a passion but where or whom it takes you to is a bonus

If I have to be honest (and let's just say I do), I barely read it. And most likely won't. I got the gist of what it was about from my mom reading it, and I have so many ARCs to read, that between them and my knitting, my head can barely remember what I am doing and my hands knit even without anything held in them (I was laying down while my shoulders were getting iced in phys. therapy, and someone noticed that my hands were making the motions even though there was nothing in them). That being said, Mom's favorite story was from one author (whose name she cannot remember) who knit just for the love of knitting. Was she serious about it? Perhaps not. But she knit scarves just for the simple joy and relaxation of knitting a scarf. This author taught another person to knit (daughter, friend, I-don't-know), and that person did so much better work than she did that she felt bad at first. After a while, she just decided that each person has a degree of aptitude, and she couldn't let that take away from her enjoyment. So, mom (who is a crocheter) decided to start knitting again- even if it is just scarves and hats, because it relaxers her and she likes it. She had one of those "moments" and for that, I think reading the book was worth it for her.

I have to agree with Zoe that I'm waiting anxiously for a story by someone who is passionate about knitting. However, if I read each story honestly and with an open heart and mind, I can find myself in most of them.

There are times when I'm out of sync and nothing I knit goes right. There are times when all I can do is knit, either from immersion in the project itself or because it soothes my agitated soul. Knitting can be a self-imposed chore (as in right before Christmas), a balm, an escape from a dysfunctional life, and/or a bridge to get me over the waters of an uncomfortable social situation.

I rebelled against my mother teaching me to knit for years and finally succumbed. Am I ever glad I did. I just acted out my rebellion in other ways...

I love how the essays range from telling one particular story to covering almost everything about knitting. Barbara Kingsolver's essay is lovely, bringing knitting full circle, and Elinor Lipman's "I bought this pattern book last spring" made me laugh, so much of it is true in my experience.

And don't forget the patterns in the book; looking up Helen Bingham's on her website gives you pictures. I'm definitely interested in a few of them.

I found myself a little disappointed with this book. There was too much similarity amongst many of the essays. "I took up knitting when life was tough to help me get through it" was a repeated theme. This is of course a common reason to take up (or rediscover) knitting but I found that by about half way through I was starting to get a bit bored. I think I would have enjoyed it more if there had been a greater variety of themes.

I've never liked reading a book of essays or short stories very much. I have a tendency to get bored also and skim. It is easier for me to "get into" a book if the chapters are all tied together with a plot, characters, and story line.

What this book demanded of me was that I slow down. Read one chapter, then put the book down and think about what I had just read. Go back and reread it, in whole or in part. It takes a special kind of writer to get you into his or her head with so few words, and you don't do them justice if you cruise on through to the next story, and then the next. Guilty as charged, I am!

The variety is there but it is sometimes subtle. I loved realizing that two essays were two sides of the same story -- one the woman who found calm sitting next to her knitting friend, and the other who was that friend.

Learning that Barbara Kingsolver owns sheep came as no surprise. Her essay that starts "it all begins with the weather" and leaving you with images of the herd spinning grass into wool was my favorite piece. There are certain yarns that I have knitted up that have transported me to that place from which she spoke. I love my wool/mohair and wool/alpaca blends, there are skeins of mohair/polyanide/dralon waiting to be knit with a thin strand of metallic polyester into a scarf to be worn on a magical wintery night...but it took picking up a ball of pure Shetland wool to transport me to a sunny meadow with wooly sheep placidly grazing...and the essence of wool fiber. Shetland wool is so honest and real...

So yarn can come from many places but Kingsolver's gentle reminder that strands of wool spun and twisted together are so similar to our own double helices of DNA made me think: is that why we are compelled to knit? Sensing that commonality?

I think this book balances out all the others written by successful professional knitters, the Stephanie Pearl McPhees of the world that I still have a hard time identifying with -- a successful mother, writer and the creator of pretty cool knitting patterns. I can more easily relate to the struggles, small successes, and even the failures of some of these writers to whom knitting is more often a secondary interest.

Knitting is not my life. I go through periods of knitting more, or less -- and very often it is the difficult times that bring me back. I question myself -- I'm not so good at this, why do I continue? Am I that much worse at everything else I do/try?

No, it's because everything about it just feels right, to me, and for sure the finished objects are wonderful but it's the excitement of embarking on the next, the keeping idle hands busy, the feel of the fiber, the rhythm, the act of creation, my mother's knitting, newborn lambs...and so much more...

We each have a story, subtly or not so subtly different from the next. The guy knitting clothes for his chihuahua...*rolls eyes*...but I get it. :)

Kathryn wrote: "I've never liked reading a book of essays or short stories very much. I have a tendency to get bored also and skim. It is easier for me to "get into" a book if the chapters are all tied together wi..."

Kathryn -- This was a very thoughtful and personal sharing. Thank you for that. It is the best of what book clubs could be. Your comment about this book requiring you to slow down resonated with me. I definitely was reading it in a space where I couldn't give that much of myself to this book. Perhaps I will tackle it again when I can.

Kathryn, You are right about slowing down and allowing yourself to be in each story. I have tried that and it's helped me get past the point that Rachel pointed out - that a lot of these are about tough times (so much so that it can seem very repetitive and even whinny). I did feel a lack of love for knitting in most of these - some of them could even have been subtitled 'or why I don't knit'.
I haven't gotten to the one with the Chihuahua yet, but the eye rolls for me were Kingsolver's (For the love of God, woman, I know you write literary fiction, but just make a paragraph, for heaven's sake) and the one who married her doctor who did her regression therapy. (We all make mistakes, but Wow, I think that one took the cake. You reap what you sow. Hope he's no longer allowed to practice.....)

I actually think the one I liked the most wasn't the poem (which I loved) or Sue Grafton's essay about teaching kids to knit (ditto - felt full of benevolence and love) but the one about the lesbian hiking in Tibet, or wherever, and having an affair with a guy who knit. I loved the writing, her self-examination, which I felt was honest. And believe me, going into that essay I had a bit of an eye roll when I saw the summary. But I found it captivating, and that was what I wanted from this book - the unexpected.

Ha ha - I'd forgotten the one about the lesbian in Tibet -- how could I?! And married her doctor - I think my palm is still stuck to my face.

I love how different we all are - rock on, ladies!

As soon as I typed that -- are we all ladies? I seem to remember a gent comment or two somewhere...wish they'd speak up more if there are!

Zoe wrote: "Kathryn, You are right about slowing down and allowing yourself to be in each story. I have tried that and it's helped me get past the point that Rachel pointed out - that a lot of these are about ..."

Yes, for balance, I think these essays could have included a few more from those who love knitting. I think Ann's work as editor could have been a bit more polished...the introductory sentences to each essay simply restated the obvious, for the most part. I'd like to have seen more along the line of why she chose each to be included. That might have helped our acceptance of them all.

Ah ha!! I think maybe that was what I was missing in the book---why did she choose these particular people? I did enjoy the stories but kept feeling that something wasn't quite complete. Good thought!