First, the facts:

Title: Knit It Together: Patterns and Inspiration for Knitting Circles

Author: Suzyn Jackson, Editor

Published by: Voyageur Press, 2009

Pages: 144

Type: Essays and patterns

Chapters:

1. Beginnings
2. Connections Forged
3. Needles, Yarn, and Politics
4. Knit Your Heart Out
5. Around the Corner, Around the World
6. Wrapping Up

Pattern Size Range: N/A

The In-Depth Look:

There are two main purposes to this book, so far as I can tell.

One is to highlight and celebrate all the reasons knitters get together and knit.

The other is to provide patterns for those groups to knit.

So far as the first purpose, this book is a winner. I can’t really think of a reason to knit with friends that’s not covered. Socializing, charity, politics, art … they’re all there, and they’re all interesting.

The book is filled with stories and articles about specific knitters’ experiences with knitting groups. Groups to provide succor for people (or pets) in need. Groups to raise awareness of political issues. Groups that banded together just for fun, or to help. The stories are warm and touching, and help underscore exactly why knitting in groups has been so popular for, well, centuries, going back to the renaissance guilds, and gathering through wars to make socks and hats for cold soldiers. We knitters have long since made this solitary activity a social and active endeavor. (And, how can you help but be impressed by a knitted Ferrari?)

The second purpose, though, the patterns? To be honest, I didn’t think much of the patterns. I loved the idea of some of them. Like the sweater made out of individual stripes, so that a circle of friends could make a single garment for a sick or needy member is a charming idea, but I don’t find it an overly attractive garment. The “New Skills Blanket” is a great sampler for trying out new techniques, but I can’t imagine giving it to someone to use as a blanket. (It’s the kind of thing I’d keep for myself as a learning aid, but not something I’d show in public.)

I didn’t dislike all the patterns, mind you. The baby layette at the end is adorable and practical (and made up of enough different pieces to give a knitter or the new mom plenty of options). You can’t really dislike the little catnip pillows, either, or the Tic Tac Tote bag, or the soft baby blocks. I mean, I didn’t say that the patterns were terrible … but, frankly, I thought that the stories that tied the patterns together were much better than the patterns themselves.

And that’s okay. If the point of the book is to talk about all the reasons we gather together to knit, it’s the stories that matter the most. It’s not what’s on the needles that’s important so much as the act of knitting in the first place.

Like the author says,

“Welcome to my knitting circle: a collection of writers and designers who have thought deeply about how a community of knitters with a shared passion for yarn and needles can bridge divides, spread goodwill, and strengthen us all.”

Amen to that!

This book is available from Amazon.com for $16.48.

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This review copy was kindly donated by Voyageur Press. Thank you!

First, the facts:

Title: For the Love of Knitting: A Celebration of the Knitters’ Art

Author: Kari Cornell, Editor

Published by: Voyageur Press, 2009

Pages: 159

Type: Essays, Stories, Pictures

Chapters:

1. Knitting the First Stitch

• Learning to Knit by Elizabeth Zimmerman,
• Her Hands by Betty Christiansen,
• Learning to Knit: A Romantic Tragedy in Four Acts by Michael Dregni,
• Tales of a Knitting Neophyte by Kari Cornell,
• Knit-Surfing the Subway by Suzyn Jackson

2. The Yarn Shop and Beyond

• So Begins a Fetish by Lela Nargi,
• The Accidental Spinner, or Husband Discovers a Wheel by Naomi Dagen Bloom,
• Knitting by Jamaica Kincaid,
• A Bunch of Little Old Ladies by Kay Dorn

3. Handknit with Love

• Two Sweaters for my Father by Perri Klass,
• Knitter’s Jitters: How I Stitched my Way to Wedding Day Bliss by Margret Aldrich,
• Amelia by Melanie Falick,
• The Afghan by Amy Votava

4. The Art of Knitting

• Knit Gallery: The Search for a Proper Place among the Arts by Teva Durham,
• An Ode to the Knit Stitch by Pam Allen,
• Dreaming of Dragons by Susan Gordon Lydon,
• Knitting Socks for the Revolution by Sigrid Arnott

5. Our Knitting Heritage

• When Knitting Was a Manly Art by Clinton W Trowbridge,
• A Lifetime of Knitting by Denyse Specktor,
• Knitting Camp by Meg Swansen,
• Elizabeth Zimmermann, a Tribute

Pattern Size Range: N/A

The In-Depth Look:

This book is described as “a scrapbook of stories, essays and memories that celebrates knitting and knitting heritage,” and it does a fine job of it.

The book is mostly made up of essays about knitting–how one writer got sucked into the craft, how another fought against the “granny” stereotype. One knitter conquered wedding jitters by making gifts for her bridesmaids. One struggles to plant Knitting’s flag in the world of art. You get the idea. There are a few short stories, too. And, the tribute to Elizabeth Zimmermann at the back? Some of the knitting world’s biggest stars paying their tribute to one of our most remarkable foremothers.

All this written matter is surrounded by images. Old vintage posters and advertisements with rosy-cheeked children and loving husbands admiring the work of the (rosy-cheeked) knitter. Photos of people knitting through the years–in crowds, by firesides, and even, yes, in rocking chairs. There are also some lovely pictures of yarn, sheep, finished knitted objects.

The entire book is put together with a touch of nostalgia. Sharing the old-time illustrations is the perfect backdrop to reading about the modern struggles and challenges the writers are talking about. The list of contributors is impressive, too, and the writing is good. Some is humorous, some is meaningful, some is quirky. One story even made me cry a little (which is a rare, rare thing).

But that’s what knitting is, isn’t it? Not all knitters are happy, creative people. We have good days, bad days, and stay-the-hell-away-if-you-value-your-life days, and these essays reflect that. (Though none of these writers sound as dire as that last group.) The point, though, is that we’re not all one, homogenous group clicking our needles in unison. Every knitter brings his or her own personality to the party, and so too have the writers.

Now, has the nostalgic essay book with vintage prints kind of book been done before? Yes, it has. But that doesn’t mean that this book doesn’t hold its own. I enjoyed visiting with this book. In fact, I stretched reading it out over a couple of weeks, rather than zooming through it. It’s pleasant and easy on the eyes, and a reminder of all the different things that make knitters knit. Creativity. Therapy. Relaxation. Necessity. It’s all in there. Kind of like just about any knitting circle you can think of.

This book is available at Amazon.com for just $13.59.

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