Things I Learned From Knitting whether I Wanted to or Not Book Review
I read this book on one of THOSE days and promptly sent the author some well deserved karmic kudos. Boy, did I ever need the laughs. Granted, knitters will be the most appreciative of this humor but trust me, whatever crafty kind of person, male or female, will enjoy this book. But swap in whatever you utilise, thread, beads, mucilage gun, hammer, blowtorch, etc., and yous'll be off. I won't say anything else but instead, will share a few of the wonderfully humorous observations. From the side bar, 1 of 4 things that are actually funny when they happen to other knitters: "When, after 6 hours of cursing and attempting to stitch his new cardigan, a knitter discovers that the reason information technology won't go together right is not because he tin can't figure out where the seams go....but considering he'southward knit a dorsum, 2 sleeves, and two right fronts." "Knitting is still instruction me to count. I thought I had mastered information technology in the outset grade, but since I have just placed the neck opening for a sweater directly over my right shoulder bract, I apparently need to work on it." "Knitting is notwithstanding trying to teach me that things go knit faster when you actually work on them. That's why the scarf I've allegedly been knitting for two years but isn't getting any bigger, no thing how long I leave it in the basket." "Beginning is easy; continuing is hard."
I ordered this book from Amazon on a whim, thinking I wanted something other than a design book for some light reading. This pocket sized book is a collection of musings from the Yarn Harlot paralleling life with knitting. Information technology was cute, if sometimes a little forced. I call up anyone tin can find a knitting/life parallel if they effort difficult enough, and none of the anecdotes were earthshaking or eye opening. Pearl-McPhee rights with a quick wit and a humour that makes the read enjoyable, though, and information technology did put me in the mood to knit. To be honest, this book strikes me as a mini coffee table book, and then it's going with a small collection I keep at my piece of work desk-bound for aesthetic and involvement value. I do recommend it as a fun read for swain knitters, though I'm guessing not-knitters would find it boring and not informative.
This was honestly simply ambrosial and fabricated me giggle and then many times. I institute myself on several occasions reading out many bits to my family unit (none of them are knitters, just they live vicariously through me, sigh). Also, CANADIAN AUTHOUR! 10 POINTS AWARDED TO GRYFFINDOR! (Seriously though, she really lives in the same city equally me, it's kind of a big deal, I'm really excited, I could run into her in a knitting shop somewhere and I could tell her I read the book and sincerely loved it, and she could like sign my knitting needle or something, like a big one, like my US12 or something... Am I rambling? I call back I'm rambling. I'll see myself out.)
Hilarious collection of life'due south and knitting'due south petty lessons. Fast read that I finished in one evening. I am not a very good knitter, I am much better at and prefer crochet. My relationship to yarn has taught me these lessons as well. If you have your own relationship with yarn, you lot will love this quick little read.
If you lot are a knitter and have not read whatsoever of Pearl-McPhee's musings on knitting and life, y'all would do well to start with this niggling volume. Pearl-McPhee (aka the Yarn Harlot) will make you laugh out loud every bit she writes most the behavior and characteristics of knitters, our irrational need to keep adding to an already excessive stash, and the enduring appeal of a skilful yarn store.
A fun romp of web log entries of the trials and tribulations of knitting that I SO relate to.
A light and funny read about knitting things. Also, a mirror to another knitter'due south experience, with some universal truths, such as: Estimate SWATCHES LIE.
Read
April xiv, 2021
Dearest her, loved the book (technically it's 4.5 stars merely I'm rounding up because in person she's even funnier, but also more touching, and a wonderful teacher--it's difficult to separate the author from the text once you've met them). When I began knitting I searched in vain for a book like this. I don't want to acquire how to knit, I want to learn what it feels like to be a knitter. (There are wonderful books in this vein for gardeners, for example, some masterpieces of memoir). But instead I basically found these: i. Knitting for brand new stupid people similar you So what a thrill when I stumbled beyond Ms. Pearl-McPhee and her compassionate, hilarious accounts of how it feels to knit. I am not alone! (Annotation: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, one = awful, just awful. I'k fairly adept at picking for myself so end upward with a lot of 4s).
ii. 1,000 patterns for sweaters for women (note: I'm a human being)
three. How to knit cutesy teensy weensy whimsical wood thingummies
iv. Norwegian tufted bobble weaving-sew, made easy
I read one of Stephanie's books and loved every word of it. Then I bought iii more of her books for me and my sisters. We are reading them, making little notes and then passing it on the next sis.
Delightful book! My favorite chapter was……the 42nd thing, All's well that ends well. Stephanie draws a parallel between parenting and knitting. "In both knitting and parenting, the very hardest matter is that you have to do a lot of work for a long time earlier you have any idea at all if the project you are working on is going to be any adept. With both parenting and knitting, you have to hang in in that location while you lot exercise the same things, over and over and over, e'er hope for the all-time. (With knitting, it is stitches; with parenting I believe it is either making lunches or says No.) With both things you have to have some organized religion that what you are working on will go beautiful and good, no thing what it looks similar right now.
I tend to shy away from books that put a philosophical spin on knitting. I do not enter into some transcendent country of enlightenment as a effect of knitting. Yes, it is a passion, therapy and outlet, just knitting has not taught me things, rather, life has and I am able to apply what I have learned to my craft. If anything, knitting is a microcosm of life with its increases, decreases and WIPs! How I approach knitting is as a consequence of how I learn to handle life. None the less, in that location were plenty of 'express joy out loud' moments in this book that more than made up for its pretense. Honestly, I retrieve my time would accept been amend spent and more enjoyable if I had used it to knit rather than to read about it.
This book is a collection of moral principals and maxims, illustrated with knitting stories. The principals and maxims are all important and well worth living by. Things started going wrong for me with this volume when I realized I knew virtually naught about knitting such that many of the illustrations were words I knew drowned out by words I did not know. As mentioned in a higher place, the principles are important and one ought to live past them. Merely to get the most out of this book, it helps to exist a serious knitter. For the record, my daughter the knitter is the one who got this book out of the library. I only read it because it was laying there.
All of the means that knitting helps usa, with blueprint, with managing (or not) what is important, with living our lives fully. When knitters similar McPhee write from the eye, something more than the needles click. E'er a please to read, this volume adds to the literature by helping knitters to know what might happen when trying to clear airport security with needles and gear in hand. Dangerous! Knitting opens the mind in revolutionary means, and thus is dangerous! But not in the way that the not-knitter might think. Let'south just let that exist the knitters' secret for at present.
I'grand working on an all-over stranded steeked cardigan on size 2 Us needles, and needless to say, it is S Fifty O West going at times, so I took a break by reading this book. As usual, it's more than like a snack than a volume--easily readable in ane sitting, and full of funny airheaded truths about knitters. It's true: I'm patient as heck waiting....equally long as I accept my Purse Sock. Put me in a waiting room without knitting and I'one thousand a caged chimp. Thanks for another fun fluffy read!
As a relative newcomer to knitting, I picked this upward for some relief from a large project I'm working on at present. This book is then spot-on in its description of the knitting process — the joys and frustrations both! I laughed out loud over several of her "things" (short essays). This woman knows how to knit and how to write. It was just what I needed every bit a pause from a heavier topic I'm reading right now and the knitting that occupies much of my twenty-four hour period. If you're a knitter, this is a must-read!
I usually like her books a lot. This book was a quick read but didn't quite do information technology for me. There we're some times I felt that she was trying to be too hard to be funny or I couldn't tell if she was trying to be funny or serious. Overall though, the volume was entertaining and piece of cake to read. I thank her for writing books similar this, considering sometimes y'all don't feel similar knitting, tin can't knit, or yous are just too tired.
Reading a volume about Something yous honey, especially a funny, light-hearted book, is sometimes the only affair you lot need to fall in more than in beloved with that Something. This book is a super quick read and exactly what I was hoping for when I checked information technology out from the local library. The last lines of this book are an fantabulous reminder and I'm thankful for having the leisure time and opportunity to read it.
Stephanie is a great writer (duh) and this book has been and so much fun to read. She's always funny and thoughtful and I love her glimpses into the life of a knitter. I laughed out loud and sighed softly with this book because it'southward so well written. A must read for any knitter or even someone who loves a knitter.
3.v stars. An enjoyable read that had me nodding along at times, but non at others as my style and knitting philosophy is very dissimilar from the author's. Even just over a decade later the rise of Ravelry and Instagram take totally inverse the world of knitting and the way that knitters connect, leaving the book feeling dated.
McPhee is a professional knitter who takes her knitting seriously and not likewise seriously at the aforementioned time. If yous're looking for step-by-step didactics stick with patterns. Her books are musings on the craft, the things she'south learned snd the things she'south ignored. Sometimes to her detriment, but its a learning experience. And she's funny.
"If you knit bobbles on the front end of a sweater, they look like nipples. Furthermore, multiple bobbles down the front of [the] sweater arrive await as though you're equipped to nurse a litter." LOL, true truthful. Fun piddling read appreciated best by nosotros knitters.
Function of what made this book so much fun is two of my sisters read it outset. In the margins they left funny notes. They underlined their favorite parts. Reading it was similar having them both with me. They live half manner across the nation and so that was a treat.
This book is primarily a work of humor, but in that location are some underlying truths beneath the lighthearted writing. Amusing, thoughtful, and above all, concise.
Did I similar it? Yes.
Would I reread information technology? Maybe.
Would I recommend it? Yes.
I take really enjoyed all of the books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Her writing has a nice flow and is always entertaining. Her love of knitting and how she relates it in the fiddling lessons of life is encouraging and thoughtful.
Oh what fun to be a knitter! This small book is full of funny anecdotes and yarny truths. Very enjoyable to read.
Over again I am reassured I'm non the only knitter who thinks the way I do. I was entertained
Cute volume, very fast read. More like web log posts so a complete narrative, just that's the bespeak!
Another clever book from Stephanie. I truly "become it" now that I'k a knitter!
Information technology was a fun read. I likewise listened to a podcast on knitpicks where she was a guest.
Now I am prepare to get back to my huge knitting project.
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1978609