Knitting in America: Patterns, Profiles, and Stories of America's Leading Artisans

Author Melanie Falick traveled thousands of miles to create this inspiring and revealing portrait of knitters, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals. With profiles of thirty-eight of this country's most fascinating artisans and farmers, plus more than thrity patterns for adult and child-sized garments that were diesigned especially for the book, Knitting in America is the most complete survey yet published on this vital art form in America.

Featured are such well-known designers as Deborah Newton of Providence, Rhode Island, Meg Swansen of Pittsville, Wisconsin, Nicky Epstein of New York City, and Priscilla Gibson-Roberts of Cedaredge, Colorado. The book also includes special features on locations such as a musk-oxen farm in Montana, a school in Detroit where children learn to knit before they learn to read, and a New Mexico yarn shop that supplies many of this country's top gallery artists with handspun, naturally dyed fibers. Rounding out the collection are profules of Barbara Walker and Mary Walker Phillips, grades dames whose contributions to the art and craft of knitting are, even now, echoed in the works of their younger followers.

The thirty-plus patterns in this book range in difficulty from basic to advanced and in style from traditional to contemporary. The patterns have been meticulously edited for clarity, and a complete list of mail-order sources is provided to ensure that the patterns can be executed to perfection.

MORE THAN 200 FULL-COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS

30 ORIGINAL PATTERNS

A portrait of knitters, dyers and breeders of fibre-producing animals all over the United States, which includes 30 original patterns for adult and child-sized garments. In addition, there are features on locations, such as a school in Detroit where children learn to knit before they learn to read.

Author Melanie Falick traveled thousands of miles to create Knitting in America,an inspiring and revealing portrait of knitters, spinners, dyers, and breeders of fiber-producing animals. The most complete survey yet published on the scope and influence of this vital art form in America, the book profiles many of this country's most fascinating artisans and farmers, and features more than thirty original patterns for adult and child-sized garments designed especially for Knitting in America.

In addition to the designer profiles, the book includes special features on locations such as a musk-oxen farm in Montana, a school in Detroit where children learn to knit before they learn to read, and a New Mexico yarn shop that supplies many of this country's top gallery artists with handspun, naturally dyed fibers.

The thirty-plus patterns in the book range in difficulty from basic to advanced and in style from traditional to contemporary. The patterns are clear, the charts easy to read, and a complete listing of mail-order sources ensures that the patterns can be executed to perfection.

INTRODUCTION

PAM ALLEN

Camden, Maine

MICHELE ROSE

Camden, Maine

STITCH and SAIL: PENOBSCOT BAY KNITTING CRUISES

Penobscot Bay, Maine

BETH BROWN-REINSEL

Delta, Pennsylvania

NICKY EPSTEIN

New York, New York

NORAH GAUGHAN

Hastings-on-Hudson, New York

THE MAGIC OF MOREHOUSE FARM

Milan, New York

JULIE HOFF

Wheeling, West Virginia

SELMA MIRIAM

Westport, Connecticut

DEBORAH NEWTON

Providence, Rhode Island

BARBARA WALKER'S KNITTING LEGACY

Morristown, New Jersey

KRISTIN NICHOLAS

Pepperell, Massachusetts

DONNA BRUNTON

Taos, New Mexico

MOLLY GEISSMAN

Albuquerque, New Mexico

SALLY FOX AND HER NATURALLY COLORED COTTONS

Aguila, Arizona

JUDY DERCUM

Dillon, Colorado

PRISCILLA GIBSON-ROBERTS

Cedaredge. Colorado

VALENTINA DEVINE'S CREATIVE FREEDOM

Los Alamos, New Mexico

LOUISE PARSONS

Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

LA LANA WOOLS AND TAOS VALLEY WOOL MILL

Taos, New Mexico

LINDA ROMENS

Canon, New Mexico

SARAH SWETT

Moscow, Idaho

BIG SKY FIBER

Bitterroot Valley, Montana

KERRY FERGUSON

Bainbridge Island, Washington

NANCY BUSH

Salt Lake City, Utah

KATHRYN ALEXANDER

Berkeley, California

THE EXPERIMENTAL SPIRIT OF MARY WALKER PHILLIPS

Fresno, California

KATY BLANCHARD

San Diego, California

LYNNE VOGEL

Cannon Beach, Oregon

MEG SWANSEN

Pittsville, Wisconsin

TEACHING LITTLE FINGERS TO KNIT AT THE WALDORF SCHOOL

Detroit, Michigan

SUE FLANDERS

Robbinsdale, Minnesota

YVONNE UHLIANUK AT MOUNT BRUCE STATION

Romeo, Michigan

LIZBETH UPITIS

Minneapolis, Minnesota

KAREN SEARLE: CELEBRATING KNITTING'S PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

St. Paul, Minnesota

LISA PARKS

Birmingham, Michigan

PATTERNS

YARN SOURCES

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THE HAT PROJECT