Synopses & Reviews
A Knitterand#8217;
s Home Companion is an illustrated collection of stories, patterns, and recipes from beloved knitter and essayist Michelle Edwards. This heartwarming title will appeal to knitters interested in not only stitches, yarn, and patterns, but also in the lives of other knitters, the lessons that can be learned from their craft, the ways knitting helps knitters cope during difficult times, and theand#160;role of knitting in family life.and#160;and#8220;Let [this book] keep you company when you need another knitterand#8217;s voice beside you,and#8221; Edwards writes in her introduction.
Like a good friend, A Knitterand#8217;s Home Companion will inspire readers to laugh, cry, remember, be thoughtful,and#160;cook, and, of course, pick up their needlesand#8212;sometimes to soothe, sometimes to celebrate, and sometimes to just pass the time. Divided into four chaptersand#8212;Motherhood, Home, Community, and Legacyand#8212;stories range from and#8220;But She Doesnand#8217;t Have Any Underpants,and#8221; about the challenges of knitting for family to and#8220;Home Ec Workshopand#160;and the Mystery of the Indian Slipper,and#8221; about finding community at a local yarn shop. Projects range from mittens and socks to a baby blanket and afghan.
Praise for A Knitter's Home Companion:
"This charming book is like reading a letter from your best friend . . . The recipes, beautiful drawings, anecdotes, and helpful hints on every aspect of our favorite craft . . . will bring a smile to your face and a comfort to your soul."and#160;
- Love of Knitting
"These reflections on knitting will resonate with knitters of all stripes. Charming stories supplemented by delightful patterns and recipes open a window to a knitter's inner life . . . From here, straight through to the end of the book you will feel a personal connection to this author who knits to celebrate, soothe and pass the time."and#160;
-Knitch Magazineand#8220;This is a charming and utterly alluring book that makes you want to cook and knit and have a little chat about the kids. I love Michelle Edwardsand#8217; drawings, and the design of the book is an artwork in itself. This is a book you want to buy for yourself, and maybe to give to a few close friends, as well.and#8221; Jane Smiley, Author of many novels and knitter of many sweatersand#160;
and#8220;A cozy and charming collection of essays about the joys of knitting and#8212;complete with lovely patterns and yummy recipesand#8212;to leave you feeling warm and inspired.and#8221; Kate Jacobs, Author of Friday Night Knitting Club series and Comfort Foodand#160;
and#8220;Michelle Edwardsand#8217; writing remind me of a simpler time when I grew up in a small town where family was the center of everything. When I read her stories, I think about the legacy I am leaving to my daughter by teaching her the craft that I love so much and what a treasure a handmade gift really is. Beyond the delightful and heartwarming stories, the patterns, and the recipes is a wonderful message about what is really most important in life.and#8221; Vanna Whiteand#160;
"It was Edwards' love of knitting and her desire to find a nurturing community that led to her newest book, A Knitter's Home Companion, which is a love song that she's written to knitting and the process of forming a community around her lifelong passion of shaping strands of wool into hats, scarves, sweaters, socks, mittens, and even egg warmers."
and#160;-Wordswimmer.com
Synopsis
All across America, people are knitting for peace. In yarn shops and private homes, churches and synagogues, schools and even prisons, they meet on weekday evenings or weekend afternoons to knit afghans for refugees, mittens for the homeless, socks for soldiers, or preemie caps for AIDS babies. The tradition goes back as far as Martha Washington, who spearheaded knitting efforts for the soldiers of the Revolutionary War, and has seen a recent flourishing in what is nowadays called charity knitting, community knitting, or knitting for others. And whether its for world peace, community peace, or peace of mind, todays various causes have the common goal of knitting the world into a better place one stitch at a time.
Knitting for Peace is an exceptional book that celebrates the long heritage of knitting for others. It tells the stories of 28 contemporary knitting-for-peace endeavors, and features patterns for easy-to-knit charity projects such as hats, socks, blankets, and bears, plus a messenger bag emblazoned with the Knitting for Peace logo. Enlivened by anecdotal sidebars and quotations from both knitters and peacemakers, this inspiring book also includes everything readers need to know to start their own knitting-for-peace groups.
About the Author
BETTY CHRISTIANSEN is a freelance editor and writer who has knitted since she was eight. She has written articles for the magazines Interweave Knits, Vogue Knitting, and Family Circle Knitting, as well as the books Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales and KnitLit, Too. KIRIKO SHIROBAYASHI is an award-winning New Yorkbased photographer whose work has been exhibited at the Houston Center for Photography and the National Museum of Belarus, among other venues. Her work also appears regularly in magazines in the U.S. and abroad.