Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot Unravels the Mysteries of Swatching, Stashing, Ribbing, and Rolling to Free Your Inner Knitter by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Synopsis

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the best-selling author of At Knit’s End: Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much and celebrated blogger and humorist of the knitting world, is back! Funnier than ever, Pearl-McPhee continues her running dialogue with her knitting compatriots — cheering them on to ever-greater heights in the climb to make knitting universally recognized as THE peak life experience.

Both a celebration of knitting and a sourcebook for practical information, this book is a collection of useful advice and emotional support for the knitter. Pearl-McPhee examines essential truisms of knitting, side by side with tongue in-cheek warnings, realities, and fantasies about the act of knitting and the people who do it.

In chapters on everything from yarn needles, gauge, and knitting bag essentials to hats, socks, shawls, and sweaters, Pearl-McPhee unravels the mysteries of what it is that makes knitting click, from the inside out. She dares to question longstanding rules and uncover the true essence of what makes a hat a hat, a sock a sock, and so on. Insights into why certain techniques work encourage knitters to take control and knit in the way that works best for them. As she says, “There are no knitting police.”

The result is an illuminating, liberating (and hilarious!) look at knitting that will comfort the experienced knitter, surprise the mainstream one, and entice the beginner.

Children's Literature

No matter where you fall in the range of knitters (beginner, die-hard, Sensei, scientific, organic, or "pretender") you will not be able to read this book on knitting without learning something and laughing along the way. The author is a truly gifted knitter but she is also a teacher, a philosopher, and a homegrown psychotherapist who can analyze knitters' quirks, phobias, compulsions, and obsessions (all of which she has experienced first hand). Serious information on the basics (needle types and sizes, yarn in all is variations, tips for trouble-shooting and correcting problems, etc.) is to be found along with advice on how to disguise one's stash of yarn (some people collect rocks or stamps— knitters collect yarn—lots of it!) or at least use it for insulation in the face of global warming. Chapter titles include: "Yarn and How Not to Feel Guilty About It," "Know Your Stuff," "Gauge, Swatches and Learning to Accept Them," "Hats," "Socks," "Scarves and Shawls," and "Sweaters." There is also a helpful glossary and an index to aid in finding "a quick fix" for a particularly knotty problem. There are many insets and lists to amuse the reader while pondering the next knitting project. I was particularly entertained by the "Eight Things to Know About Swatches" (swatches are those little samples of pattern and gauge done before even starting to knit the actual project). "Number One: Swatches lie"—A real truth in my book! She explains why swatches are not a foolproof way of preventing errors and adds that they are "little jokes designed to keep things interesting." Oh, yes, number eight: "Swatches lie. It bears repeating." Gentle advice and blunt instructions ("if you arecounting on blocking to fix it, you're heading for a crushing disappointment") make this a useful book, as well as an enjoyable one. Her best knitting advice turns out to be a real life lesson as well: "Never be afraid to trust your instincts. Therein lies the path to greatness, and in the end...it's only knitting....one of the few times in your life when there are no bad consequences to a mistake."

Biography

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has become the irreverent spokesperson for today's knitting revival through her popular blog, yarnharlot.com, and her best-selling books, At Knit's End and Knitting Rules! Touring the continent with her trademark "sock in progress," Pearl-McPhee mobilizes and entertains the tight-knit, yarn-loving community with her running commentary on the antics of those who live to knit. She shares a home with her admirable yarn stash (and her family) in Toronto.