At Knit's End : Meditations for Women Who Knit Too Much
14 journalers for this copy...
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee has been entertaining people online in her blog: Yarn Harlot long before she published this book. The same humor infuses this book. Styled after a daily meditations book each page is made up of a quote, an anecdote and a knitting thought to meditate on. Often clever they do cut right to the heart of being a knitting ethuisist. Advice includes:
"Do not be tricked. Not all yarn is meant to be yours, no matter how good a deal it is."
"I will accept that some sock yarns simply produce fraternal rather than identical twins."
"I will remember that not everyone understands. I will resist the urge to ask others what they do when they watch TV."
Current list of participants (subject to order change):
- Brookeworm (Canada)** [US/Canada]
- firrantello (NC, USA)**
- LaRue (NY, USA)***
- Ilios (FL, USA)** (US/Canada)
- sheriver (CA, USA)*
- molly_grue (WA, USA)**
- knitwit (PA, USA)*
- enlith (NC, USA)*
- wyvernfriend (Ireland)*
- AnglersRest (UK)*
- WelshHelen (UK)** (UK/Europe)
- YowlYY (UK)* <- currently here
- abs (US)**
- omly (USA, MA)
* will ship internationally
** would prefer not to ship internationally
***can not ship internationally
Rules of this bookring:
- When you receive the book please ensure that you journal it.
- Read it as soon as you can.
- When you've finished reading it, make a journal entry and contact the next person on the list.
- If no response is received after two attempts, contact me and then next person on the list.
- When you send the book on make a journal entry.
"My daughter and I were trapped in a seemingly endless bank line. Now me, I'm an experienced mother. I had a children's book, a baggie of snacks, and my knitting in my purse. I've been in this line before and now I come prepared. The woman in line ahead of us had come with nothing but her sons and her wits, and she was showing clear signs of not only losing her temper but also developing a twitch over one eye. My daughter watched the woman becoming increasingly agitated and finally commented to the woman's son, 'Your mom should get some knitting; that's what my mommy looks like without it.'"
My main criticism is that it tends to get repetitive towards the end. You can see where Yarn Harlot started running out of steam. Overall a very entertaining book that I plan to purchase for my permanent collection. It's the kind of book that you can open to a random page for inspiration or just a laugh whenever you need it.
Released 18 yrs ago (10/20/2005 UTC) at -- Controlled Release in Toronto, Ontario Canada
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
In the mail to the next in the ring. Enjoy!
Released 18 yrs ago (11/2/2005 UTC) at A Fellow BXer in USPS, By Mail/Post/Courier -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Heading out to NY and LaRue!
It fell open to this page - "You know you knit too much when...before you buy anything such as a hammock or curtains, you seriously wonder whether you could knit it."
OK, how did they know I am knitting a curtain for my new bathroom RIGHT NOW? Are they watching me?
I agree the book appeals only to knitters, but I would expect it to. I'm married but my husband doesn't mind my knitting/spinning addictions, probably because he has a serious computer hardware addiction of his own. I have no kids. But despite that, I still liked the book, it's not as if every entry revolves around her husband or kids.
PM'ing the next on the list and will mail it out thereafter.
Update 12/19/05
I finished this book a couple of days ago and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Although I have been knitting for 3 or 4 years now, I still do not consider myself an experienced knitter. I do, however, have a knitting obsession! :o) I am very happy about it, though, because it has allowed me to keep my sanity through graduate school. Fortunately, I had a couple of enlightened professorts who understood that I could knit and pay attention in class - knitting was actually the only thing that kept me awake and participating during the most boring classes! :o) So based on my experience, I highly recommend taking up knitting if you are going to apply to grad school. Here's one of my favorite excerpts:
p. 107
You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.
M. Scott Peck
People who knit have long been trying to convince people who don't that they can knit and and listen at the same time. Studies have shown that people often show increased focus and even demonstrate greater recollection while knitting.
Conversely, with some people, knitting is the only thing that gets us through listening to them
Released 18 yrs ago (12/19/2005 UTC) at post office in Mail, Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
mailing to sheriver today!
PMing the next person in line.
Released 18 yrs ago (1/17/2006 UTC) at -- By Post Or By Hand - i.e. Ring, Trade, RABCK, Meet in Palo Alto, California USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Sent via Media Mail to next in line. Enjoy!
Reserved for the next reader.
DC# 03041070000256435099
Released 18 yrs ago (2/18/2006 UTC) at In The Mail in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Happy reading!
Thanks for sharing.
Among my favorites: My knitting is in a constant state of competition with the household chores. After years and years of painful juggling, I have almost decided to completely give up on the housework. The way I see it, I can always clean the house when I am old, but I'll never get this knitting time back.
Off to enlith today
I absolutely loved it - I think I might have go to out and get a copy for myself! I couldn't stop grinning and laughing. It's not exactly writting to be read front to back, but since I couldn't put it down, thats what I ended up doing.
My ONLY problem was the "How wrong crochet is!" line. I love knitting, don't get me wrong, but I also love crochet!
I mailed it off today and it should be in Ireland in a week or less!
I have the address for WelshHelen, so this will be in the post over the next day or so.
My favourite - "One of these ancient stories recounts how knitters used to knit hair from their own locks into the garment for another, thus binding that person to them forever."
I will accept the legend of this magic charm, both because it is lovely and because it is easier to believe in magic than to try and pick my hair out of my knitting all the time.
I wonder if this is true of cat hair too. If so, my two have got admirers everywhere!
A great book - thank you so much omly, for sharing. I have YowlYY's address and will post to her today.
My own copy has already arrived, and will surely pick it up every now and then to look up the funniest pages, so this is now ready to leave for the USA :)
Thanks to omly for sharing, and to WelshHelen for mailing it to me :)
Omly, if you will pm me your address, I'll send the book back to you this week.
Thanks for lending out your books.