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Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie - Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter
I'm sure that all the knitters reading this have heard of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, the Yarn Harlot in the blogosphere. So I write this for any non-knitters who are curious as to why yarn seems to have taken up a substantial chunk of my brain and my free time.
This is a collection of little essays on the life of a knitter, and not just any knitter, but a knitter who obsessively stashes, who starts new projects without finishing old ones, who is incapable of walking past a yarn store with a sale, and whom many may think of as certifiably insane.
Aka, substitute "books" for "yarn," and I think you know what kind of ahobby compulsion lifestyle this is.
I don't know if I'd love this if I weren't already a knitter, but I enjoy reading about people being obsessively interested in the assorted things that interest them, be it books, pop science, math or yarn. And Pearl-McPhee helps by carefully explaining the secrets of knitting to those who Do Not Knit, including the perils of squirrels, moths, and other threats to woolly goodness; the all-consuming nature of a yarn stash and how to hide it in the freezer, in kitchen cupboards, and, when desperate, in the piano; the questionable joy of deciding to knit fifteen different people Christmas presents in a few months and going insane every year; the heartbreak of losing one double-pointed needle and thereby rendering the entire set unusable; and, most of all, the siren call of string on pointy sticks. Or one long cord with two pointy ends, depending on what kind of a knitter you are.
If you read them too quickly (note: in a few hours straight like me), you may start growing a little frustrated with Pearl-McPhee's tone in a few of the essays, and sometimes her attempts at being heartwarming don't quite work with me. But she's still hilarious, and even though we may forever disagree on the merits of circulars vs. dpns, she gets it.
And best of all, she tells it back to you, so that you, too, understand just how making loops with yarn on pointy things can be so satisfying that it can reduce you to near homicide (ratticide?) when your stash is threatened.
So I'd rec this even if you don't knit, just because Pearl-McPhee understands obsession and a lifelong love, even if hers is yarn and yours is anime or manga or books or fandom.
This is a collection of little essays on the life of a knitter, and not just any knitter, but a knitter who obsessively stashes, who starts new projects without finishing old ones, who is incapable of walking past a yarn store with a sale, and whom many may think of as certifiably insane.
Aka, substitute "books" for "yarn," and I think you know what kind of a
I don't know if I'd love this if I weren't already a knitter, but I enjoy reading about people being obsessively interested in the assorted things that interest them, be it books, pop science, math or yarn. And Pearl-McPhee helps by carefully explaining the secrets of knitting to those who Do Not Knit, including the perils of squirrels, moths, and other threats to woolly goodness; the all-consuming nature of a yarn stash and how to hide it in the freezer, in kitchen cupboards, and, when desperate, in the piano; the questionable joy of deciding to knit fifteen different people Christmas presents in a few months and going insane every year; the heartbreak of losing one double-pointed needle and thereby rendering the entire set unusable; and, most of all, the siren call of string on pointy sticks. Or one long cord with two pointy ends, depending on what kind of a knitter you are.
If you read them too quickly (note: in a few hours straight like me), you may start growing a little frustrated with Pearl-McPhee's tone in a few of the essays, and sometimes her attempts at being heartwarming don't quite work with me. But she's still hilarious, and even though we may forever disagree on the merits of circulars vs. dpns, she gets it.
And best of all, she tells it back to you, so that you, too, understand just how making loops with yarn on pointy things can be so satisfying that it can reduce you to near homicide (ratticide?) when your stash is threatened.
So I'd rec this even if you don't knit, just because Pearl-McPhee understands obsession and a lifelong love, even if hers is yarn and yours is anime or manga or books or fandom.
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*ahem*
I mean... Dude! Awesome! Wah! I wish I were there! I am planning on driving up three hours to N. Cal. to see her O_o.
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I started on circulars, but having made the transition to dpns, I'm afraid I can never go back. Alas.
My problem is not that I have an obsession with knitting, it's that I have an obsession with knitting and books and sewing and card making and really, just about any skill involving making things that I can learn. Frustrating, but oh so much fun.
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