10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters speaks to all levels of knitters who want to enhance and expand their knitting experience in joyful and substantive ways. With humor and insight, authors Vicki Stiefel and Lisa Souza illustrate how to become a laidback knitter--one who enjoys the process as much as the product. Join in and be inspired by the mix of people, patterns, and places in their knitting world; follow the steps they took; and discover the secrets that set them along this path. 10 Secrets contains a wealth of other valuable and fun information including profiles, websites and other resources the authors can't live without, information on fibers, spinning, and crochet, and much more!
Additionally, an amazing collection of twenty-seven patterns--complete with instructions and charts--fills the book with elegant shawls, chic sweaters, and colorful scarves from a spectrum of designers, all beautifully photographed in full-color.
This is a book that gives knitters permission to relax and have fun; to see that knitting can be as much about process as about the finished product, and know that the stitches they knit can express the inner joy they feel. The exciting patterns--aimed at knitters from beginners to experienced--complement the books exuberant purpose and style.
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Read an Excerpt from the Book
View a pattern for Watermelon Vine Socks from 10 Secrets of the LaidBack Knitters. [PDF] |
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Spoiler alert: Secret No. 1 is 'Find a wise woman.' We've found two--Stiefel and Souza.... [The] convivial dialogue is peppered with asides, profiles, a sock-knitting fable, advice and, of course, patterns.... [Stiefel and Souza] invite everyone to enjoy the easygoing conversation, blessedly free of either the perky cheerleading or snooty cliquishness that tends to put off knitters from real-life stitching circles."
---Yarn Market News
“Find a wise woman. Discover slow knitting. And learn how a ball of yarn can envelop your soul. This is a book that will make every knitter feel more like a Zen master the next time they drop a stitch.”
---Linda Cortright, publisher and editor of Wild Fibers magazine
“Vicki and Lisa have condensed years of fiber experience into wise and witty lessons not just for fiber, but for life. If knitting has been there to soften the rough edges of life for you, this book will speak volumes.”
---Shannon Okey, knitgrrl.com
“I love the way Lisa and Vicki give knitters guidelines without making rules. That’s the true mentoring of creativity!”
---Lorna Miser, author of The Knitter’s Guide to Hand Dyed and Variegated Yarns and founder of Lorna’s Laces Yarns
“Vicki and Lisa give us all permission to relax, have fun and knit great things in the process. Hints and pithy advice pop up in every corner, like a lively conversation. Their well crafted stories make me feel as if I am sitting with them both, knitting and sharing secrets.” ---Norah Gaughan, design director of Berroco and author of Knitting Nature and Comfort Knitting and Crochet
About the Author
VICKI STIEFEL is a writer, photographer, and passionate knitter. She is a contributor to Wild Fibers magazine and teaches writing at Clark University. She has published four novels, Body Parts, The Dead Stone, The Bone Man, and The Grief Shop, which won the Daphne du Maurier prize for Best Mainstream Mystery in 2006. Her writing and photography has also appeared in New Woman, The Harvard Post, The Improper Bostonian, and other national and regional publications. Vicki formed her local knitting group called Cindy’s Knitters, as well as the LaidBack Knitters group on Ravelry along with coauthor Lisa Souza.
LISA SOUZA is an artisan dyer, colorist, handspinner, and creator of art-to-wear garments. Early in her career she and a partner started Knitwitz, where they knitted one-of-a kind garments and traveled the craft-fair circuit. Lisa then branched off to begin her own company, Lisa Souza Knitwear, creating finished garments that were sold in boutiques around the country. Soon after that, she learned to spin and began hand-dying yarn. Lisa started to offer her hand-dyed fibers to other knitters through her website lisaknit.com in 1999 where she continues to sell her hand-dyed yarns, handspun luxury yarns, and hand-dyed roving. In 2007, after moving to rural California, Lisa opened a large showroom and workshop. Lisa regularly participates in yarn fairs and festivals around the country.
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Customer Reviews
1) I love secrets. Secret passages. Secret messages. And the secrets of laidback knitters.
2) Great photography of animals, yarns, knitters, projects, nature. I especially love the vintage shot of author Vicki Stiefel modeling for a 1950's pattern book, Fashions in Wool for Little Tots.
3) All the models represent realistic body types and a variety of ages.
4) The interesting knitters you met on their pages--like Wise Woman, Anne Hennessey of the Wool Room at Meadowbrook Farm, Antrim, New Hampshire.
5) The kind and funny ways the authors remind you to check your gauge. "Checking the gauge is a pain. We know. But just pretend it's fun."
6) The generous spirit that guides the book's rich content, sidebars with historical tidbits, interesting links, stories, anecdotes, and useful advice.
7) See the Souls of Fibers--An entire chapter on fibers to help you understand and make good yarn choices.
8) The Vintage Quilt Socks pattern designed by Judy Summers, author of Knitted Socks East and West: 30 Designs Inspired by Japanese Stitch Patterns.
9) Do it with Hooks--a helpful, handy chapter on crochet which as the authors state is often a "perfect partner to knitting"
10) Connect the Dots--a chapter on knitting and community. It includes a touching tribute to the authors' knitting buddy, Cindy.
Michelle Edwards, A Knitter's Home Companion
Find Yourself a Wise Woman
Discover Slow Knitting
Become a Barefoot Sock Knitter
Take the Color Leap of Faith
See the Souls of Fibers
Listen as the Yarn Speaks to You
Value the Partnership in Knitting
Learn to Soar Patternless
Do it with Hooks
Connect the Dots
I'd like to talk a bit about my two favorite secrets: Discover Slow Knitting and Learn to Soar Patternless.
The idea of slow knitting is what initially led me to this book. "It's not what you think it is," we're told at the beginning of this chapter. In a way I'm disappointed. Knitting slowly is a pleasure in itself. I'm usually rushing to make a deadline, but I cherish the idea of sitting on the front porch in summer, drinking lemonade, and slowly making stitches on a light-weight lace scarf; or sitting by the fireplace on a cold winter evening, letting gorgeous wool flow over my needles as the stitches form the pieces of a sweater. The slow knitting in 10 Secrets is something different. It's related to the Slow Food Movement, and the focus is on discovering art yarns, taking time to knit mindfully, and getting back to nature, or at least to have an understanding about how we humans fit into the larger environment. It's not us versus nature. We are part of nature. And it would behoove us to remember that from time to time.
Learn to Soar Patternless is one of my favorite topics because I believe all knitters should be empowered to knit without being tied to a pattern. Does that mean you should never follow patterns? Of course not! I love when I find some gorgeous sweater or a simple, elegant shawl, or an unusual accessory that I can make directly from the pattern. But I also like to be able to just cast on and go, to make things up on my own, and -- when I'm in the mood to spend more time -- to create my own gorgeous or elegant or unusual designs. I like to have options and I want other knitters to have the power of choice as well. I think empowerment and understanding what we do, the process and not just the end product, is an important part of life.
My runner up secret is Find Yourself a Wise Woman. This applies in life, generally, not just in knitting. In the old days, families lived close together and grandma was usually just around the corner. These days we are scattered around the country, maybe even around the world. Grandma may still be a phone call or text message away, but that's not quite the same thing. Even so, sometimes the Wise Woman we need is not a family member. I'm not going to give away more about this secret, but there's a reason it's the first one in the book. I hope you'll read to find out more.
The projects are a bonus in this book. It's the reading that was what drew me in. But even though the projects weren't what sparked my initial interest, as I flipped through the pages, I found several "must make" items.
It's so easy to get caught up in the rush of every day life in America. When I'm home, I miss the slower pace and more relaxed attitudes of Europe. This book brings that home to me when I can't travel. Overall, reading 10 Secrets made me feel good about life and about knitting. It has a cozy feeling, and it will nurture your creativity and your soul. I definitely recommend 10 Secrets of the Laidback Knitters to anyone who feels trapped in the rat race or has, perhaps, lost the joy of knitting. This book will put the heart back into your craft.
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