The Knitting Goddess: Finding the Heart and Soul of Knitting Through Instruction, Projects, and Stories [Hardcover]

Deborah Bergman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 11, 2000

The Knitting Goddess consists of ten chapters. Learn for instance about Rachel, a shepherdess and weaver, whose passion and nurturing spirit are the inspiration for an original pillow cover. Other stories and projects include Grandmother Spider and the basics of knitting and a babys blanket, Penelope and a warm beautiful sweater, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

It is not enough that numbers of celebrities and hordes of the not-so-famous are patronizing knitting stores and weaving workshops. The act itself, as evidenced in myths and fantastical stories of old, promises some major spiritual benefits, too. Like a crafty artisan, Bergman intersperses tales of Penelope--who knitted (and unknitted) while waiting nearly two decades for Odysseus' return--with eight free-form projects. Instructions for, say, the ribbed scarf are direct, allowing for variations in materials, size, and pattern. Also, each chapter includes a new knitter's workshop, exploring a stitch to be learned, technique to master (e.g., knitting in the round), and idea to investigate. This unusual book, part how-to and part inspirational, encourages the kind of community or solo thinking that imbues our lives with new directions--through a simple knit one, purl two. Barbara Jacobs
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Deborah Bergman is a passionate knitter and writer living in Oregon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; 1st edition (October 11, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078686611X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786866113
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,668,048 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical knitting book, January 21, 2001

By 

Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Knitting Goddess: Finding the Heart and Soul of Knitting Through Instruction, Projects, and Stories (Hardcover)

I was really surprised how much I liked this book. This isn't a pattern book, but a book about the craft of knitting with inspiration from women of myth and history. In fact it's three books in one: a very nicely written book on mythical and biblical women, a book on how to knit creatively, and a book with some practical garment diagrams like shrugs and turtleneck pullovers.

There are no pictures of the projects, but you can visit a website created by the author to view some of the knitted examples from the book.

I think this book would especially be good for handspinners of "designer" yarns, and also for those of us who collect odd balls of interesting yarns and fibers but aren't quite sure what to do with them. I didn't expect to like this book, but I really am impressed.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Holistic knitting, December 12, 2001

By 

Ophelia Morgan (Santa Cruz, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Knitting Goddess: Finding the Heart and Soul of Knitting Through Instruction, Projects, and Stories (Hardcover)

As a new knitter I was a little tentative about Bergman's approach. There weren't actual pictures, only sketches. The projects seemed complex for a beginner. It wasn't the book with the nice glossy pictures and step by step instructions with exacting instructions so I wouldn't be steered wrong.
And yet...my first project was gorgeous! Somehow her laid back but self confidence-building approach worked. The stories are interesting, and I felt the history put me in touch with what I was knitting in a very different way that a how-to book. For example, the piece she does on the color red inspired me to go for the red stole, even though I never wear red. Am I glad I did, it is beautiful!
The only thing I found a little difficult was that sometimes you have to flip around to get basic information, like weaving in or yarn substitution. But In a way, that was part of the fun. I look forward to my next project in this book.
One tip - her website does have actual pictures of most of the projects. This was helpful for me in determining if I was on the right track.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need, December 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Knitting Goddess: Finding the Heart and Soul of Knitting Through Instruction, Projects, and Stories (Hardcover)

I loved patterns and the stories in this beautiful book. The illustrations are inspiring. The following review is oddly sour. I can't imagine resenting someone because they hadn't knitted long enough to write a book about it! Bergman gives the needed information and tells heavenly stories--what more could a reader ask?