Knitting Lessons [Mass Market Paperback]

Lela Nargi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2004

In Knitting Lessons, Lela Nargi takes readers on a journey through the varied landscapes of knitting, accompanied by the people who take obsessive pleasure in learning and mastering this ancient craft. Since the first of what would be a series of profound realizations gained from knitting (You mean there are only two stitches involved?), Nargi has not been able to put her needles down, and in this book she seeks to discover exactly what it is about the practice of knitting that draws people in and keeps them returning, day after day, to their yarn.

The people Nargi encountered as she followed a path through interconnected circles of knitters from all across the country describe how knitting-as profoundly simple as it is profoundly not simple-encourages a more peaceful and productive existence. In Knitting Lessons, aficionados will delight in hearing the inspiring, enlightening, and sometimes just plain funny reasons why people knit, as told by knitters all across the country.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Nargi, a beginning knitter, set out to interview and observe knitters of all levels to examine why people knit and what led them to pick up their needles and stitch away. The author met with knitters and crafters on both coasts and found women (and a couple of men) eager to share their thoughts on the craft. The "grandma knitter" stereotype is wrong--as evidenced by Nargi talking with people from various professions, ages, and walks of life. Fellow knitters will enjoy the unique stories of how people learn to knit, who taught them, and why they decided to learn. Nargi came across many colorful characters, including Edith Eig, owner of La Knitterie Parisienne in L.A and "knitter to the stars," and Eddie Kaufman, who says, "I am a large man, and due to my balding head, beard, and the fact that I ride a motorcycle, more people assume I am in a biker gang than in a knitting circle." Michelle Kaske
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Nargi's fresh enthusiasm for the craft is bound to push you back to the fundamental joys of needles and yarn. (HC edition) --Interweave Knits magazine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Tarcher (August 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585423254
• ISBN-13: 978-1585423255
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,747,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars INTERESTING READING, June 16, 2003

By 

C. Cohen "An inner adventurer" (Kansas City, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Knitting Lessons: Tales from the Knitting Path (Hardcover)

The author did a good job of interviewing knitters from a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, knitting experience and locales. I enjoyed the many anecdotes of the knitters she spoke to - there was a good variety. Enjoyable reading.

The thing I liked best was learning of other knitting resources and websites - as well as feeling like I was having coffee/tea and a comfy chat with each knitter who presented themselves via essay.

My only concern with the book was that the author herself had very little knitting experience. At the time of the writing, she had only been knitting for less than two years. That would be okay, except that she kept inserting her own personal knitting "story" in between the stories of others - and the fact is, she didn't seem to enjoy the knitting experience herself. After one frustrating attempt to knit socks, she mostly knit just swatches of various stitches and described her ongoing frustration and even boredom with knitting. It almost seemed as if this was a journalist/writer in need of a writing project - and she turned to her new-found knitting hobby as a source of something to write about. I would have enjoyed the book even more if she'd expressed some level of satisfaction or joy with the knitting process itself.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars NOT very satisfying overall, December 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Knitting Lessons: Tales from the Knitting Path (Hardcover)

As a previous reviewer noted, Nargi weaves (knits?) her personal knitting story in with the stories of other knitters. This wouldn't be so bad, except she doesn't even like knitting. It's as if she felt like she Should be a knitter, and she just doesn't get knitting. Instead of celebrating the stories of people who love knitting, she drags us through her swatch fetish. Also, most of the stories are of knitters in the Northeast and in California. The stories were good, for the most part, but I was very disappointed that Nargi's major focus is on other urban knitters. Your grandmother isn't the only one who knits anymore, but neither is knitting the sole purview of hip urban artists. The book would have been better with more stories of other knitters, and far less of Nargi's personal story.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, September 13, 2005

By 

runnergirl27 (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Knitting Lessons: Tales from the Knitting Path (Hardcover)

I just started knitting recently and I am already addicted.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked reading all of the stories about how each person started knitting and how much they love it.

I loved this book. I disagree with the other reviewers that did not enjoy it; however, since I am a new knitter I could not see what they saw in the book. Maybe this book is more for new knitters to appreciate--since experienced knitters are set in their ways and will see all the flaws (which I did not see any).