Customer Reviews

The Knitting Sutra: Craft as a Spiritual Practice

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(5)

 

 

The common threads running through this little work are that spirit and handwork are entwined.

There are home truths in the book that I have discovered in my own experience. One of the most fascinating is how the hands remember what the head has forgotten. Women tell me they haven't knitted or crocheted in decades, yet they begin to work as soon as I put yarn and needles in their hands.

The repetition of movement in knitting and also of crochet is beneficial as a mantra, reducing stress, inducing a nearly trancelike state, and making time stand still. Laborare est orare. Work is prayer. Indeed.

Yes, it's addictive. Ah well. There are destructive habits and constructive habits.

My home is full of book and yarn and friends. Some of my friends share both addictions with me. And with Susan Gordon Lydon as well. We trade books and patterns and help and praise. And I have already given one of my friends this lovely little book.

The Knitting Sutra is that rare book of self-discovery in which the author not only invites you in for a comfortable chat, but also leaves you with little epiphanies of your own. Though I know Susan Lydon personally, I was still amazed at her journey to the heart of knitting, and how closely it was tied to her spiritual awakening. Reading this book inspired me to find meaning and purpose in the ordinary activities of my own life, rather than searching outside. What a delightful antidote to the arrogance and bombast of our global corporate culture!

Susan Gordon Lydon's journey into knitting is described in loving, honest detail and is a truly absorbing read for anyone interested in the development of their spirituality or in handcrafts. The connection between repetitive, fine handwork and comtemplative thought will cause you to look at your crafts with new eyes. Definately recommended.

You don't have to be a knitter to enjoy The Knitting Sutra, but beware. I wasn't a knitter when I started but by the time I had reached the third chapter, I was playing around with my mother in law's needles and by the time I had finished, I was halfway through a sweater. This magical little book is really about the big topics - life, the spiritual quest and the threads which draw history and meaning together. Knitting is both a metaphor for how we build ourselves from the bits of yarn we gather over the years, and a literal, spiritual and very useful craft. For the lover of words, colour and texture, there is beauty in the way Lydon describes the exquisite yarn she purchases, the silver buttons she travels miles to obtain, and the quest for mastery of her craft. For the spiritual seeker, there is pathos in the journey Lydon takes to find meaning in her life, with an amazing range of references, from Arica through the Sufi order, Dineh and other Native American practices, Judaism, etc. For the craftsperson, this book is packed with references to the history of knitting, top designers and wool manufacturers. For those who just like a good yarn, the story of Lydon's struggles with a broken humerus, her travels, her knitting projects and her struggle with Cancer are an enjoyable read. There is something for everyone here. Highly recommended.

This book moved me to tears. It expressed what I'd been grappling to understand since I started to crochet two years ago. This beautifully written, personal journey is truly insightful and moving.

I used to spurn womanly crafts such as sewing and knitting. But when I tried crochet two years ago I was immediately addicted. Somehow, this was what I had been searching for. I struggled to understand and express why I fell in love with crocheting. Finally I read this book and found my answer.

Crocheting has become my way of connecting with other women both past and present. There is an instant fellowship when you meet someone and find out that they knit, crochet or sew. Crochet has also become my means of creating something tangible and physical in this electronic world.

The author's stories of how women throughout the ages have put the heart and souls into their crafts were very moving and informative. I loved the story about the Guatemalan mother who when asked her greatest achievement pointed out her magnificent weavings and said "anyone can have children".

I also identified with Ms. Lydon's quest for mastery of knitting-- that feeling of wanting to be proficient at something challenging. "The Knitting Sutra" is about far more than knitting but it's hard to read it and not be inspired to try knitting or some other art or craft.

If you love any sort of handicraft and do it with passion then I heartily recommend this book.

Busy and unbalanced are two words to describe my life lately. Knitting appeared again recently and then this pearl of a book. Susan successfully makes the link between heart, hands, and spirit...helping one in the course of reading and knitting to find balance and a sense of self within spirit again. Fabulous stories from Native American to Sufi, from the British Isles to Florida wetlands. I bought several copies for my knitting friends.

The Knitting Sutra is beautiful, garment-journey, fashioned of pain and joy, light and color, lovingly knitted in the"intarsia" style, by Susan Lydon. . As I read the knitting needles clicked and the words and content became , rows of textured wool nubs, bits of heathered yarns, fragments of shiney gem-like color, all fitting together and patterned into a small hard covered book. Be prepared, the Knitting Sutra takes one on a transcendental journey where time moves quickly thru sunlight and shadow, the heavy texture of yarn juxtaposed against the empty spaces between stitches. With Lydon , you travel through loops of story, spirit, philosopy and the material plane. . Be sure to buy some extra copies just to give as gifts.

I love to hear about the knitting trials and successes of others. It makes me feel like a part of a greater group. This book reminded me of the Knitters Almanac in that regard. I was encouraged to try projects that I had previously thought too difficult (including my first Fair Isle). The book left me hunting for the dragon sweater pattern by Annabel Fox . Truly a wonderful book.

a lovely fresh book full of knitting stories from the heart. A knitting book with no patterns that held my interest from page one. I really became involved in the life of this fascinating and surprising lady.

Although I haven't any idea how she finds time to do all she does, the underlying theme of this book is a great new way to look at some oh the OTHER reasons people knit--it's not just to stay warm! Her adventures may not be the same, but strands that hold us together are!