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A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way through Love, Loss, and Laughter
 
 
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A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way through Love, Loss, and Laughter [Paperback]

Rachael Herron (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews) |
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Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2011
In these 20 heartfelt essays, Rachael Herron celebrated romance novelist by day, 911 dispatcher by night, and founder of the hugely popular blog Yarnagogo.com shows how when life unravels there s always a way to knit it back together again, many times into something even better. Honest, funny, and full of warmth, Herron s tales, each inspired by something she knit or something knit for her, will speak to anyone who has ever picked up a pair of needles. From her very first sweater (a hilarious disaster, to say the least) to the yellow afghan that caused a breakup (and, ultimately, a breakthrough), every piece has a moving story behind it. This beautifully crafted and candid collection is perfect for the knitter who loves to read and the reader who loves to knit.

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A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way through Love, Loss, and Laughter + Wishes and Stitches: A Cypress Hollow Yarn (Cypress Hollow Yarns) + How to Knit a Heart Back Home: A Cypress Hollow Yarn (Cypress Hollow Yarns)
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  • Wishes and Stitches: A Cypress Hollow Yarn (Cypress Hollow Yarns) by Rachael Herron Paperback $10.98

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  • How to Knit a Heart Back Home: A Cypress Hollow Yarn (Cypress Hollow Yarns) by Rachael Herron Paperback $11.78

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rachael Herron is the creator of Yarnagogo.com, which receives over 90,000 hits a month, and the author of the novel How to Knit a Love Song. She lives with her better half in Oakland, California.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 3, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1452100535
  • ISBN-13: 978-1452100531
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Rachael Herron Page
Rachael Herron
Rachael Herron received her MFA in English and Creative Writing from Mills College. She lives in Oakland, CA with her family and has way more animals than she ever planned to, though no sheep or alpacas (yet). She learned to knit at the age of five, and generally only puts the needles down to eat, write, or sleep, and sometimes not even then.

The newest book in the Cypress Hollow Yarn series, WISHES AND STITCHES is out now. HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG and HOW TO KNIT A HEART BACK HOME are the first in the series. Her memoir, A LIFE IN STITCHES, is available from Chronicle Books. Visit her at www.yarnagogo.com. (Photo: Khalil Robinson)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
wonderful! August 6, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
For the record, I am not a knitter. I have knitted one scarf in my entire life and it really wasn't all that. I am a crocheter. I'm just telling you my bias upfront so you will know there a few things I don't quite get about knitting. Now that I've said that, on to the review.
Rachael Herron has written a great book about knitting and how it weaves into her life. There are 20 essays, all named for various needlework terms such as "casting on" and "double crochet". The titles are not what the essays are about, at least not in the traditional way of "I learned 3 different cast on techniques and here's how I use them" - the essay "Casting On" is about M's Herron's early life and her father.
M's Herron writes about love - romantic and otherwise. There's one on a failed relationship - one where M's Herron lost herself as well as the desire to knit. She writes of finding the love of her life - and deciding to knit her own wedding dress. And she also brings up "the boyfriend sweater curse". If you have this far into this review, you already know what the "curse" is but in case you need reminding it's when someone (usually a woman) makes something her boyfriend and after it's finished, the relationship unravels. Is it because of the sweater or not? I don't know but I have never made my love a sweater, just in case.
M's Herrons essays are brilliantly written, capturing what was going on in her life at the time of the essay. I wept as her mother was dying, remembering my own mother's death. I cheered when Digit came back and she managed to raise the money for the vet's fee. But most of all, I came to feel as if I had known her for quite some time. I feel as if I made a friend by reading this book.
And I will say this, something you can't always say about knitters books - she doesn't diss crocheting. She doesn't seem to have the same passion for crocheting as she does for knitting, but to each her own. There's no snarky comment about crocheters and that id a major plus for me.
If you knit, if you know M's Herron from her blog or other books she has written, definitely buy this book, it's great. If you're not familiar with M's Herron or her works, I still say buy this book. You will love getting to know her. So what I should say is "buy this book because it's a great read" and not worry about any qualifiers, because "A Life in Stitches" is a great read. It is one of the few knitcentric books I have read that I would recommend to my fellow chrocheters without hesitation. So what are waiting for - go get the book (and pick up some yarn on your way back - your hands will itch to create after reading this book).
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Not just for knitters September 2, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
While I am a knitter and definitely a fan of Rachael's blog, this book is not for knitters only. I've had a pretty challenging summer with the death of my dad, a friend, and a couple of beloved pets. Many of these same situations are essays in the book, and I found it amazing how much this book helped me through grief and healing. The chapter about when Rachael's mom died really hit home. Some chapters are poignant, some will make you laugh out loud. It also helped me realize how much my knitting is tied to my life and has become such an integral part of me. The analogies can be transferred from knitting to anything that someone has a passion for. Rachael's writing style for the essays is so easy to read, you just feel like you're sitting down having a conversation with her. While I'm a big fan of her fiction books, A Life in Stitches holds a very special place in my heart.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Thoughtful, warm and honest August 10, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Just a lovely memoir. It's easy to read. Very emotionally honest and you feel like you know the author when you're done. That she's suddenly become a friend because you know so much about her.

I loved the story about how she fell in love when she wasn't really looking for it. Her stories about her mother made me a little weepy. The wonder of finding out that there were people just like you on the internet, that too, I identified with.

Parts of it made me laugh out loud and there were parts that I read to my daughter who is also a knitter. She laughed as hard as I did in the beginning with Rachel's story about her first sweater.

Memories of cats, yarn, love and loss. If you're a fan of her blog, Yarnagogo, you probably already ordered it. If you're a knitter who likes knitting memoirs, it's worth a read. If you like personal stories, it's a good one.

The trick to writing a good memoir or blog is to write every day things in a way that makes interesting and familiar. Rachel Herron does a wonderful job of that.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Loved the Book
As an avid knitter and sometimes writer, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found myself finishing it quite quickly. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Linda H.
Such an honest book
Reading this book makes me want to be Rachael's BFF. I consider myself a good knitter, not a great knitter, far from expert, and I love how she has taken this craft that I love and... Read more
Published 24 days ago by Elizabeth M. Holbrook
Loved Life in Stitches!
I happened upon Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss and Laughter (and her fabulous blog) by Rachael Herron by accident. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sarah Owens
Different
It took a while to get into this book but the second half is better than the first. She's an interesting writer.
Published 2 months ago by sdh
Very readable, again and again
I have completely enjoyed Rachael Herron's fictional Cypress Hollow series; so I was looking forward to reading this book of essays.
Enjoyment fulfilled! Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Vance
For fellow pinterest addicts
Ever since my induction to pinterest, I have fancied myself a crafts expert. Granted all I do is pin various crafts to my diy shelf, but nonetheless, I enjoy the thought that I... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Heather
Fabulous Read!
Wonderfully fun book. I've laughed and cried. Reminds me why I put my emotions into my stitches as well. Anyone that enjoys the fiber arts, will definitely love this book.
Published 4 months ago by Steffi
Comforting Stories
Rachael Herron shares her personal experiences in A Life Stitches, stories to be savored like a warm comforting bowl of homemade chicken soup. Her positive attitude is inspiring.
Published 6 months ago by Marlene Cullen
Incredibly heartwarming essays
I first read Rachael Herron in 2004 when I was doing a search (pre-Ravelry) for "ChicKami" - a pattern for a knitted tank top (she's knit a LOT of them). Read more
Published 6 months ago by J. Russell
Nice Gift Idea
My sister loves knitting and I'm always trying to find nice gifts for her. This is a nicely printed book with easy read short stories.
Published 6 months ago by YogaKat
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