Customer Reviews

Mother of Purl: Friends, Fun, and Fabulous Designs at Hollywood's Knitting Circle

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I found nothing wrong with the instructional portion of this book. Using photos instead of drawings was a great idea. But the yarn section was too opinionated, and the patterns were just OK, with several I would never knit because either a) they looked so weird or b) they would take WAY too long to complete. My biggest pet peeve about the patterns was that some of the best were crochet not knitting (and I don't crochet) and also that the author says what brand of yarn to use, but doesn't list the exact colors to duplicate it, and doesn't list the weight if you want to use a different brand.
But the real reason I took this book back to Barnes & Noble & got a refund was because of her obnoxious writing style. The author states how wonderful her own patterns are, which might be forgiveable. But most of the "story" portion is how such and such celebrity confided in her, or credits her with learning to knit, or invited her to a wedding shower, or how this piece is in this movie, or that piece is worn by that star, etc.
This book is as pretentious as Hollywood and just not worth the money.

but not for the patterns or the name dropping. I guess I should have expected all the name dropping, once Hollywood is in the very title...... Anyway, that's the least problem of them all.

First of all, the binding is already coming apart, which is terrible - I haven't even used it for knitting yet, just leafed thru it! (Same as Basically brilliant knits - terrible binding).

Secondly, the patterns are mostly totally not my style. I don't want to say ugly, or tasteless, or loud, because taste is a very personal thing, and who's to say what is good or bad taste? But I don't like fussy, overdecorated things. And I call a poncho made up of stripes of acid yellow furry stuff with bright pink and green stripes and lots of other colours - GULP. Using expensive yarns like Prism for a afghan doesn't necessarily mean good design, it just means money to burn. Throwing all the yarns at one's disposal and all the colours in the universe into one item - well, same comment.

Thirdly - shapeless. I mean boxy jackets, boxy shells - there is not even the hint of a bit of side shaping - how bad is that? Bulky novelty yarns don't help to make tanks sit nicely either. I've seen tanks without side shaping, but the yarns used made them fall nicely or stretch over the bust to look fitted - like the ones in Basically brilliant knits. These - no. The only shaped thing is a dress which is actually very nice. There's a cute halter top which falls down on its finishing - the v neck is edged with a picked up rib band which crosses over at the v. It gapes and buckles over there and looks simply awful. Not even in my beginner days would I ever have worn something so badly finished. But I guess that's why noone ever called my work homemade!

She gives a few good tips, I picked up a couple of new ideas. The halter is cute, although I would have to change the edging - maybe crochet it to make it tight and neat? there's one other pattern I like for a cashmere tank - although I will omit the fur edges. All in all though, I much prefer the book I got at the same time - Kitty Bartholomew. Now, there's a useful one!

I was hoping as many years as the author has been in business that she would have published a better book with more innovative patterns with better designs and more handpainted yarns. If I had it to do over again, I would not buy this book.

What a disappointment! As some other reviewers have mentioned, there are some excellent and useful knitting tips but these are quickly read through. The constant name dropping (mostly second rate actresses) and pretentious fawning over any sort of quasi-celebrity becomes extremely tiresome (my midwestern sensibility here). The patterns in the book are primarily novelty yarns and will have little appeal once the current trends have passed. Although I have an extensive knitting library, this book will not be part of it. A waste of money.

So glad I checked this book out from the library instead of buying it. I couldn't believe how self-important and unlikable the tone of the book was. The author seems to think she is personally responsible for everything that has happened in knitting in the past 20 years. I love books and knitting and was just horrified by this one.

I'm so happy I decided to check this out from my public library prior to spending cold hard cash on it. While the instructions were good and visually oriented, I couldn't stand the author. She celebrity name-drops at every opportunity, and I really could care less which big name confided her pregnancy to the author prior to letting the public know! This was supposed to be a knitting book, not a gossip rag.

This is one book that won't be added to my extensive knitting library and I'm sorry I wasted my money to find that out. As other reviewers have noted, the patterns are most unattractive and the name dropping is extremely annoying. Who cares about second rate actresses anyway? Ms. Eig may run a fine shop, but she did not invent knitting,or knitting baby showers, as she seems to think. Save your money for Sally Melville's excellent knitting series.

This is one of the most disappointing knitting books I've come across. Most of the book is spent teaching the beginner how to knit, which I have no qualms with, except to say that there are tons of books out there that do that and do it better. There are only a few patterns in the book, none of which are original and all of which are, frankly, unattractive. There are 2 multicolor ponchos which use a variety of yarn types, but the colors used are hideous. Even when trying a project like this using leftover yarn from your stash, most of us would try to pick yarns that complement each other. The worst part of the book though is the constant name-dropping for name-dropping's sake. In many cases, the entire point of Eig's anecdotes are tell the readers how close she is with the stars. If you like the Hollywood angle, try Hollywood Knits Style by Suss Cousins for patterns that are more original.

I am a beginner and find this book to be very helpful as a teaching guide. It's also fun to read and has great patterns that actually work, unlike some other knitting books I've bought.
The book also highlights the social aspect of knitting...the simple pleasure of spending quality time with others, connecting in a creative and serene environment--the knitting circle.

I loved the book. The patterns were easy to understand, and the book was fun to read. I felt like Edith was talking to me. The designs were so beautiful, I want to make them all! The styles look like something you would find in a fashion magazine. I already enjoy knitting, but this book inspired me.