My Grandmother's Knitting: Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers [Hardcover]

Larissa Brown (Author), Michael Crouser (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2011

When most people think of their grandmother’s knitting, they might not immediately see the connection to a modern knitter’s life. But in My Grandmother’s Knitting, Larissa Brown shows us that nothing could be further from the truth. Many of today’s hippest and most popular knitters found their passion for knitting under the tutelage of their grandmother or another revered family member, and in this book, they share stories and patterns inspired by their memories and their gratitude. Among the 26 contributors to My Grandmother’s Knitting are STC Craft authors Wendy Bernard (Custom Knits series), Teva Durham (Loop-d-Loop series), Norah Gaughan (Knitting Nature), Joan McGowan-Michael (Knitting Lingerie Style), and Leigh Radford (AlterKnits series and One More Skein) as well as many other popular designers such as Jared Flood, Cookie A., Ysolda Teague, Anne Hanson, Kay Gardiner, and Meg Swansen.

Praise for My Grandmother's Knitting:

“This is a pattern book with a twist. . . . Full of useful information and easy-to-knit garments, Custom Knits 2 is a good choice for knitters looking to adapt designs and venture into designing their own garments.” —Creative Knitting Magazine

“In [My Grandmother’s Knitting], Brown weaves family stories and early knitting memories of her interview subjects into poignant evidence that today’s knitters have a strong connection to the knitters who came before them.” —CraftSanity

“This is a thoroughly charming book . . . A heartfelt celebration of shared creativity.”
—Knitty.com

 

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Larissa Brown is the co-author of Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together (STC Craft, 2008). Her hand-knit designs have appeared in Knit.1 magazine, Knitty, and on her blog, Stitch Marker. She lives in Portland, Oregon.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (September 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584799390
• ISBN-13: 978-1584799399
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Larissa Brown is a writer, blogger, knitter and fiber artist.

Her handknit designs have appeared in Knitty.com, Knit.1 magazine, and compilation books such as Sweater Surgery and the USA Knitting Book. She's designed for yarn companies Shibui Knits, Blue Moon Fiber Arts and Cascade Yarns, and developed a line of hand dyed yarns with Pico Accuardi Dyeworks.

In the early 2000s, she wrote a column on fiber artists for Knitty.com. An artist herself, Larissa has been profiled in FiberArts magazine and on National Public Radio's Studio 360. Her installation work has been shown in Seattle, Portland, Boston and New York, bringing fiber arts and knitting into a busy urban government building, a classical Chinese Garden, and a Victorian-era cemetery.

Larissa learned to knit when she was five years old, on her grandmother Olive's chenille couch in her New Jersey suburban home. Today she lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and son. Since 2002, she's written the blog Stitch Marker (www.StitchMarker.net)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Collection of Designer Patterns and Stories About Designers' "Roots", August 20, 2011

By 

Lynne E. (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Grandmother's Knitting: Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers (Hardcover)

About half of this book is devoted to short, heart-warming stories about the family "roots" of popular knitting designers. The remainder is devoted to designer knitting patterns "inspired by" the designers' grandparents, parents, and their places of origin.

Dedicated knitters will no doubt enjoy reading about the family backgrounds of Wendy Bernard, Pam Allen, Meg Swansen, Ysolda Teague, Jessica Marshall Forbes, Kay Gardiner, Joan McGowan-Michael, Kristin Spurkland, Teva Durham, Jared Flood, Norah Gaughan, Anne Hanson, Leigh Radford, Chrissy Gardiner, Adrian Bizilia, Kirsten Kapur, and Emily Johnson.

Many (but not all) of these designers contributed patterns, and there are some patterns contributed by designers who did not contribute family stories. Most of the patterns are for small, portable projects (mittens, hats, socks, slippers, scarves, cowls, a dishcloth, a pillow), but there are some patterns for large, ambitious projects (a cardigan, a Fair Isle pullover, a cape, a lace-bordered shrug, an afghan, a lace baby blanket). My personal favorites are Kristin Spurkland's "Rose and Cross Pullover" with Fair Isle yoke, David Castillo's striped "Conover Mittens", Anne Hanson's "Crocus Patch Baby Blanket" with its complex allover lace pattern, and Cookie A.'s "Wan Jai Socks" that have gently undulating, street-like curves along the sock legs and feet.

The book does not include any historical "grandmother knitting" patterns--which was a disappointment for me. There are no handed-down family patterns, no patterns actually knitted by or invented by the older generations of the designers' families. Nevertheless, because of the entertaining, anecdotal stories and the variety of attractive patterns, I rate this book at 4 stars. It should make a welcome gift for any serious knitter.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Sweet and Charming Book, August 26, 2011

By 

Bonnie Brody "Book Lover and Knitter" (Port St. Lucie, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Grandmother's Knitting: Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers (Hardcover)

This delightful knitting book has family-inspired knitting stories by many of knitting's greats. Some of the contributors are Meg Swanson, Jared Flood, Pam Allen, Ysolda Teague, Leigh Radford and Ann Hanson.

While the patterns in this book are not hand-me-down patterns from families, many are patterns that were inspired by the designer's family. Some of the ones that really spoke to me are the Family Tree Afghan designed by Larissa Brown, inspired by her grandmother's love of knitting afghans. Grandma's Fan Dishcloth by designer Judy Becker was inspired by antique lace medallions that she inherited from her family. Crayon Cowls is designed by Kirsten Kapur who was inspired by the creativity of her great-aunts. Kristin Sparkland designed the Rose and Cross Pullover based on traditional Norwegian design. Minerva Bonnet by Teva Durham is inspired by one created and worn by her grandmother. The Crocus Patch Baby Blanket is just stunning, designed by Ann Hanson, and inspired by her grandmother who spent a lifetime knitting afghans. This one is in a beautiful lace motif. The Edna Slouch Hat is designed by Leigh Radford who got her inspiration from her grandmother. The Storm Cloud Shawlette by Hanna Breetz is inspired by Elizabeth Zimmerman.

The stories are quaint and lovely reading and each knitter adds their own bit of wisdom, advice and learning. The patterns are clearly written, lovely to look at and there are several that I would like to knit.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Grandmother never had it this good, August 20, 2011

By 

goodfruit "Rebecca" (Oregon City, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Grandmother's Knitting: Family Stories and Inspired Knits from Top Designers (Hardcover)

While my Grandma taught me to knit, it was nothing as cool as the stuff in this book by the author of Knit Along, Larissa Brown. I was privileged to get mine signed by Larissa herself, and then I took it home and read every page.

I love the shared knitting stories from all the designers, and the ones that are followed up by the modernized version of those very patterns just read about. I predict there will be many slippers with or without pom-pom's made for Christmas this year, who can resist the charm of Grandma's knitted slippers?