Zen And The Art Of Knitting: Exploring the Links Between Knitting, Spirituality, and Creativity (Paperback)

~ Bernadette Murphy (Author) "Making a stitch is the basic action of knitting..." (more)
Key Phrases: Los Angeles, Silver Lake, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Bernadette Murphy explores the now-radical notion that in the smallest, most mundane gestures, we may find a kind of grace." -- David L. Ulin, anthology editor, Another City: Writing from Los Angeles

"Murphy reminds us how the slow gentle beauties of life are indeed within our grasp. A wise, illuminating book." -- Tara Ison, author, A Child Out of Alcatraz

"The book is full of lore, technical tips, colorful needle-wielding characters, and, ahem, plain old good yarns." -- Michelle Huneven, author of Round Rock and Jamesland

Product Description

Knitting has become the hip new trend among twenty- and thirty-somethings, with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank, and Julianne Moore leading the way. This book explores what virtually everyone’s grandmother always knew-that when passionate knitters become one with the craft, amazing things start to happen.

In Zen and the Art of Knitting, Bernadette Murphy explores how knitting fits into the large scheme of life itself as . . .

-Meditation

-Creative expression

-A way to cure writer’s block

-A gift to express love

-A way for children to develop fine motor skills

-A way to connect generations, past and present

Throughout this magnificent work, readers find practical advice, including a knitted stitch per chapter and a basic pattern in the appendix. For serious knitters, casual hobbyists, creative thinkers, and those seeking to discover an unexplored spiritual channel, Zen and the Art of Knitting is a unique work that will be treasured for years to come.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Adams Media (September 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580626548
• ISBN-13: 978-1580626545
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,710 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knitting to unwind, August 6, 2004

By	Moira (California) - See all my reviews

My aunt taught me to knit when I was a little girl spending summers with her. My interest in the art has waxed and waned over the years as my children grew up and my career evolved. Now I'm in a place in my life where I find my interest in peace, serenity and spirituality is growing. This book has been a treasure for me. I haven't tried the projects, but I really enjoy the writing and the ideas. It makes me want to go teach knitting at the Boys and Girls Club. It makes me want to knit for charity (several of us "knitticts" have started making premie blankets, caps, booties to donate to inner city hospitals). It makes me want to open a yarn shop. It's encouraged me to have knitting projects available for "pick up" at all times. There is one by my rocker in the living room. One on the sunporch. One in my office for lunch and breaktime. One project road-tripped for 2,000 miles this summer. And one will fly to California with me for my son's wedding this fall. Bernadette Murphy has shown me that the process of knitting is just as important as the finished product and that was a very liberating concept for me. I keep a copy of Zen and the Art of Knitting on my nightstand (and one on my sun porch) because reading it is so calming to me. It really helps me unwind (pardon the pun) when I need to relax.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am one of those "creative"types, December 10, 2003

By	Dena R. Sigman "I eat books!!" (Denver, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Before writing this review, I looked over the others that had been written. It seems that many people are buying this book assuming that they will receive knitting tips, patterns, etc. Please review the title CLOSELY before purchasing the book; it says everything. I am a working mother, nurse, wife. For me, my time to craft {I crochet, knit, cross stitch} is my time to reconnect with myself and my inner dreams of spending my days making things for other people to wear and enjoy. Bernadette Murphy touched on this beautifully in this book. Enthralled with celebrities-well yeah, she lives near Hollywood, what do you expect? It's the same with anyone who lives in New York City! There have been many articles recently about women rediscovering their true feminine roots and this book explores this throughly. Unless you craft only for profit, and I mean, it can only mean profit for you, anyone who follows these arts are touched, spritually and mentally, by what their hands create. That is what this book is about.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good stories, not much spirituality, July 5, 2006

By	Matthew the Raven (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This book, Zen and the Art of Knitting, was an enjoyable, quick read, but I felt a little deceived by the title. The book is mostly stories about knitting that come from interviews with knitters, but there is little in way of serious spiritual content. For those wishing to explore integrating knitting into a spiritual practice, looking elsewhere would be advisable. For those looking for a book of enjoyable stories about knitters, this one might be worth picking up.