Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Martin John Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The immensely popular knitalong—an organized event where people knit together for a common goal—has only grown with the explosion of the Internet. Yesterday’s wartime Red Cross sock drives have evolved into today’s meet-ups at locales as diverse as cafes, state fairs, and major league ballparks, as well as international online gatherings; in fact, at any given time tens of thousands of people worldwide are involved in knitalongs, organized around a particular yarn, a favorite social cause, an intriguing project, a special event, or myriad other themes.

Authors Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown present an inspiring look at centuries of people knitting together, and why knitters find the interaction so meaningful and worthwhile. Along the way, they offer 20 projects especially suited for different types of knitalongs. The Barn Raising Quilt and the Traveling Scarf, for instance, call on individual knitters to collaborate on a single project; while the Pinwheel Blanket and the Meathead Hat encourage a community of knitters to improvise on the same pattern to come up with a variety of results. Also included is essential information about finding, joining, and starting knitalongs.

Hundreds of knitters participated in the knitalongs hosted by the authors as part of their research, and this book will inspire thousands more to get involved in the knitalong movement. The only book that celebrates this tradition of community and purpose, Knitalong is sure to have a powerful impact.

About the Author

Larissa Brown is a writer and fiber artist whose artwork has been featured in Fiberarts and Knit.1 magazines and exhibited in New York, Seattle, Boston, and her hometown of Portland, Oregon. See her art at www.larissabrown.net and read her blog at www.larissmix.typepad.

Martin John Brown is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in MAKE, Sierra, Air & Space/Smithsonian, and American Spirit. Together Larissa and Martin wrote the business book Demystifying Grant Seeking.

Michael Crouser is a Brooklyn- and Minneapolis-based photographer whose clients include BMW, United Airlines, Target, and Nikon. His first monograph was published in 2007.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Stewart, Tabori & Chang (March 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584796650
• ISBN-13: 978-1584796657
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 7.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #277,967 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational! , April 2, 2008

By	Massachusetts Knitter (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

After drooling over the beautiful pictures on the web, I couldn't wait to receive Larissa Brown's book in the mail. I enjoyed the historical commentary delineated in the essays--a delightful read that connected my current knitting obsession to many generations of past knitters. The pictures are gorgeous and the pattern directions seem easy to follow. I can't wait to start knitting them up! In addition, after reading the book cover to cover, I feel inspired to start producing my own design-twists on patterns. Thanks for a beautiful book, Larissa!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get this book. (You'll love it.), June 10, 2008

By	Maryanne Schuessler "a/k/a Schuess" (SC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Buy this book if you're a long-time knitter. Buy this book if you're a newbie knitter, or someone who thinks,"Hey, maybe I'm interested in this knitting thing." Buy this book if you *know* somebody who loves to knit.

You'll understand. What Larissa and Martin have done is created a book that is also a camera's viewfinder, in which you see other people, like yourself, all over the world, knitting, creating, becoming involved in the art, and involved in each other.

Every time I open it, I see something new and interesting, informative and life-affirming. Hey, the patterns and projects are GREAT, the writing is really, really excellent, and the photography is perfectly beautiful, but this book is special. Larissa and Martin hand-knit this book for you and me. For us. Get this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knitalong, September 8, 2009

By	Bonnie Brody "Fairbanks Reader" (Fairbanks, Alaska) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together (Hardcover)

This is a lovely book about the social aspects of knitting. It has chapters on how knitting is good for spending time with others, its usefulness as a tool for remembrance, as a great way to spark creativity, a way to develop and expand your own personal growth, and the blessingway blanket story.

The book also has several lovely patterns to knit. including a baby blanket, a hat and mitten set with a 'buggy' theme, a felted bird's nest, a traveling scarf, and several others.

It lists websites to connect with other knitters and offers advice for knitalongs. Overall, I found this book informative and inspiring.