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Clara Parkes

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Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World Hardcover – February 16, 2016

by Clara Parkes (Author)

4.5 501 ratings

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Knitting aficionado and notable artisan Clara Parkes delves into her storied travels with this inspiring and witty memoir on a creative life enriched by her adventures around the world.
Building on the success of The Yarn Whisperer, Parkes's rich personal essays invite readers and devoted crafters on excursions to be savored, from a guide who quickly comes to feel like a trusted confidante. In Knitlandia, she takes readers along on 17 of her most memorable journeys across the globe over the last 15 years, with stories spanning from the fjords of Iceland to a cozy yarn shop in Paris's 13th arrondissement.

Also known for her PBS television appearances and hugely popular line of small-batch handcrafted yarns, Parkes weaves her personal blend of wisdom and humor into this eloquently down-to-earth guide that is part personal travel narrative and part cultural history, touching the heart of what it means to live creatively. Join Parkes as she ventures to locales both foreign and familiar in chapters like:

Chasing a Legend in Taos
Glass, Grass, and the Power of Place: Tacoma, Washington
A Thing for Socks and a Very Big Plan: Portland, Oregon
Autumn on the Hudson: The New York Sheep & Wool Festival
Cashmere Dreams and British Breeds: A Last-Minute Visit to Edinburgh, Scotland

Fans of travel writing, as well as knitters, crocheters, designers, and fiber artists alike, will enjoy the masterful narrative in these intimate tales from a life well crafted. Whether you've committed to exploring your own wanderlust or are an armchair traveler curled up in your coziest slippers, Knitlandia is sure to inspire laughter, tears, and maybe some travel plans of your own.

Length

160
Pages
Language

EN
English
Publisher

STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book
Publication date

2016
February 16
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.8 x 8.0
inches
ISBN-10

1617691909
ISBN-13

978-1617691904
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Knitlandia, Clara Parkes takes us from Taos to Reykjavik and beyond, knitting together stories of unique characters and places and yarn. Parkes is such an engaging guide into this world that by the end of the book you want to grab her by the knitting needles and beg to join her on her next trip." - Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle

"Within the fleeting world of social media, it's rare to find a collection of stories like Clara's in one place, stories that showcase the colorful richness and loving nature of our knitting community. In Knitlandia, her playful nature and eye for detail capture moments that make me enthusiastically proud to be a knitter." - Stephen West, Westknits

"No one but Clara Parkes could have written a book that contains such rich, knowing and sympathetic detail about the knitting world's most beloved gatherings. Based on Clara's previous books, I expected that from her. But Knitlandia has a delicious surprise: its emotional punch. This is a book for everyone who loves not just knitting, but the worldwide knitting community." - Kay Gardiner, Mason-Dixon Knitting

“A life entwined in yarn might mystify those who don’t knit, but anyone versed in the language of skeins and cables will sigh with envy over Clara Parkes’s new memoir, Knitlandia. Non-knitters will likely skip Parkes’s slender volume, thus missing a fresh view of destinations both exotic and ordinary. But those who pick up a copy for a knitting friend should dip into a chapter or two. They’ll soon wonder how quickly they can learn to wield needles and yarn, fashioning a shawlette or sweater that Clara Parkes would applaud.” -Kathy Blumenstock, The Washington Post

About the Author

Clara Parkes, a celebrated raconteur and highly sought-after teacher, is the author of The Yarn Whisperer, as well as The Knitter's Book of Yarn, The Knitter's Book of Wool, and The Knitter's Book of Socks. She is also the founder and publisher of knittersreview.com, an e-newsletter that explores the pleasures and subtleties of yarn. She lives in Maine.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ STC Craft/A Melanie Falick Book (February 16, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1617691909
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1617691904
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #188,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #318 in Knitting (Books)
- #4,862 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 501 ratings

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Clara Parkes

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“Long before social media cluttered every corner of our existence, Parkes’s conversational 411 about new yarns and interesting pattern designs forged connections among far-flung knitters, who discovered they were a global community rather than lone practitioners of a cozy hobby they’d learned from Mom.”

– KATHY BLUMENSTOCK, THE WASHINGTON POST

Author of seven books including the New York Times-bestselling KNITLANDIA, Clara has dedicated her life to exploring the stories behind, and qualities of, all the fibers that we wear on our bodies—and taking readers along for the journey. Through her writings, workshops, books, television and radio appearances, Clara has championed the notion of paying closer attention to what you knit and where it came from.

She turned passion into profession in 2000 when she launched KNITTER'S REVIEW, the first online knitting magazine and community.

Today she heads up THE WOOL CHANNEL, a multimedia platform dedicated to teaching and celebrating nature's original miracle fiber. She also writes THE DAILY RESPITE, a brief email newsletter called "an important newsletter for the times" by InsideHook.

Parkes divides her time between city and country in Maine, always writing from a desk in the kitchen.

“Through her woolly peregrinations, Parkes has become an unapologetic advocate for wool, a digital Cassandra in Allbirds, tweeting about the loss of this mill or that business, enjoining those of us who love the stuff — and can afford it — to not just consider the ‘food that goes into our bodies’ but also become ‘more mindful of what we put on them,’ because behind every skein of yarn there are dozens of stories.”

—LESLIE PETROVSKI, VOGUE KNITTING

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

501 global ratings

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Jennifer A. Riley

A Knitting Blogger's Review

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016

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Knitlandia is a beautiful journey that Clara Parkes let's you in on. It brings to mind Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's books, which I adore, and the tone and chapter subjects are very similar (I wonder if they had the same editor).

Each chapter is like an essay that speaks about specific locations/events around the world that are of interest to a knitter (or not). In the chapter on Paris, France, Clara promises to not buy any yarn or even to go into any yarn stores. She succeeds in the first, not the second. The journey is familiar to me, as I have traveled to Myrtle Beach and have learned the joys of marking a road trip with yarn from the destination. I have also begun to venture (as funds allow) to yarn festivals, such as Rhinebeck.

Clara is often a teacher, and most of her chapters are from that perspective, which is heartwarming, not overly critical. I have always hesitated to take classes at festivals, because even though many think my knitting is expert, I have trouble with criticism. This book helped me with that a little, because as a sometime teacher, it shows how similar we are no matter what hat we are wearing.

Knitters really do have a wonderful club that has been cemented with Ravelry.com, craftsy.com, Interweave and VogueKnitting. There is nothing more relaxing than to go to Rhinebeck and be surrounded with people of all religions, heritage, and ages that are all yarn-crafters. The consideration that is generally there, the kindness, the camaraderie is wonderful. Even knitting/crocheting on a bus, a fellow crafter can, and will, acknowledge you with a nod and smile at least, just as if they were standing beside you at a yarn vendor at Rhinebeck and you reach for the same yarn.

The Iceland chapter was hilarious. As someplace I have daydreamed of going to, the chapter started out as an affirmation, to a "I am NEVER going there!", to a daydream again haha. But all in good fun with general information and kindness, so I'm still good with my daydreams of Iceland.

When I was doing video podcasting on youtube.com, I was aware of the birth of the Edinburgh yarn festival and as an American Scot, I hope to return there one day and visit. That chapter is more about the people than the festival, though. Can you imagine having a meal with Stephen West!? Even Clara is awed by who she meets there and that makes her all the more endearing. You never know who you will run into at a festival.

This book is worth the purchase or wait through the local library. It is endearing, funny, relatable and interesting. It has a little bit of something for everyone. If you enjoyed the books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (all hail the Yarn Harlot!) you will enjoy this book, so check it out, check yourself in and sit back with your favorite beverage when you need to rest your hands from your yarncrafting. You will not be sorry.

19 people found this helpful

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Anne Cloward

My new best friend

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2021

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I love Clara. Her writing is so delightful. She makes her readers want to pack a bag, and hop in the car with her. She is the person you want to spend hours with to enjoy the fiber scene. From the Sock Summit to a rollicking visit to Iceland, what fun adventures she shares with us.

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Andie

It almost feels like you're traveling!

Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2016

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I enjoyed this book! Clara Parkes is a lovely writer, and she really offers a vivid sense of place. Her chapters on Iceland and Rhinebeck were especially descriptive.

As a knitter, crocheter, and lover of yarn in general, I really enjoyed learning more about many of the different wool festivals and knitting conferences that I've never attended. It was also especially fun to read about the author's experience at Craftsy. (She takes us behind the scenes - it was really interesting!)

Some reviews have complained that this book reads like a long list of name-dropping...and, well, I suppose it does drop a lot of names of very famous people in the knitting world. It seems as though Parkes is friends with every famous knitting designer walking the earth today. It didn't feel pretentious or grandiose to me, though. I actually just thought it was fun hearing stories about what these folks are like.

3 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

It's a Big World Out There

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2016

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In this travelogue, Clara Parkes describes her experiences of traveling around the world to teach and attend "sheep" events. The chapter headings are a delight. There is a brief chapter on our local Maryland Sheep and Wool, "Big Fleece and Fried Dough," but Rhinebeck, NY, is her favored show. My favorite chapters were about a trip to Iceland, "Naked Lopi," and another to attend the Edinburgh knitting show, "Cashmere Dreams and British Breeds"; but each chapter recounts the excitement and attractions of her travels. Paul Theroux is her hero, and she does him proud in the travel genre.
I discovered the huge world out there of knitters extraordinaire, who have a following of thousands. The book left me feeling like a voyeur in a world beyond my humble reach, which is OK. I have my own little niche in that world.

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SH

I really enjoyed this book

Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2016

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I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter was a new adventure. I bought it for a friend as a birthday gift by just skimming it and she liked it so much, I decided to buy the book using my new Kindle Fire, so it was my first download. Because I was an active participant in both Sock Summits, knowing Tina and working both times, it was so fun to read about them from a different perspective. And I have been to Madronna. It was so fun to read through the book and wish I could go everywhere myself. Thanks for making it come alive.

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Kai_Huffman

I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was great to read Clara's tales of traveling to so many of the fiber-ly events that I have either been to, wanted to go to, never thought about as being a destination, or, in a few cases, never had heard of. She has a way of making fiber and the activities about it seem so interesting (which of course they are) and fun as a travelogue. It definitely made me want to visit some of the events I haven't, but if I never get there for whatever reason (perhaps it no longer exists), I got a lovely taste of it through Clara's words.

One person found this helpful

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Susan

Enjoyable read for knitters

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2016

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This is a quiet and peaceful book that details, through the traveling experiences of a "technical knitting instructor", the impact of social media and, technology and group interactions on knitters in the last decade. As one of those knitters, I was pleased by the chapters that covered events I have attended and thrilled by the promise of those I haven't. I think those who don't knit will find here insights and explanation enough to make the reading worth their time. If nothing else, the humour with which the author shares, without hesitation, her opinions, quirks and embarrassments makes for an amusing read.

Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2019

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But a few to many personal stories about food or such. I wanted to know more about suppliers, Farmers, yarn retreats, shows & classes.

2 people found this helpful

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Wailliewaillie

More brilliance from Clara

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2021

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An excellent romp through what is surely a golden age for knitting, touring some of the amazing events over the last decade and showcasing the community that our craft has fostered. Clara's writing style feels like listening to a friend over a drink at the end of the day, and I can't get enough.

Cliente Amazon

Book depository

Reviewed in Italy on December 22, 2016

Verified Purchase

Il libro è arrivato dapo 5 settimane dall'ordine.
Non sono state tagliate a pareggio le pagine lateralmente.
Arrivato tardi per regalo di Natale ed è brutto da vedere.
Assolutamente giudizio negativo.

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Amazon Customer

A Knitter's "Must Read" Adventure

Reviewed in Canada on March 21, 2016

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A "feel good" book that all who are passionate about knitting must read! She takes you to all the knitting events that we've all read about and would love to attend. Read it then pass it on to all your knitting friends.

Kim

A lovely read

Reviewed in Australia on March 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

Recommended to all knitters, and to non-knitters too. A lovely selection of travel stories, which inlcude knitting and yarn, as well as much more. Another great book by Clara.

KC

I'm an avid knitter and really enjoyed all the wonderful stories about places

Reviewed in Canada on March 18, 2018

Verified Purchase

I'm an avid knitter and really enjoyed all the wonderful stories about places, people and companies that I deal with all the time.

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Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World Hardcover – February 16, 2016

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