A Knitter's Home Companion: A Heartwarming Collection of Stories, Patterns and Recipes by Michelle Edwards is a little gem of a book. Each chapter (Motherhood, Home, Community, Legacy) has personal stories from the author that are knitting related. In Motherhood, one of the stories is how she purchased yarn on her honeymoon and saved it for just the right project, a baby blanket for her first child. In Home, one of the chapters deals with her and her husband's favorite chairs and how his needed mending. In Community, she tells the story of her challenge to figure out how a slipper from India was knit and how her knitting group helped. In Legacy, she tells us a story of how she purchased knit items from a vintage shop and the connection she felt with the original knitter. These are but a handful of the stories in the book, and each one of them is a sweet tale that lets us get to know the author a bit more, as well as giving us some insights into why we knit and how knitting affects those around us.
Interspersed among the stories are quotes (love that), recipes and knitting patterns. Sometimes, the recipes and patterns directly relate to one of the stories, sometimes they are just marginally related. But they are all easy to execute projects and recipes with their own little stories behind them. I love the updated ripple afghan & I think the lacy washcloths would make a nice gift. I really liked reading the story about the Indian slippers and then finding the pattern on the next page. Aunt Charlotte's jam sounds really yummy & very easy. The spinach & sun-dried tomato quiche sounds awesome.
There are also book recommendations that the author gives, as well as her own little illustrations here & there. Being a real book lover myself, I loved reading her recommendations & there are one or two that I might seek out next time I'm at the library. (Hint, hint, Book Nook readers.....I love book recommendations. Bring 'em on.....please!)
Gosh, have I missed anything? There's really a lot in this little book! Stories, illustrations, recipes, patterns, book recommendations, quotes - all in the celebration of knitting. Really, what's not to love?
Cheryl
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Here's a recommendation: try the Knitter's Book of Yarn & Knitter's Book of Wool. They really talk about how the way yarn is constructed affects a finished project, and is filled with all sorts of information spinners learn, but knitters often do not. These are the books I highlighted at my Fiber Arts Retreat this weekend, and one I think every knitter should read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations! I have read the Knitter's Book of Yarn a couple of times. What an awesome, informative book! And I checked out the Knitter's Book of Wool, but really didn't go through it as thoroughly as I wanted to - might need to get that one again!
ReplyDeleteHow was the retreat, by the way? It sounds fun!