Mother of Purl by Eig, Edith (best desktop ebook reader .TXT) 📗

Knitting for Baby. The Debbie Bliss Baby Cash–merino is an ideal choice for knitting baby garments. It’s soft because of the cashmere, but the merino wool adds a little more resilience for the frequent washings that baby clothes endure and also makes it more affordable.

Knitting for Teens. Almost without exception, teens love bulky yarns. The look of these yarns never seems to go out of fashion, and the ponchos and scarves are fun and easy projects for easily distracted teens. Rowan makes great bulky yarns, with colors that change every season to reflect the fashions.

Knitting for Adults. When you love knitting as much as I do, it’s hard to pick a favorite yarn. I find myself drawn both to ribbon yarns and to yarns with a little luster or texture, particularly the hand–dyed yarns. Ribbon yarns are great for knitting the lightweight jackets I love to wear: they knit up in a large, loose gauge, and replicate the look of woven fabric in an interesting and stylish way. Yarns that have texture or character—a sheen, some variation in color—work well when making sweater sets. With the 13,000 different yarns lining the shelves of my shop, sometimes regardless of the project a client has in mind, she hears yarn “calling her name,” so she ends up going home with a completely different project. The first will just have to wait.

[EDITH KNIT TIPS]

Don’t Judge a Yarn by Its Cover

So you bought yarn and, at the time, you loved it. But when you went to knit with it some months later, you wondered, “What was I thinking?” Not so uncommon; even I do this. Since you can’t return the yarn, make the most of it. I’ll help my clients redesign the original project to incorporate some of the yarn as a trim or an embellishment, saving the rest for something or someone else. Your change of taste might be someone else’s good fortune. If you knit an entire sweater and then decide you no longer like it, you can change the look by simply adding embellishments and buttons.

No Names

When knitting for a child, never put the child’s name on the garment. This is a safety precaution, as children tend to respond to their name being called, even by a stranger.

SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR

The first time Sarah Michelle came to the shop, she walked in and walked out. She had to move her car. With that done, Sarah Michelle sat at the table, and I taught her how to knit. A very fast learner, Sarah Michelle quickly grasped both the knit and the purl stitch. After she chose a pretty blue chunky yarn, I wrote a simple pattern for her to follow in which she could combine the two stitches—and she was off knitting her first scarf. She loved it so much that the next day she came back with her mom, and this mother–daughter team returned almost every Saturday. During the holidays when Sarah Michelle was filming Scooby–Doo, her mom came in with a tin of cookies, a gift from her and her daughter. One evening as I was about to close the store, I received a panicked call from Sarah Michelle’s agent pleading with me not to close. The agent was en route to the store to buy a gift certificate for Sarah Michelle’s birthday.

MANUFACTURES’ HOMAGE TO EDITH

I have a strong reputation as a knowledgeable knitting resource within the knitting industry—not just among my clients and with the press but also among the knitting yarn and accessory manufacturers.

Clover Needles:For as many years as I can remember, manufacturers have been soliciting my advice on everything from color choices to needles and trends. Ever since knitting with chunky yarns became all the rage, I strongly suggested that Mr. Okada, the CEO of Clover Needles, introduce a size 17 and 19 needle to his line. He did. One afternoon the marketing director for Clover USA, Jan Carr, came to visit, and recounted how he had been suggesting this all along, but that his counsel had fallen on deaf ears. He said, “All it took was one of your calls to make a difference…. I’ve been suggesting this for years. You sure have a lot of influence.”

The Edith Coat:Knitting as an art has been around since the dawn of time. But only in the past several years did the knitting trend emerge. I have been credited by the media and by yarn manufacturers for contributing to knitting’s resurgence. As a thank you and to my surprise, Berroco Yarns created the “Edith Coat.” This elegant and stylish coat was one of the highest forms of flattery.

Hana Silk:Hana Silk by Noro had always sold very well at my shop. A thick, hand–dyed silk easily worked up in a size 10.5 needle. Then, just as quickly as it arrived, Noro discontinued importing Hana Silk to the United States. When I asked the manufacturer why, he said that it didn’t sell around the country. I explained to him that at my shop, it practically flew off the shelves. He told me that “if yarn could sell at La Knitterie Parisienne, then it’s worth reintroducing.” Hana Silk continues to sell very well in my shop, and throughout the United States, to this day.

RECINA WILLIAMS

I have received many calls from my knitters abroad. I was particularly surprised one day when I received a call from Regina, an actor, dancer, and choreographer, who was invited to Saudi Arabia to teach hip–hop to the King’s daughter. Regina had forgotten her knitting instructions in the States. Fortunately, I had a copy in the store and was able to save the day.

Chapter Four

KNITTING TECHNIQUES

There’s a simple rule to follow to determine whether your pattern will work according to the directions. Patterns may be translated improperly from another language or may just have an error. That’s why it is important to read the directions