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

“Edith,” she said, “did you notice there isn’t a clock anywhere to be found? Your store is like a casino. The hours fly by and I don’t even realize it.”

One client who was in the shop with some time to spare suddenly got up shrieking, “Oh my gosh, I forgot my doctor’s appointment!”

The first thing you’ll want to do is find a location. Coffee shops are good, if a little predictable—make sure the owner is comfortable with her tables and chairs being taken over. Keep your eyes open for more interesting venues, like the London–based knitters who hold their knitting group on the Circle line of the Underground, or hold socials at friends’ homes on a rotating basis.

Keep it easy and simple. Knitting parties are most enjoyable when the hostess has created an ingenious theme for the party. You’ll also want to be sure to have enough experienced knitters on hand to encourage and lead beginners.

Decide on a budget. Are your guests going to contribute? If you have ten or more guests I would estimate about $15 for materials per person, and don’t forget to include additional costs for food and beverages. Depending on the yarn you select, you can expect to pay about $7 to $10 a ball. Splurge a little for needles. Clover bamboo needles are a great choice; they are nonslippery, light, and easy for beginners to use. They also feel good in your hands, which may encourage your new knitters to keep knitting after your party.

CAMRYN MANHEIM’S BABY SHOWER

I had received a call from my friend and client Caroline Rhea asking for help organizing a baby shower for Camryn Manheim. “Do you have any ideas?” she asked me. That’s when I conceived the idea of hosting a “baby–blanket knitting party,” where each guest would knit a square for the blanket. The now famous baby shower knitting party was born. It’s rewarding to know that my original idea started a national trend. I knew that many of the invited actresses were knitters already, but to get the fun going without any hiccups I precast dozens of needles with luxurious yarns in a cheerful color palette—yellow, white, and green. As the dozens of guests—sixty–four to be exact, including Lara Flynn Boyle, Brooke Shields, Calista Flockhart, and Marlee Matlin, to name a few— took their places, my daughters, Natalie and Audrey, and I hopped from table to table, teaching, picking up dropped stitches, encouraging the beginners, and casting off when necessary. The party was a huge success. It was the very first baby–blanket knitting party of its kind, and pictures from it were featured in all the celebrity magazines.

CAROLINE RHEA

I happened to be watching The Caroline Rhea Show one day when Jane Krakowski was a guest. During the show, they started to banter about knitting, and Caroline mentioned my name. Caroline had thrown Camryn Manheims baby shower, and I had taught Jane, who was a guest at the baby shower, how to knit. Since they both knew me, I suddenly became the subject, and then Jane—who is also originally from Parsippany, New Jersey—announced that her mother and I had known each other for years!

HOSTING YOUR BABY–BLANKET PARTY

It’s easy to throw your own baby–blanket knitting party. You don’t even need to be an expert knitter; just follow my guidelines.

You’ll need 36 six–by–six–inch squares for a blanket. To ensure your guests finish their squares at the party, go for a relatively big gauge; 3 or 4 stitches to an inch. If you end up with more squares than you need, make another blanket: that’s what we did for Camryn Manheim. This also happens to be the only time it’s not necessary for each guest to make a gauge—originality is relished.

Buy good–quality yarn. There’s no point in having twenty friends work together for an afternoon if the result is a scratchy mess of acrylic. I recommend buying a heavy cotton yarn, like Pronto or Goa, knitted on size 10 or 10.5 needles so the results can be achieved quickly.

Set up your tables, or, if you prefer, cluster your couch and armchairs together for an informal, cozy feel. Arrange the yarns and needles in small containers, one per guest. For Camryn’s shower we used wicker baskets, but you might use giant coffee cups or cute shopping bags from your local yarn store, whatever seems to fit your theme the best. Have a few good reference books on hand for the more adventurous knitters, though most people will inevitably knit garter–stitch squares, and mistakes only add to the charm of the blanket.

As the host, if you’re not proficient in finishing the blanket, bring it to your local yarn store and they can advise you.

BROOKE SHIELDS

After learning to knit at Camryn Manheim’s baby shower, Brooke enjoyed it so much that she would frequent my shop, which is located around the corner from her gym, and sit and chat with her fellow knitters.

KIDS KNIT

There was a reason why knitting was an integral part of my childhood education in Paris. Our teachers believed that it encouraged our mental development while teaching discipline and patience. They were right. Knitting is no longer a part of the school curriculum, but I believe knitting can be incredibly beneficial for children—it encourages creativity and coordination, and it helps stimulate the mind.

If you wish to ignite a love of knitting in your son or daughter, follow these tips. First, get them involved from the beginning; allow them to pick whatever yarn they like, and encourage them to take their time selecting it. Start them on a simple scarf. Don’t worry about having them knit a gauge, just select the appropriate needles; make sure that the stitches are relatively big, and use a chunky yarn.

Cast on for them. Don’t worry about teaching them how to cast on till they’ve mastered knitting and purling. Don’t wait any longer than that, though—otherwise they’ll think of casting on as a skill too difficult for them to master.