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

suggested that they incorporate alternate rows of worsted wool with the novelty yarns. When they felted it, the effect was amazing. The wool felted as expected, but the eyelash yarns retained their distinctive style, and the novelty yarns gave the finished bag a wonderful visual punch. Pleased with their work, they plowed through numerous bags. Some other gift ideas are scarves, shawls, ponchos, and blankets.

DEBRA MESSING

Many of my celebrity clients find La Knitterie Parisienne to be a quiet, welcoming haven where they can just relax and be themselves. When my very famous Will & Grace star walked into my shop with her dog, Leila, her knitting project centered around making a little blue sweater for the dog. Leila came for several fittings and sat on the table like a real pro while I measured. Because Debra is allergic to many fibers, we were challenged to find one that could work well, was soft, and came in the powder blue she desired. We did, and Debra knit a lovely dog cape sweater in powder blue with white trim. Leila was fashion forward on all fours.

[EDITH KNIT TIPS]

The Paint–Chip Palette Approach

Color preference is such a personal choice—and can present quite a challenge when you’re knitting a gift for a friend. You may get a request for a sweater in “midnight blue,” but how can you know for sure that “midnight blue” means the same thing to both of you? Rather than make the wrong choice, suggest they visit their local hardware and paint store and pick out three paint chips—one that matches exactly the color they want, along with two alternates. You’ve successfully eliminated the guesswork.

THE ULTIMATE KNITTING GIFT

If your friends and family are interested in knitting—why not teach them how? Figure out who among your circle of loved ones will really take to the craft, and put together a gift for them. Include large–size needles, ranging from 11 to 15, select two or three balls of yarn that you know will appeal to them, a simple scarf pattern, and a copy of this book. If they are out–of–town friends, you might consider casting on and knitting the first few rows to make it even easier for them. After all, the best knitting gift of all is sharing your knowledge of your craft with others.

JULIANNE MOORE

I remember when Julianne first began to knit with me at my shop. She would come straight from the set of Jurassic Park: The Lost World and was excited about making a baby blanket for her first child. At that time, she told me a secret, and I felt honored to be among those she trusted. I didn’t break her confidence, and I still wouldn’t, but now since the cat’s out of the bag, it’s okay to say that she confided in me when she told me that she was pregnant with her first child.

Chapter Nine

THE FUTURE OF KNITTING

I can’t wait to see how knitting continues to evolve. In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the current knitting renaissance is witnessing how knitters who have learned from me are melding classic techniques and sophisticated stylings with their own creativity.

If there is anything I hope that people take away from learning to knit with me, is that once you have a solid knowledge of the basic techniques, you have the power to explore a whole world of design and style.

All trends wax and wane in popularity, and knitting is no different. Twenty years ago needlepoint was all the rage, and everybody did it because it was the fashionable thing to do. A lot of those novelty needle–pointers stopped, and many members of this new generation of knitters will stop as well, but the people who love knitting will stay with it.

I hope that you will become a knitter for whom knitting is more than just a passing whim. You may discover that knitting provides you with a meaningful form of self–expression, allows your creative juices to run wild, and benefits the people around you, while creating a legacy that conveys a little of who you are for your children and your children’s children.

Like the meditative qualities of yoga, I hope that you’ll find knitting to be a calming force as you navigate life’s bumps and grinds, ups and downs, and that your new hobby will bring you a quiet space that is all your own—even if you are sitting on a commuter bus or surrounded by noisy children.

Most of all, I hope you will be inspired to pass on the art of knitting to your friends and family, and that you are always motivated to keep learning and developing your own skills. In this chapter I suggest ways in which you can keep your love of knitting alive. I haven’t necessarily included patterns for the skills taught here, but they are easy to incorporate into existing designs or to experiment with in your own pattern writing.

USING YOUR IMAGINATION

One of the greatest benefits about the knitting circle at my shop is being exposed to the ideas and imaginations of dozens of men and women. As a shop owner, my role also includes teaching, but it’s surprising how often I learn as well. Recently, a young knitter proudly came in to show me an item that she had knitted out of long strips of fabric she had cut herself. She was inspired by a jacket that I had made out of silk rippings, and I was equally impressed with the skirt she created. It’s knitters like her that give me hope that knitting will remain an innovative and exciting craft, even when it’s no longer as red hot as it is now.

MARY–KATE AND ASHLEY OLSEN

The summer before Mary–Kate and Ashley headed to New York University, the sisters would frequent the shop. One afternoon, I got a call from Ashley, who told me to buy the current issues of People and In Touch magazines. There was a picture of