Yarn Harlot

Though I’ve been reading Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s blog for years, I just recently got around to reading her book, Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter, which capitulated her in to knitting royalty.  I read this book while on vacation, since I was not knitting.  It really does help to read about knitting if one cannot knit.  

Secret Stasher

Pearl-McPhee is a knitter after my own heart.  She loves yarn.  She finds the most imaginative – ahem, interesting – places to stash her yarn so her family will be oblivious to the amount of yarn she actually has.  From her I learned that yarn can be stashed in the piano and freezer! Who would have thought about freezing yarn?!

She’s been knitting since childhood and even offers a story of learning to knit with her grandmother.  Her family tolerates her knitting but definitely does not understand her obsession like a fellow knitter would.  This leads to all kinds of hilarious stories.

Becoming a Knitter

Stephanie talks about a process that many serious knitters go through – of becoming a Knitter instead of a knitter.  A knitter makes scarves and dishcloths and is happy by not expanding their knitting skillset. But once you start to learn advanced knitting skills, and practicing them, you earn the right to call yourself a Knitter.  

I think I’m in the process of becoming a Knitter.  There are skills I’ve added to my repertoire this year – and the year before that – that I never thought I could do, or even want to do.  I’m eager – though a bit nervous – to learn more!

Knitting Anecdotes

Pearl-McPhee, as you can imagine, has some hilarious knitting stories to tell.  Her voice is always fun – a treat to read. Knitters will be able to sympathize and laugh out loud about situations that sound all too familiar.  

I particularly liked the very last story, when Steph loses a double-pointed needle in a rental car.  The depths of her obstinacy to find this dpn ostracizes her from her family, who do not understand her passion for one little needle.  

And we’ve certainly all been there right?  How many times have I lost a dpn to the bowels of an armchair, then having to crawl around on hands and needs, with a flashlight to find it – sometimes upending the chair in the process. All the while, Matt sits there, shaking his head.

That’s the life of a knitter.