Stephanie Pearl-McPhee - Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlots Guide to the Land of Knitting

The Yarn Harlots to the Land of Knitting Guide

The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by
publishing practical information that encourages
personal independence in harmony with the environment.

Edited by Deborah Balmuth and Elaine M. Cissi
Art direction and design by Mary Velgos
Text production by Mary Velgos and Kristy L. MacWilliams
Cover and interior illustrations by Jamie Hogan
Cover photograph by Adam Mastoon

2007 by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages or reproduce illustrations in a review with appropriate credits; nor may any part of this book be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other without written permission from the publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the author or Storey Publishing. The author and publisher disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. For additional information please contact Storey Publishing, 210 MASS MoCA Way, North Adams, MA 01247.

Storey books are available for special premium and promotional uses and for customized editions. For further information, please call 1-800-827-8673.

Printed in the United States by CJK
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Pearl-McPhee, Stephanie.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee casts off : the yarn harlots guide to the land of knitting.
p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-58017-658-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)

1. KnittingMiscellanea. 2. KnittingHumor. 3. Knitters (Persons)Miscellanea.

I. Title.

TT820.P3747 2008
746.432dc22

2007003975

DEDICATION

This book is for Denny, Megan, Rachel,
That Laurie, Rams, Cassandra and every
knitter I ever met or corresponded with.
You taught me that knitting is not just a hobby,
but a destination. My life is infinitely richer
(and my stash infinitely better)
for knowing all of you.

EVEN IF YOU dont care to travel, if youre a knitter, youre on a journey to an amazing land. You packed your bags for this trip the first time you picked up needles and yarn, the first time someone showed you the knit stitch, or the first time you cracked open a knitting instruction book or surfed a knitting Web page.

For some people, the journey to this land is a spiritual one. These are the knitters who find serenity and relaxation in knitting (those who say knitting is the new yoga). For some, it is a journey of self-challenge. Those who view it this way seem to devour knitting, learning the way to cables and lace and grafting so quickly that you can scarcely stand to watch them without feeling inadequate. Some are drawn into knitting by the people they meet along the side of the road, and they are often changed, frequently inspired, and occasionally healed because of these encounters. (These are the most perplexing knitters for common humans to understand, and non-knitters try to avoid them at cocktail parties. You can guess how I know that.) Whatever the reason for embarking, however the journey can be characterized, or whatever you find when you get to the destination, the point is that knitting takes you on a journey becoming a knitter is a process, and knitting itself is far, far more than a hobby. Its a destination, a location, a new land.

The land of Knitting is a remarkable place. Its borders are far-reaching, extending through almost every country in the world. (Admittedly, countries where its about 100 degrees for much of the year have fewer Knitting ports of call, but surely you can understand how there might be just a smidge less incentive for warm knitting wear to develop in Zimbabwe than, say, Russia.) The land of Knitting has citizens residing all over the globe (and maybe on other planets toonobody has ruled that out yet) and Knittings denizens transcend borders, language, race, age, gender, fashion sense, and, to be entirely frank, occasionally intelligence.

Immigrants to the land of Knitting arrive by book, by video, with a mentor, in groups, aloneand sometimes lonely. They come in various states of confusion, trying to grapple with things that even we longtime residents still havent entirely grasped. The currency (how much yarn is too much yarn?), the language (cast off or bind off?), the politics, the sports, the local customs: Citizens of the land of Knitting must navigate all of this bewilderment, usually while contending with those in the rest of the world, most of whom dont even believe in Knittingat least, not as a destination.

Knitters have their own rules, their own society, and their own limits. How else can you explain millions and millions of people who understand that its reasonable to buy an outrageous amount of yarn when you hear its been discontinued, but that its completely unreasonable to think youre going to finish knitting all of it before you die? How else do we all millions of us, in every corner of the globe know the password: Just one more row?

For a place where knitters spend so much time, we know very little about this remarkable land and its culture, and its time we changed this. Welcome, then, to the first travel guide to the land of Knitting. We know youll like it here, no matter who you are.

All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.

Martin Buber

THE LAND OF KNITTING is populated largely by people who didnt know they were coming here to live full time. They thought they were merely going to be tourists. They were just going to learn to knit or were just going to knit one or two things. They would pop in and out, vacation here, maybe contemplate a time-share condoAll knitters begin their journey through Knitting truly believing theyre going to adopt knitting as a hobby or a skill, not a lifestyle.

In every Knitting immigrants life there is a moment different for each person that sparked her interest in knitting and set her on this path. Maybe she saw a friend knitting or maybe she had a sudden remembrance of a relative who was a knitter. In those who are susceptible, simple exposure to wool products can trigger the knitting reflex. Perhaps a Knitting tourist begins by making only one baby blanket for an expected child or maybe just one fuzzy scarf to go with a favorite blue coat. Then, after finishing one scarf, she thinks that maybe some other people would like scarves too, and she makes more and these people really like them. They think the knitter is very clever and the scarves are funand the knitter is still having tons of fun making them, so she knits even more scarves and everyone gets a scarf for Christmas (even that guy down the street whose name she doesnt know).