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Forgive me while I put on my old hat of librarian and offer a few of my favorite knitting related reads for your summer pleasure. See I'm getting ready for the annual family trek to Cape May, NJ. It's always a wonderful time with way too much food, far too much laughter, and family antics that simply cannot be explained. Despite all the frivolity, there is plenty of time to just sit and read on the wrap around porch. So here are a few gems I've enjoyed and you might too.
The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil -- Jo is a recent widow with two young boys who desperately needs to get away from the London suburbs. Her grandmother owns a wool shop in a seaside town and asks Jo to come manage it. Once she settles in, she gets a knitting group started. It's rather informal (kinda like our First Fridays) but friendship and the healing of knitting and conversation create new bonds between the women. Sprinkle in a little romance, a high profile client, and the trials of motherhood and this book will delight.
P.S. There is a sequel to this book entitled Needles and Pearls. I recently found it on the "Buy 1, Get 1 50% off" table at Borders. Any guesses what I'll be reading at the beach?
Casting Off by Nicole R. Dickson -- Rebecca is researching a book on Irish knitting patterns. When she and daughter Rowan move to a small Irish island for the summer, Rebecca is forced to confront the dark storms that have haunted her life. I found this book enchanting. Each chapter starts with an explanation of a knitting pattern used in the Irish sweaters. Dickson does a superb job of weaving the stitch patterns into the chapters. By the end of the book, you'll be packing your bags for the rocky coasts of Ireland!
Knitting by Anne Bartlett -- I first came across this book shortly after my grandmother, who attempted to teach me to knit, passed away. The story is about the lives of two very different women who are drawn together by a stranger. Sandra is an academic who is grieving the loss of her husband and floundering for a way to process his absence. Martha is a self taught artist and gifted knitter who has a rather eccentric personality. These two women come together to present an exhibition on textile arts historic and modern. In the process, a quiet redemption takes places in each of their lives. Moving, thought provoking, and original.
Knitting Rules!: The Yarn Harlot's Bag of Knitting Tricks by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee -- While this book isn't new, it is full of helpful (and hilarious) tips for any project you have on the needles, have completed, or are contemplating! Despite being non-fiction -- you know nothing imaginary -- this book is perfect for times when you need to escape from the world at large and retreat to a world full of fiber and knitting lingo. Known for her humorous take on all things knitting (including those of us who knit!), Pearl-McPhee delivers a book that will comfort any knitters' soul.
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