In an era of global warming, war, escalating expenses, declining income, and drugs and violence in schools, many mothers feel they have little control over their families or their worlds. Nora Murphy eloquently demonstrates that many women do control one tiny thing: their next stitch. While tracing the frustrations and joys of knitting a sweater for her son through the course of one cold, dark Minnesota winter, Murphy eloquently brings to life the traditions and cultures of women from many backgrounds, including Hmong, American Indian, Mexican, African, and Irish. Murphy’s personal stories — about her struggles to understand esoteric knitting patterns, her help from the shaman of the knit shop, and her challenges sticking with an often vexing project — will appeal to knitters as well as everyone else who has labored to create something from scratch.

Here is the history of knitting around the globe, examining styles, techniques, and particular styles countries and regions—including England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Iceland, Japan, Australia, Canada, United States, Peru, Bolivia, and more. Highlighted are 20 profiles of historically significant knitters who are using particular techniques today—plus 20 patterns that exemplify knitting traditions from around the world.

Sustained by the metaphor of knitting, the memoir Love is the Thread traces the way one spiritual friendship can change all our relationships, with strangers and friends, from friends to family, and beyond. Love is the Thread centers on the friendship between two women, one snared in a life-long struggle with bipolar disorder, the other reweaving her life after an abusive relationship. Spirituality, encounters with nature, and vacations on the Delaware shore form the threads of a friendship as varied and closely knit as the stitches in a handmade sweater. From the discovery of hidden colors in fresh snow to the satisfaction of teaching a young nephew to knit, Love is the Thread savors life's small glories, ultimate challenges, and all the moments of humor and tenderness in between.

Super Easy Knitting for Beginners is the only guide you will need to get started, teaching you knitting through fun and simple projects that will build your confidence as you go.

A collection of patterns for sweaters, hats, and slippers which incorporate the prints from the textiles of ancient cultures

The renowned knitter and author of The Yarn Whisperer spins tales of a creative life enriched by world travel in this New York Times–bestselling memoir. In Knitlandia, Parkes invite readers and devoted crafters on excursions to be savored, through seventeen of her most memorable journeys across the globe. Her knitting adventures span from the fjords of Iceland to a cozy yarn shop in Paris’s thirteenth arrondissement. Also known for her PBS television appearances and hugely popular line of small-batch handcrafted yarns, Parkes weaves her personal blend of wisdom and humor into this eloquently volume that is part personal travel narrative and part cultural history, touching the heart of what it means to live creatively.