The Yarn Whisperer: My Unexpected Life In Knitting (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Way more clever than it's uninspired title, The Yarn Whisperer resonates with this closet knitter. The tales, musings and recollections of Ms. Parkes give those who don't knit wonderful stories that go beyond the world of handcrafting. Trips to France, baking pies, reading The Hardy Boys and other mysteries all create a warm and entertaining read. Images to complement the chapters are the only missed stitch. So - what did I learn from this book??Mills Women's College in Berkeley CA is a liberal arts college that has a strong tradition in the feminist movement & has produced some notable women in US history;It takes some days to drive from the East to the West coast;Parkes comes from a strong musical & scientific family;Renovation costs in North America are the same the First World over: they run over budget & time & are very inconvenient;Clara Parkes is a lesbian, but doesn't throw it in your face (which I quite enjoyed).Note there is nothing mentioned here about either YARN or KNITTING. There is very little about yarn or knitting that makes the title worthy - unless it is sarcastic joke. I thought when the title a "noun" whisperer was used in contemporary parliance it meant you had adept skills in this "noun". Obviously, I have misunderstood this modern phrase. I know quite a bit about knitting, but even Elizabeth Zimmermann's books that are part bio, part knitting technique are more engaging & I enjoyed rereading about techniques I am very familiar with, so this wasn't the issue when I approached this book.These series of essays are patchy: some are wonderfully constructed, and others are really light on in content, and so are quite weak. One or two analogies just simply don't work at all, or require extensive explanation they are so obtuse.I used to work in an office of late GenY/ early GenX and they have this really infuriating habit of being shown a skill, they practice it twice & suddenly, they feel they are Masters of the Universe regarding that skill & move on. Regarding their capabilities, the reverse is quite the fact. From reading this book, I felt Ms Parkes behaves in a similar fashion.I am so pleased I never wasted a single cent on buying a copy, but was loaned a friend's copy who's damning praise was: It's a light read!I am not recommending this to anyone.
What do You think about The Yarn Whisperer: My Unexpected Life In Knitting (2013)?
She had a lovely way of describing knitting. It is a book I will read again.
—shawe
I sort of liked the premise of the book but it just didn't work. Pooh.
—Rhona
One of the best books I've read in a LONG time. Highly recommend.
—Azel
Good read on knitting woven through a life
—finnickingannie
it's a little heavy on the yarn analogies
—enairra
