Tea and a Book - A Life in Stitches

This week's tea is Earl Grey -- my favourite. It helps keep me warm on these cold spring days (will the warm part of spring ever really come???)

This week I'm focusing on non-fiction:

 A Life in Stitches: Knitting My Way Through Love, Loss, and Laughter
by Rachael Herron

(I took this book out of the Toronto Public Library -- If you click on the image of the book it will bring you to the Canadian Amazon site-- For the US Amazon link, click here)

I've never read any of Rachael Herron's "Cypress Hollow" fiction books (How to Knit a Love Song... and others)... and I can't remember why I ordered A Life in Stitches -- I must have read about it on someone's blog.... But I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like reading about why people knit (or paint, or sew, or scrapbook). This book is written in 20 essays, not chronological, nor do they need to be. They tell a story of how Rachael came to knitting, how it stuck with her through thick and thin, and how she made a career out of her two loves -- writing and knitting (not her only loves :). They are the kind of stories that keep you turning the pages and saying "tell me more".

This book has inspired me to dig out some yarn that I thought I'd never use and knit it up. (uhh, it's a sparkly teal mohair blend). I'm going to make a cardigan! I've never tried one (all that I've been knitting for the last few years has been socks, and, more recently, cotton dish cloths). I don't know how she did it, but Rachael somehow inspired me to challenge myself a bit :).

If you're a woman and you like to knit -- you'll like this book. If you're "crafty" you'll like this book. Mr. B -- you might like this book! (Mr. B knits).

I've ordered Rachael's first fiction book from the library -- I'll keep you posted!


Rachael's blog, Yarn-A-Go-Go is here!
There is currently a call out on her blog to help make a "love blanket" (or two) for members of one of the victims of the Boston bombing. If you knit, and can send an 8x8 square to Rena in the USA who will sew together the squares, please head over to this post. Seriously, an 8x8" square doesn't take long (hello? dishcloth?), and you can help make a fuzzy hug for someone whose life has been ripped apart. 
(fibre and colour are your choice, but dk or worsted are best)