This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been notified. Thanks to all who participated! Slow Knitting by Hannah Thiessen, photography by Katie Meek, pub. Abrams, 2017. This hardcover book is beautifully put together, from the embossed title to the sidebars and schematics. The impetus of the book is to encourage knitters (and everyone!) to "source carefully, produce thoughtfully, think environmentally, experiment fearlessly, and explore openly". Each chapter outlines the author's thoughts and research on this topic, then profiles a couple yarns that exemplify that particular value. After each yarn profile is a pattern using the yarn and highlighting its qualities (and often, the value named in the chapter title). There follows a section called "Yarn for Thought" which gives brief overviews of several other yarns which could easily have been included in that chapter. "Next steps" sidebars nudge us to act on the values outlined and even go beyond, examining seasonality and embracing innovation. I recommend this book for anyone who has never thought about where their yarn comes from as well as those curious about the slow knitting movement. If you like even two of the patterns in the book, a purchase would be worthwhile. And now the giveaway: Leave a comment about one of the five Slow Knitting values (source carefully, produce thoughtfully, think environmentally, experiment fearlessly, and explore openly) and what it means to you. How have you enacted this value in the past, or have you never thought of it before? Do you practice it with regard to something else in your life (like food or transportation) but are just now applying it to knitting? Do you have a friend who embodies it admirably? What's one step you could take toward it? I'll choose one comment at random on October 26. Be sure to leave a method of contact (email address or Ravelry handle). Provide me with a U.S. address, and I'll mail a copy of the book to you. Good luck! Disclosure: The publisher sent Kangath a review copy of this book. Kangath was not otherwise compensated for the preceding review. All opinions expressed in Kangath's reviews are her own.
30 Comments
I thought a lot about these issues when I was writing Knit Green! I wonder how careful sourcing in slow knitting aligns with eco friendly sourcing? Are they the same or is the environmental chapter about this? I would love to learn more--have not gotten a copy of the book yet.
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Hi Joanne, I enjoyed your book! Yes, I expected this book to include more about eco friendly sourcing. Hannah's take on careful sourcing is more about forming a relationship with the fibers--what kind of sheep the wool came from, who fed the sheep, why the yarn maker chose that weight and play, what color it was before it was dyed...in short, making sure the yarn wouldn't be out of place in your home before buying it.
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Thanks for your kind words! I really appreciate this info. As you might expect, I did a lot of research for my book, and I continue to think more critically about how/why some things are considered more or less eco-friendly than others. It's a hard thing to measure in some contexts.
Jennifer Fairchild
10/13/2017 08:58:20 pm
The value among these that speaks to me the most is "Produce Thoughtfully." So often I see all the yarns and want to knit all the things, but I know that it's not a possibility. I am not as thoughtful as I would like, but we all have room to grow. I try to assess any WIPs every once in awhile and frog, leave for later, or finish. In doing that, I end up with things that I will use and enjoy.
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Anne SD
10/14/2017 12:23:02 pm
Produce thoughtfully/source carefully:
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Congratulations! I am big on reducing waste. I stuff toys and pillows with yarn ends and boil my onion ends for broth. But sometimes I buy yarn with a project in mind and then life gets away from me and I never cast on. My stash is small, but I have placed a moratorium on buying for personal knitting. Sometimes I see a deal which seems irresistible, but then I remember the yarn in my cedar chest waiting for me...
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Amanda
10/15/2017 02:00:13 pm
I've occasionally tried to experiment fearlessly. I've found some children's skirt patterns that I loved, and changed yarns and gauge to upsize it to my size. That might be easy for some, but it's a leap of faith for me!
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Connie K.
10/15/2017 04:43:51 pm
Source carefully - I love this one. Learning to make healthier, greener choices has been a hard but rewarding road. Learning about food and the impact of our food choices on the world has made me feel both better in a physical sense and better about myself.
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J. Ranck
10/16/2017 08:31:40 am
What a wonderful concept. Fingers crossed my number comes up. Thanks so much for the raffle.
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J. Ranck
10/16/2017 08:34:34 am
The book's concepts, especially experiment fearlessly, remind me of this:
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Patsy Coats
10/16/2017 05:01:44 pm
Think environmentally. I have been recycling since the 1980s. Our town was one of the first in Alabama to have a recycling center. I'm a nature lover and the environment has always been a cause for me.
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10/17/2017 02:01:19 pm
Experiment fearlessly! This is my mantra, or at least on good days. I try. I try to teach my daughter this as well. She's a maker and loves creating structures, contraptions, and thingamabobs, whether they work or not. I think this is the advice we need to give young women and all women. I'm a writer, so experiment fearlessly is perfect for writer's block, starting something new, or even finishing a project that's been around for years (like my latest project). What doesn't this motto work with? (Don't tell me, I don't want to know). Thanks!
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Lynne Zapletal
10/17/2017 04:20:11 pm
What a great review. I haven't necessarily stopped to think where the yarn came from,, how it was created, etc. I need to be more thoughtful and enjoy the process (start to finish) much more.
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MJ
10/17/2017 07:36:16 pm
I hadn't heard of the Slow Knitting values before, and they sound very intriguing. Although I've been knitting for 40 plus years, I've never really "experimented fearlessly," but always wished I could move away from what the pattern tells me to do and do it my way more.
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Yes, I understand your reluctance. Sometimes when I'm cooking I follow the recipe exactly even though I know it looks like too much salt or too little cheese. I can't take salt out of a meal, but I can often rip back knitting when I decide my way would have been better--and it's usually worth the extra time!
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Robyn
10/18/2017 11:17:41 am
This book looks great, as it seems to encourage mindfulness and openness, which I struggle with and have been working to improve. In my knitting, I hmm and ha and I look in the 'usual haunts' to find something that speaks to me. However, more often than not, it's the unexpected place that yields something to truly get excited about.
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Teresa Douglas
10/24/2017 02:44:45 pm
I've thought more about 'source carefully' since moving to Canada. Shipping and duty charges, as well as a stronger US dollar, have made me look at yarns from Canada. Once I started doing that, I noticed how MANY different small yarn businesses there were within a few hours of my home. I don't always buy yarn from a local dyer, but I do look at those yarns first when sourcing for a new project.
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The idea of sourcing locally has been taking hold with me over that past few years. I had been carried along by the sweep of dazzling multi-colored merino fibers on the market (and they are lovely) but have been gravitating back to the locally raised natural colored wools of various breeds, buying them mainly as raw fleeces, sometimes as sliver produced in regional mills. Getting back to the complete process and having that sense of community has been very satisfying. I actually just ordered this book but would gift a copy to a spinning and knitting friend.
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