Knit Lore

So a couple of years ago, I went to the Poetry Center of Chicago's 'No Love for Love' Anti-Valentine's Day reading series. I was lucky enough to chat with the wonderfully funny Mr. Peter Sagal of 'Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!' fame.

Naturally, our conversation turned to knitting, whereby I told him of my never-ending cataloging of books in which knitting is referenced.

That clever little man wrote an inscription to me in the book he signed, thereby qualifying his book for inclusion in my list:

To Jackie - I expect you to figure out a way to knit while reading this.

It is so true: I took very quickly to knitting, in much the same way David Sedaris (and I imagine many other individuals, who I'll not name), took to marijuana and cigarettes. My hands are indeed, "at one with their labor," when knitting.

This Mama cat makes sure that her three little kittens are warm, cozy and toasty - even when they adorn the snowman with her homemade scarf, hat and mittens. 

I shit you not.  There is knitting in this book. I was as surprised as anyone to see it there. But, the reference to it rings quite true: Usually when I have to shit, I put down my knitting needles and go to the bathroom in my house.  If I'm in the woods, I probably won't do that.  I mean, I will put down my knitting, but I probably won't walk all the way back to my house. I'll probably just take some of the other advice offered up in the book.

Who would have thought that while on a relaxing getaway weekend in Sedona, Arizona, I would find a lovely little book for my kids about the desert? Did you know that spiders not only spin webs, they knit as well?

It figures.

Of course the busiest little creature on the face of the planet, with all her millions of children, and web-spinning, and fly-eating finds time to knit. 

This book is so beautiful and warm. I love reading it to my children. I always feel like I have given them a gift by reading them this book. And I always wish that I had a pair of magical mittens like the little boy in this story.

The amazing thing about this book, story and illustrations is that I believe they completely capture the feelings my children have when they realize I have knit something just for them. 

Of course, who could forget that it is the knitting of Sneeds, which everyone, everyone, everyone needs which brings down the Heffela trees?

Funny, I am sure there are plenty of things about knitting that are in fact bad for our world, but I always just think of it as making our world a smaller place.  I feel like I am connecting to the past when I am knitting and getting a little of the junk from today out of my life.

Who knew that all those years that I was reading these poems there would be one which I would find ever so interesting as a grown-up reading these to my own little buggers?

Go ahead, drag that yellowed and dusty book off of some shelf somewhere and check out Vegematic Lyrics! I mean, wouldn't it be wonderful if we did have a needle that would knit or crotchet? Imagine how much easier finishing could be! 

Angelina loves to dance...right into her mother's sewing basket which houses her knitting needles. Ouch!

Henry indeed has built an amazing machine.  It is a good thing his mother has her knitting to keep calm once she is forced to sleep in a tree house in the back yard!

Mrs. Weasley is a prolific knitter and though she has enchanted needles, she does not produce "perfect" garments. She is able to give Harry something he has never experienced before: a gift from the heart.

All the women knit in this book. But Laura is most surprised by knitting that Mary, her older sister, is able to secretly work on for a Christmas gift.