A Good Read – Anything by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

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I am a book junkie. I’m always reading something. When I was younger, and thought life was a serious pursuit that I should be winning, I read serious stuff like A Raisin in the Sun. Now I’m older and lazy laid back and I read entertaining drivel like Practical Demonkeeping. These days I want books that are junk food for my brain.

I also like knitting books. (I heard that. I heard you all say “duh“.) So I really like junk food for the brain books about knitting and that is what Stephanie Pearl-McPhee writes. She writes them well.

She writes knit humor. She doesn’t have many patterns, although her sock recipe has taught zillions of knitters, including me, how to make socks. She isn’t known for innovative knitting techniques, although this low quality video of her demonstrating Irish Cottage knitting is the fastest knitting I’ve ever seen!

She is known for stuff like providing knitters with a list of criteria to use when you are at the bookstore trying to decide which knitting magazines to buy. If you follow all of her criteria you will buy every magazine they sell and that’s exactly what you wanted to do. She is quite helpful like that. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, aka The Yarn Harlot, will reinforce all of your yarn-related addictions and make you laugh while she does it. Her books taught me to stop hiding my obsessive need to knit and stop questioning my own sanity. She convinced me to embrace this hobby that was threatening to consume all of my free time.

I’m much more at peace with myself knowing that I have company in my crazy. Of course, I took all this life advice from a woman who knits faster and faster when she thinks she might not have enough yarn to complete a project (she is trying to out run the yarn and beat it to the finish line). But… all of her books have made the New York Times Best Sellers List. I must not be the only one who thinks she is brilliant.

If you’ve never read any of her books, start with Kitting Rules! Its my favorite. Its hysterical and a fast read and will have you going back to the bookstore to buy the rest of her titles. Oh and buy all the knitting magazines while you’re there. The Yarn Harlot says that’s okay.

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5 Comments on "A Good Read – Anything by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee"

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horsearcher
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I’ll look for her books. But I’m a little anxious about it. Just how many books has she written? I ask because when I find and author I like I tend to buy All their books and devour them in one gulp.

knitsbyjenn
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She has written at least nine books. That should keep you in reading material for at least a week! Might be a tad expensive though… sorry. (I’m not really sorry.)

gilly
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Stephanie is indeed inspirational. I too no longer feel alone in my knittiness, knowing now that there are knitaholics all over the world who manage to function adequately in life.
The sock recipe got me going ‘off-piste’ ( I mean without a pattern).
My favorite phrase of hers is ‘there are no knitting police’, so pick up those sticks and string and go forth and knit!….anything, anyhow, as long as you knit it is good for the soul.

knitsbyjenn
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Exactly! She is wonderful for convincing the reader to go and do just what they want to go and do. We need that.

My favorite phrase (its from her sock making) is “make cuff until you are sick of it”.

gilly
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“make cuff until you are sick of it”.
I have followed this advice many times. Unfortunately you can’t do likewise for the foot or Munchkins would have too many socks.

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