Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again

by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Book Overview

This paperback edition of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's popular Free-Range Knitter: The Yarn Harlot Writes Again reminds us of the joy we felt upon first encountering her hilarious and poignant collection of essays surrounding her favorite topics: knitting, knitters, and what happens when you get those two things anywhere near ordinary people.

For the 60 million knitters in America, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (a.k.a. the Yarn Harlot) shares stories...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0740769464
• ISBN13: 9780740769467
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Free Range Knitter

I absolutely Love the Yarn Harlot )as Stephanie is called) she has what some may call "a rather dry sence of humor" and that's right up my alley!! Being a knitter myself I can identify with all the ins and outs and pearls of wisdom she bestows on her readers. I have sat outside in the sunshine. Laughing out loud, at times shacking my head in agreement.probably looking like a fool to my neighbors and I had so much fun that I just didn't care what anyone thought lol. Everyone weather a knitter or a Crochier or even just a special laugh needs to read ALL of her books as Im.doing.

Free-Range Fun!

This book is a collection of stories. While it's written by knitters for knitters, you don't actually have to be a knitter to appreciate the stories. (The lingo might make a bit more sense though.) Since one of my ex-girlfriends liked to knit (and consequently, I've been on trips to buy yarn), I'm not entirely unfamiliar with knitting, but I've certainly never done anything with knitting needles that didn't involve pretend sword-fighting. However, like I said, you don't have to be a knitter to appreciate the stories. The book's author/compiler, Susan Pearl McPhee, winds her own stories (and humourous letters) throughout the book, giving it a nice overall cohesiveness, and the stories that she's brought in from other writers are quite good. Broken up into sections which have knitting names ("Cast On" for the first, "Cast Off" for the last, etc.), the book is easy enough to read by story or by section. There were times during the stories when I found myself laughing out loud, so I'm confident that others will really enjoy this book. Even though it's skewed toward a female audience (there's only one story about a male knitter, written by a woman, who then talks about how women view male knitters) the underlying themes of family, trials, tribulations, love, loss, happiness, and yes, knitting, speak to a human audience.

My favorite philosopher

My review can't possibly do justice to the eloquence of this woman's writings. She is a wife and a mother and a knitter and a beautiful soul. She helps me to make sense of my crazy life, and to feel that my obsession with yarn is a normal and natural thing. And she makes me laugh.

Free Range Knitter

I am at the half way mark and I can say this is a very entertaining book. For a knitter, all of these situations, anecdotes are totally relatable to. Most of this has happened to a Knitter at some time ! For those who loved the previous books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, you will not regret your purchase. For those who love this one, you will probably end up buying the previous ones. I'm a fan of the writting, the subject matter, the lay-out of the book (really beautiful and almost delicate)

Stories and essays that linger in the heart

Stephanie's newest book leaves me unable to find words to match those inside the book. I doubt I can do this book justice. This fine book is about knitting, yes, but really not so much about knitting as about what happens when knitting is part of life. The stories and essays glide and ripple and twist, carrying the reader pellmell into intimate contact with men, women, children, animals, ideas, and humor - and always the light of knitting is leaking through, shining its innocence, tough love, and grace onto stumbling humanity. Stephanie is a master at fostering reflection through story-telling. The first story, about a very young knitter named Annabelle, holds many layers of meaning about incredibly important things. And the last story, about a very old knitter, who needed no yarn to knit, let me close the book with a sense of fulfilment. We knitters, as well as non-knitters (who would love this book) are so very lucky to have someone like Stephanie spinning tales for us, with her sharp and shiny wit rising so naturally from an honest heart. I am grateful.