Book Review -- KnitLit Three

I just finished the book KnitLit the Third, and thought I would share my thoughts about it. The book is edited by Linda Roghaar and Molly Work and is subtitled, “We Spin More Yarns.” As can be divined from the title, this is the third book in a series of collections of yarn stories – stories written by knitters across the country (world) and compiled for our enjoyment.

Before reading this book, I had read the other two editions, and very much enjoyed them. They are full of funny and heart-warming stories concerning our lives with knitting and yarn. I was looking forward to the third edition.

After reading it, I must admit that this sequel is more poignant than funny; it has more stories concerning the role of knitting in the crises of our lives than in our mountaintop experiences. I felt that the balance of hilarious to tear-jerking stories was out of balance. This book has many more stories centering on death or illness than previous editions. I felt bombarded with deep-felt emotion with not much to relieve the stress. I don’t mean to say that all the entries should be funny, but I could have used more light stories to counteract the heaviness of the others.

However, this book does have some gems. I love the story by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot concerning her experience in an airport without (gasp!) her knitting. (And if you would like to read another story about the Yarn Harlot in an airport, check out this blog entry about “The Weenie.” Hilarious) It was great to read Ann Shayne (of Mason-Dixon Knitting) tell the story of how Ann and Kay came to be blogging buddies and then co-authors. “Have a Mice Weekend” by Kay Flores was a hoot. The poem by Harry Kelley called “The Cardigan” reminded me of Dr. Suess, but was a great read. There were other stories that I won’t take the time to list that made the purchase of the book worth its price.

Overall, I’m glad that I read it, but hope the next one is less morose and more merry

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