Knitting the Threads of Time: Casting Back to the Heart of Our Craft

Because knitting has always been a mysterious process to me, Knitting the Threads of Time: Casting Back to the Heart of Our Craftopened my eyes to the fascination of the clicking needles. Along with descriptions of the process, of the frustrations of trying to knit a sweater on time for Christmas for her son, the author involves us in the churning, on-going, interesting evolving of the day-to-day life of her family, making a can't-put-it-down book. She does this with a flowing style of writing, which, even though I didn't know a purl from knit, kept me fascinated to the end (an unexpected ending, by the way, which I will not divulge) Bob

This book is a perfect book to read this winter. It left me with the triumphing accomplishment of reading good literature during these cold months. Most importantly it is a culturally uniting book. It connected me on a number of levels; cultural, family life and the ups-and-downs of knitting projects.

From the first stitch to cutting the last strand of yarn, Nora Murphy managed to completely enthrall me with this well written, engaging and informative tale. I was captivated by the evocative imagery that drew me into cosy scenes of her own life, and delighted to discover how this craft has evolved over time around the world. This book satisfies on so many levels, it appeals to the woman, the mother, and the needle artist in me. I highly recommend it, it deserves reading and rereading.

This is a lovely book. I use the word "Lovely" with purpose. It is warm, it is inviting, it rings true, and it inspires and informs. A mother, during a cold, dark, Minnestoa winter, begins to knit a sweater for her son. An average mother, like me, like you. Taking on a challenge for a loved child. Fitting it in between work, homemaking, partnering, etc. But, as she knits she weaves.... She knits a row, and she tells of other women in other places and times. The yarn of her sons ever growing sweater becomes a "yarn" about women everywhere and the fiber they worked with. It is about the stories they incorporated into their work, the rituals, Everyday acts of practicality become heart, and soul, and history. This is the kind of book I prefer to read s-l-o-w-l-y. I didn't want to gobble it up, altho the temptation was strong because it was SO inviting and interesting. I made myself savor it. Read a bit. Then ponder over what I had read. Maybe looking up some more on the historical aspects of Hmong design, or African, or Ojibwe. Letting each piece of new fiber information settle in to my soul, not just my brain. A mother in Minnesota begins to knit a sweater for her child, and along the way she knits me, the reader, into a new wholeness I could not have anticipated. How LOVELY!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this new novel by Nora Murphy. As a fellow Saint Paulite I was thrilled with all of the local references and often found myself pondering my own cultural traditions. This story weaves the history of knitting from Africa to South America, Europe and beyond and explores everything from daily personal challenges, human tragedy and never ending faith.