Knit Green – Book Review

I received my copy of Knit Green 2 weeks ago. Since then, I have been pouring through it.

Now, I should warn you – I am NOT unbiased about this book – I sold my photographs to the editor and they appear in the book. This is the first time I’ve seen my name in print, in a bound BOOK. So yeah, I was more than a little excited when my copy came in the mail!

That said, I was prepared to just scan the book and put it on my shelf (or let’s be honest, on my coffee table where I can casually flip to my pictures whenever anyone wanders into the room). I’ve been reading and researching eco-friendly fibers since I first thought about starting a yarn business, over 4 years ago. I didn’t think this book had a lot to teach me.

Whoa.

I was wrong. So very wrong.

This book is FULL of things I didn’t know or couldn’t find the answers to.

Part of the book’s brilliance is in it’s layout. Each chapter tackles a different angle of “green” knitting: Biodiversity, sustainable farming, vegan fibers, maintaining folk traditions, fair trade, organic, recycling, buying local & changing habits.

Each chapter has a well-researched article on the topic, followed by 2 – 3 patterns using yarns that embody the characteristic.

While most of the patterns aren’t for me (I hardly ever knit from patterns, so *most* patterns aren’t for me), the fact that the author gives you real applications for what the book is teaching is refreshing.

The real gem in this book is the articles. The articles are worth the price, even if you never knit any of the patterns, if you are concerned with making concientious decisions in your knitting.

And don’t let the whole “green” thing scare you away. The author never becomes preachy or pedantic. She seems to share my belief that knitting “green” needn’t be a major life-changing commitment; it can be a slow path to making decisions you are comfortable with.

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Book: Knit Green, written by Joanne Seiff
(since we’re all about the shopping-local, why don’t you try to find a local indie bookstore through IndieBound?)