When knitters get together they talk about what they are knitting, share the fine points of a centred decrease, or mourn the demise of a favourite yarn, but they rarely touch on knitting's greatest truth: The real power of knitting has more to do with what goes on in the head and the heart than what happens on the needles.


It's well known, even scientifically documented, that knitting is one of those repetitive, rhythmic processes that soothes and reduces stress much as meditation does. Many knitters enter this zone, blissfully losing track of time while their fingers carry on with business. But few share their experiences in the way that Perri Klass does. Whether the topic is Knitting in the Hospital, Doing the Math, A College Reunion, Plot Twists and Turns, or Two Sweaters for My Father, Klass finds the universal threads that connect with other knitters, other women, other children, other parents.


In a non-reflecting age, knitting provides the time for discovering the human experience - stitch by stitch. Perri Klass' essays let us share in hers.