Book Reveiw: Keep Calm and Cast On

Keep Calm and Cast On is a pocket sized compilation of quotes, facts and generally good advice put together by Erika Knight. It is published by Quadrille and is part of a series of books in a similar style. The others in the series to my knowledge cover gardening and cooking.

"knitting is the saving of a life" Virginia Wolf (1882-1941)

The book is hardback bound in fabric giving it a very vintage feel similar to the other things in the "Keep Calm" style it also has a built in ribbon page marker.

"You don't knit because you are patient. You are patient because you knit" Stephanie Pearl-Mcphee, 2008

I find it good just to have on hand so when I'm bored or looking for inspiration or people have been telling me I shouldn't be knitting I can just pick it up and flick through it and find quote or pointer to make me take up my needles again and lose myself in the stitches.

"I like making a piece of string into something I can wear." Anonymous

The book also contains quotes and information about Stitchlinks, an online group who aim to utilise knitting and other similar activities as a form of heathcare. They mainly target mental and emotional problems such as depression and have been researching the idea that knitting can help with delaying the onset of dementia. More information can be found on their website.

"I was a foolhardy lover who has always been prepare to throw his loyalty and devotion at the feet of Mistress Knitting." James Norbury, 1904-1972

I got my copy from waterstones. It can be found on amazon here (ISBN: 978 184949 095 5).

"Remember It's only yarn and yarn can be reknitted. So you can always rip out a few stitches or rows, trace back to where you were in the pattern and start knitting again."