Blue Yarn. A Personal and Social History of Knitting

The book begins as a very personal account of Karin Erlandsson's two great passions, writing and knitting and how they intermingle. Knitting her first jumper from leftover oddments of wool as a teenager she went on to embracing the complexities and different techniques involved in knitting. From the deeply personal account of her life as a knitter anchored in her community in Aland, the Swedish enclave in Finland the book expands its focus to the whole of Scandinavia, then the UK, Australia, the USA and the rest of the world. In the Middle Ages countries that produced wool such as England had a much-prized commodity to export and became rich on the proceeds. 

Karin Erlandsson explores the origin of knitting over two thousand five hundred years ago and how it swept through Europe in the 17th century, creating garments and socks for royalty and the rich. before it permeated through all walks of society. Knitting guilds were established in Germany and England, the knitters being men and for a lot of its history, men were at the forefront of knitting commerce while women knitted at home to make clothes for their family. Traces of this divide can still be found today with knitting being compulsory in Finnish schools for girls and not boys. The book abounds with interesting nuggets of information with Karin Erlandsson constantly surprising the reader as we learn how wool is used to protect sore nipples during breastfeeding and how the southernmost glacier in Sweden, is covered during the summer with a woollen cloth to slow down the melting. 

We also learn about the depiction of knitting in art, such as the German Renaissance painting of The Knitting Madonna, in literature and the Bible and how knitting evolved as a craft. Knitting is both practical, creating clothes to wear, and creative, blending different colours, patterns and styles and can now be considered as an artform. Blue Yarn is a warm and inspiring book which will appeal to anyone who has ever held a pair of knitting needles and encourage countless others to get knitting or just immerse themselves in the story of knitting.