Clara Parkes, 'A Stash of One's Own'

Calling all knitters or really anyone with a hobby! Join us at The Book Cellar to hear knitter extraordinaire Clara Parkes discuss her new book, A Stash of One's Own: Knitters on Loving, Living With, and Letting Go of Yarn.

Clara Parkes
Author of five books including the New York Times bestselling Knitlandia, Clara has dedicated her life to figuring out what makes yarn tick—and finding the right words to write about it. She turned passion into profession in 2000 when she launched Knitter’s Review, the first comprehensive online knitting magazine and community. Since then, through her writings, workshops, books, television and radio appearances, custom-sourced yarns, and yarn consulting services, Parkes has championed the notion of paying closer attention to what you knit and where it came from.

“Clara Parkes is the MFK Fisher of knitting: unflinching, all-seeing, mysterious—and also kind.” – Ann Shayne and Kay Gardiner of Mason-Dixon Knitting.

She divides her time between city and country in Maine, always writing from a desk in the kitchen.

A STASH OF ONE’S OWN: KNITTERS ON LOVING, LIVING WITH, AND LETTING GO OF YARN

Anyone with a passion has a stash, whether it is a collection of books or enough yarn to exceed several life expectancies. With her trademark wry, witty approach, Parkes brings together fascinating stories from all facets of stash-keeping and knitting life–from KonMari minimalist to joyous collector, designer to dyer, spinner to social worker, scholar to sheep farmer. Whether the yarn stash is muse, memento, creative companion, career guide, or lifeline in tough times, these deeply engaging stories take a surprising and fascinating look at why we collect, what we cherish, and how we let go.

Featuring stories by (in order of appearance) Meg Swansen, Lela Nargi, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Amy Herzog, Ann Shayne, Gudrun Johnston, Kay Gardiner, Rachel Atkinson, Franklin Habit, Anna Maltz, Sue Shankle, Amy Christoffers, Clara Parkes, Jillian Moreno, Susan B. Anderson, Lilith Green, Rachael Herron, Kristine Vejar, Eugene Wyatt, Aimée Osbourn-Gille, Kim McBrien Evans, Adrienne Martini, and Debbie Stoller.