Stockinette, ribbing, cables, even the humble yarn over can instantly evoke places, times, people, conversations, all those poignant moments that we've tucked away in our memory banks. Over time, those stitches form a map of our lives.-From the prefaceIn The Yarn Whisperer: Reflections on a Life in Knitting, renowned knitter and author Clara Parkes ponders the roles knitting plays in her life via 22 captivating, poignant, and laugh-out-loud funny essays. Recounting tales of childhood and adulthood, family, friends, adventure, privacy, disappointment, love, and celebration, she hits upon the universal truths that drive knitters to create and explores the ways in which knitting can be looked at as a metaphor for so many other things. Put simply, “No matter how perfect any one sweater may be, it's only human to crave another. And another, and another.”Praise for The Yarn Whisperer: “Clara Parkes: The Yarn Seer.” -Interweave Knits magazine“If you are a knitter, or even if you are not, read this book for the sheer joy of her writing, for the way she strings ideas together and brings you into her world . . . I would compare her to Mark Twain because of her dry humor. Honestly, she's that good.” -New Jersey Courier News' In Sticthes blog“Read this book to be reminded of how special it is to be a part of this warm and fuzzy community.” -About.com“I see a lot of yarn books in this gig, and Whisperer is not only the best I've seen this year, it's one of my all-time faves. Seriously, it's that good.” -The Oregonian