Mark Darcy's reindeer sweater (Bridget Jones's Diary) was the first thing that popped into my mind (along with a myriad of other ghastly creations which would cause any self-respecting sheep to die of embarrassment) when I cued up this three-hour-plus instructional DVD. I figured if I could learn how to knit from watching this comprehensive program, anyone could, and…I did: meaning this is the title to buy for anyone even remotely interested in picking up the needles. Divided into a zillion indexed chapters, the disc is a dream to navigate as the viewer has the option to jump straight to any segment, whether it is choosing the right yarn and needles, recognizing and fixing errors, or learning about fiber types, shearing, spinning, dyeing, patterns, knitting books and clubs, and so on (there's even a section on knitting as a therapeutic art, complete with music to knit by). The camerawork is excellent, especially for honorary show-me-state folks such as myself, while the energetic young host makes it clear that knitting is no longer your grandma's sport and that viewers actually can create something they would want to wear in public (except for maybe that bikini…wool shrinks when it gets wet). Highly recommended. Aud: P. (L. Stevens)
The Art of Knitting
(2004) 219 min. DVD: $19.95. TriCoast Studios. PPR. Color cover. Volume 20, Issue 1
The Art of Knitting
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