ABC of Knitting
I would like to introduce you something special. The knitting book. Well, it might be not very special right now, but if we consider the time and place this book was written, it is truly unique.
The book was first published in 1978. 36 years later it is still one of the most popular knitting books in Russia. They say there are no knit courses in Russia that are not based on this book. ABC-book of Knitting doesn't only contain the techniques, patterns and tips on knitting, but it contains history.
The book was first published in the Soviet Union. My Grandma told me that it was very hard at that time to buy even food, forget about the yarn. This book has the spirit of that time. There are pieces of advice how to work with the old yarn from the unraveled sweaters, how to dye yarn (not for the sake of the “hand dyed” label on it, but because there was not much of a choice of colors) and even how to change the size of your needles by sharpening them!
I know from the stories of my Grandma how happy and delighted she was if she had the opportunity to buy some yarn, no matter what fiber, color or weight. Just the yarn. Can you imagine living in a country without constant access to the yarn?!!! There was no choice of knitting magazines, no patterns to buy. Sometimes some newspapers would publish one-size instructions for the sweater. This book really makes me appreciate all the privileges we have now – the choice of yarn, knitting magazines, independent designers, online and live workshops, beautiful yarn stores.
No matter what, all these restrictions didn't stop thousands and thousands of women to create absolutely unique pieces, true artifacts. ABC book was the first one who put all these years of practice into theory and helped a lot of people to learn to knit and crochet. Though some patterns are definitely too old-fashioned to knit,
… the collection of knitting techniques and little crafty secrets is priceless.
This book is so important to me, that it had to cross the ocean to be on my coffee table.