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Perhaps you’ve been wondering about Tracey Ullman lately. Maybe you’ve been wondering where the actress has been lately—why you haven’t seen a lot of her. Well, wonder no more. If you want to find Tracey, you can find her in Santa Monica, in a little shop called Wildfiber. There, she and store owner Mel Clark have been passing the time sipping tea and knitting and collaborating on a new knitting book. Tracey and Mel decided that the books out there just didn’t have the patterns that they wanted—so they decided to create a book of their own.
And thus Knit 2 Together: Patterns and Stories for Serious Knitting Fun was born.
Though she’s an avid knitter, Tracey isn’t exactly the knitwear designer of the two. The majority of the designs are Mel’s, though Tracey is always happy to share her suggestions—and her very own pattern for knitted dreadlocks appears as a sidebar in the book. Mostly, though, Tracey makes her mark in the book through sidebars, commentary, and anecdotes—which is the perfect fit for the comedienne. She’s not afraid to share the tales of her knitting disasters—or, occasionally, triumphs—and her stories make for an amusing read as you flip through the book. In fact, I’m sure she could write a book of her own—just about her knitting experiences. And I know I’d read it.
The core of a knitting book, however, isn’t typically found in the commentary; it’s found in the patterns. So are the designs any good? Definitely. Are they unique? Well, have you ever seen a pattern for a two-person sweater before?
Okay, so I might not be running out to by the yarn for the Knit 2 Together Sweater (the one pictured on the book’s cover), but when I flipped through the book, I immediately picked out plenty of patterns that I just had to make. I love the Grownup Bonnet, which is a cross between a hood and a scarf (which, if you ask me, is brilliant). You can expect to see me wearing a bonnet of my own this winter. And as soon as I saw the pattern for the House Slippers, I invited my knitting friend Chandra over to dye slipper yarn (mine are going to be hot pink and turquoise—hers will be raspberry and green). From fun gifts—like the Tahiti-Style Photo Frames and the Luxe Neck Warmer—to the glamorous Lacy Hug-Me-Tight and the funky Lady Detective Hat, Knit 2 Together is filled with designs that I would actually make. Not all of them are for me, of course, but it’s not everyday that I find this many great (and, as promised, different) patterns in one book.
So if you’re looking for Tracey, pack your knitting bag and head to Santa Monica. And while you’re sitting there with Tracey and Mel, sipping your tea and knitting your bonnet, please let them know that I’m keeping an eye out for their next book.
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