David L. Ulin, anthology editor, Another City: Writing from Los Angeles
"Bernadette Murphy explores the now-radical notion that in the smallest, most mundane gestures, we may find a kind of grace."

Michelle Huneven, author of Round Rock and Jamesland
"The book is full of lore, technical tips, colorful needle-wielding characters, and, ahem, plain old good yarns."

Tara Ison, author, A Child Out of Alcatraz
"Murphy reminds us how the slow gentle beauties of life are indeed within our grasp. A wise, illuminating book."

Book Description
Knitting has become the hip new trend among twenty- and thirty-somethings, with celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz, Hilary Swank, and Julianne Moore leading the way. This book explores what virtually everyone’s grandmother always knew-that when passionate knitters become one with the craft, amazing things start to happen. In Zen and the Art of Knitting, Bernadette Murphy explores how knitting fits into the large scheme of life itself as . . . -Meditation -Creative expression -A way to cure writer’s block -A gift to express love -A way for children to develop fine motor skills -A way to connect generations, past and present Throughout this magnificent work, readers find practical advice, including a knitted stitch per chapter and a basic pattern in the appendix. For serious knitters, casual hobbyists, creative thinkers, and those seeking to discover an unexplored spiritual channel, Zen and the Art of Knitting is a unique work that will be treasured for years to come.

About the Author
Bernadette Murphy is an essayist, fiction writer, book critic, and a knitter of seventeen years. She is regularly published in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, and Book Magazine. Ms. Murphy, who teaches creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers Program, lives in Los Angeles.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In Zen and the Art of Knitting, Bernadette Murphy explores how knitting fits into the large scheme of life itself as:

*Meditation
*Creative expression
*A way to cure writer's block
*A gift to express love
*A way for children to develop fine motor skills
*A way to connect generations, past and present

Throughout this magnificent work, readers find practical advice, including a knitted stitch per chapter and a basic pattern in the appendix. For serious knitters, casual hobbyists, creative thinkers, and those seeking to discover an unexplored spiritual channel, Zen and the Art of Knittingg is a unique work that will be treasured for years to come.

Bernadette Murphy is an essayist, fiction writer, book critic, and a knitter of seventeen years. She is regularly published in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Newsday, and Book Magazine. Ms. Murphy, who teaches creative writing at the UCLA Extension Writers Program, lives in Los Angeles.

SYNOPSIS

Explore the spiritual benefits of a hugely popular craft.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Bernadette Murphy explores the now-radical notion that in the smallest, most mundane gestures, we may find a kind of grace. For her, knitting is a spiritual practice, and this book traces the arc of her discovery with openness and faith. — David L. Ulin

Murphy reminds us how the slow gentle beauties of life are indeed within our grasp, that what we take into our hands, we take into our heart and soul. A wise, illuminating book, for knitter and non-knitter alike. — Tara Ison

The book is full of lore, technical tips, colorful needle-wielding characters, and, ahem, plain old good yarns. Knitting, in Murphy's hands, is more than a metaphor; it is tangible, hands-on proof of the inner-connectedness of all living things. — Michelle Huneven