I've been enjoying the Math For Knitters podcast (I love Lara's laugh), and most people refer to Elizabeth Zimmermann at some point during their interview (frequently as "EZ," since we're obviously all supposed to know who she is).
I borrowed her Knitter's Almanac (the Dover commemorative edition - woot!) from the library (and have renewed it twice...erm, I think maybe I should buy it), and loved it. She was a blogger before there were blogs. She writes in a very conversational style, and intersperses knitting patterns with random daily-life anecdotes. Also, she is somewhat obsessed with socks. And buttonholes.
There are a few problems with the book.
First, you cannot read it on a train, in public, or with anyone who is a non-knitter. I laughed until I cried, and poor John bore the brunt of my renditions of the particularly amusing bits. Except that they're not funny if you're not a knitter, apparently.
Second, it is expensive. Not the book, but the fact that you will want to go out and Buy More Wool to make everything that she writes about, as well as Buy All Her Other Books because she's so darned clever and interesting to read.
Third, I will never meet her. And she's not going to write any more books. (She passed away in 1999.)
Fourth, she pointed out that one can knit and read simultaneously. SHUT UP. Viv, I know you could already do this. I have discovered that I can only do it if either someone is holding the book for me and turning the pages, or if I am reading on the Kindle. Obviously, this will also become expensive, since I either have to pay an underling to hold the book for me, or buy more books on the Kindle.
Ok, so none of those are really problems. EZ, you and your "unventions" are pretty fabulous. Knitters who haven't read any EZ, get thee to your library (or yarn shop or bookstore) and remedy that. You'll be glad you did.
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