Notes from Zimmermann's writings and knitting practices
Knitterly wit and wisdom we can still use today, Limen Shawl releases Aug 14, CraftDoodling Designs News, etc..
Elizabeth Zimmermann’s books were among the first knitting books I ever read, and I was instantly drawn to her warm, chatty style. She had a way of blending casual knitting tips with gentle life wisdom, making her writing feel like a conversation with a trusted friend.
A knitter who learned from her once said, “For me, as a teacher and knitter, EZ’s most important contribution was her willingness, eagerness and wonderful ability to disseminate information. Her communication style was so encouraging and welcoming.”
Today is her birthday, and this post is a small tribute to EZ and her invaluable contribution to modern knitting. As a lighthearted exercise, I’ve gathered some of her advice on familiar topics that might come up in any knitter-to-knitter chat, from buying yarn to caring for handknits.
Of course, I couldn’t leave out her own words on her famous “unventions.” I hope you enjoy these excerpts as much as I enjoyed putting them together.❤️
ON BUYING YARN (Knitting without tears)
“When buying wool be guided by the recommended GAUGE rather than the number of plies, and compare this recommended GAUGE with the GAUGE specified in your knitting. “
“A well-made sweater, knitted with good will and good wool, is beyond priceless why try to save a dollar on the material?”
“If you prefer to economize and love to knit, make your sweaters with very fine wool and many stitches. A thin sweater weighs much less than a great heavy one, and, broadly speaking, wool sells by weight. Fine knitting gives you many more hours of your favorite hobby..”
“Consult the nice expert in the wool shop, and if she doesn’t suggest taking an extra skein as insurance against running short, take one anyway. Extra skeins are always useful for socks, caps, mittens, colors, patterns or stripes.”
“Discrepancies will occur between dye lots. Never start a project without sufficient wool to finish it. “
“If you can find an almost perfect match (in dye lots), the two shades may be successfully blended by working them in alternate rows for an inch or two.”
ON MAINTENANCE OF FINISHED ITEMS (Opinionated Knitter & Knitting without tears)
“Washing a wool sweater is akin to bathing a baby, and brings the same satisfaction of producing a clean, pretty, sweet-smelling creature - very rewarding.”
“Many of you ask how I wash my sweater. I use lukewarm water, any good mild detergent I have around — Lux, Fab, Woolite — and I work fast, expelling ass much rinsewater as possible in the spinner of my Easy. Or you can roll it in a towel and jump on it like Mr.Gladstone. Then dry flat, moulding into shape; a damp sweater is almost like clay in this respect.”
“But if you have a garment that has pilled, pick off the pills methodically, section by section: sleeve, front, sleeve, other front, back. Thus the undone bits can be compared to the done bits for the thoroughness of the de-pilling. Hold the surface upto the light from time to time, to spot pills which have escaped you. When the job is done, it is rarely necessary to repeat it on a given garment. “
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ON HER ‘UNVENTIONS’ (Knitter’s Almanac)
“But unvented - ahh! One un-vents something; one unearths it; one digs it up, one runs it down in whatever recesses of the eternal consciousness it has gone to ground. I very much doubt if anything is really new when one works in the prehistoric medium of wool with needles. The products of science and technology may be new, and some of them are quite horrid, but knitting? In knitting there are ancient possibilities; the earth is enriched with the dust of the millions of knitters who have held wool and needles since the beginning of sheep. Seamless sweaters and one-row buttonholes; knitted hems and phoney seams - it is unthinkable that these have, in mankind's history, remained undiscovered and unknitted. One likes to believe that there is memory in the fingers; memory undeveloped, but still alive.”
I will end this post with another quote from one of her students:
“The most important thing I learned was to write at least one letter or postcard a week to someone expressing my opinion or my praise for something that person said or did. And not necessarily about knitting: she encourages us to become activists and advocates in our own ways about things that were important to us.
Do you have a favorite quote, project or a piece of advice from Zimmermann? Please share in the comments! ♥️
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CRAFTDOODLING DESIGNS UPDATES
Limen Shawl pattern arrives Thu, Aug 14. Please keep an eye out for my email with pattern links and discount code. ❤️
If you haven’t picked your project for Lambtown MAL already, here is a Ravelry Bundle I put together with all eligible items from my designs. ❤️
Please use coupon code LAMBTOWNMAL to get 20% off my patterns until Fri August 15 2025, midnight PT.
I shared a reel this week on instagram showing my Fluens Tee ❤️
I am currently working on a few new designs and some classes. More on those soon.❤️
OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE
READING UPDATES
Finished Reading 📖
Shadow of the Solstice - Anne Hillerman
Currently Reading 📖
The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau - Kristin Carmel
Until next time,
Kavitha. ♡
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My signature on my email "Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit either. "
Elizabeth Zimmerman
Kavitha, like you EZ’s books were part of my early knitting library. I knit a Baby Surprise sweater or two, and am blessed by an ongoing friendship with Amy Detjen who taught at the EZ summer camps. Thanks for bringing those memories back!
I’m at the Flock event in Seattle today. So much fun!!🤩