WITH MUCH GRATEFULNESS, I’D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE KINDNESS, goodwill, generosity, and hard work of those who helped make this book possible.
Galleries of gratitude to the book’s photographer, Jen Gotch, and her husband, Andrew, for his amazing yarn creations. For testing the patterns and knitting projects, I am indebted to an amazing crew of knitters: Robin Anderson (Victory Wristers), Peggy Fitzgerald (Playtime Cape), Lucy Freers and her mom, Jen Kaalberg Freers (Playtime Cape), Codi Josephson (Clutch of Inspiration), Kenda Stewart (Gussies). In addition, Suzanne Doerhsuk (Genie’s Hat, Quick and Easy Socks) solved several nagging heel problems and sized the socks, as well as Quick and Easy Mittens and Genie’s Hat. Jody Stouffer (Chicken Egg Warmers, Playtime Cape) helped me decipher my pattern notes. Alisa Weinstein (Zigzag Baby Blanket, Quick and Easy Mittens) came to my rescue more than once. Lisa Wilcox (Good Karma Slippers, Zigzag Baby Blanket) helped in so many ways, she deserves a Super Master Knitter pin. And quintuple thanks to designer Theresa Gaffey (Updated Ripple Afghan, Trio of Lacy Washcloths, Lacy Scarf) for writing five wonderful patterns.
For their culinary contributions, I’d like to thank Heidi Anderson, Janet Cohen, Charlotte Epstein, Genie McCliment, Esther Retish, Anne Ylvisaker, and Jon Zeltsman. When you try their creations, I think you’ll be grateful, too.
For keeping knitting lights burning in Iowa City, I’d like to thank Edyie Stika and The Knitting Shoppe. For their assistance with content, direction, ideas, and inspiration, I humbly thank Natalie Blitt, Naomi Dagan Bloom, Babbie Cameron, Vanaja Chandran, Janet Cohen, Laura D’Alessandro, Janette Ryan-Busch, Suzanne Doershuk, Peggy Fitzgerald, Vicki Itzkowitz, Codi Josephson, Gerri Kantrowitz, Monica Leo, Ellen Mack, Rosalie Maggio, Irene Palnick, Anne Price, Joanne Seiff, Nan Trefz, Lisa Wilcox, People to People, Alisa Weinstein, Anne Ylvisaker, and Jon Zeltsman. Volumes of thanks to all of you.
For providing me with a quiet space to work uninterrupted, rooms of thanks to Julie Decker, Harvest Preserve Foundation, Inc., and Rosalie Maggio.
For their cheers and sympathetic understanding, an Almond Champagne thank you to the Tall Grass Writers: Carol Gorman, Jackie Briggs Martin, Claudia McGehee, and Anne Ylvisaker.
For her accurate tech editing, inches of gratefulness to Sue McCain. For carefully editing the final essays, a heartfelt thanks to Betty Christiansen. For her kind, steady, and sharp critical guidance, for teaching me to focus on one thing at a time, and, together with graphic designer Sarah Von Dreele at onethread, for guiding my illustrations into the adult world, I am infinitely grateful to my editor, Melanie Falick.
For all the opportunities and help they have given me, I am deeply grateful to the folks at the Lion Brand Yarn Company: David Blumenthal, Ilana Rabinowitz, Zontee Hou, and Amy Ross. In addition to providing a home for my writings, Lion Brand supplied all the yarn for the projects in this book. And for their interest and enthusiasm, a warm thank-you to all the readers of my Lion Brand essays.
For patiently enduring the two long years when my focus and attention were on this book, I lovingly thank my husband, Rody Gessner, and our daughters, Meera, Flory, and Lelia.
A final debt of gratitude is owed to all those who appear throughout the book. While taking some liberty with conversations quoted, I endeavored always to be true to the content. Memory is sometimes a faulty friend, and I offer my sincerest apologizes for any mistakes and my regrets to any names left out. From the heart and the heartland, a bushel and a peck of thanks to all.