I know Elizabeth Zimmerman is considered some sort of knitting goddess, but I just don't get it. I've checked out each of her books from the library multiple times trying to see what I am missing, and I still have no idea. Sure, I like the idea that she encourages people to move away from using patterns and striking out on their own, but I think people with the desire would tend to do that anyway.
I must admit that I originally got a book to see what she has to say about the Pi Shawl and that immediately put me off, in a big way when I read this - "Have you begun to see the well-known geometric theory behind what you have been doing? If you are a man, you will have spotted it right away. If you are a woman (sorry, lib), you probably expunged such theories from your memory the minute you finished high school, or even college, to make room for more useful stuff."
Yeah, you can say it was the times in which that was written, but I don't see how that can be anything but offensive. Since then, I have perceived a condescending tone in about everything of hers I have read. I think I have given her books enough opportunity to change my mind and it hasn't happened.
Can I be the only one who see her this way?
Little Women is leaving me with a similar vibe. I know I must have read it as a child - or at least part of it, but I had no recollection of doing so. I'm almost finished reading it now, and several parts felt familiar after I read them. I don't recall how it ends so maybe I didn't finish it as a child. I'm feeling the same type of attitude with this book as well, again a much beloved by others book. My MIL told me that Louisa May Alcott is her very favorite author. Hmm.....I won't go there. It is kind of amusing to see the adjective "gay" used about 10 times on every page to describe pretty much everything :)
4 comments:
Yes! You are absolutely on-target about Elizabeth Zimmerman's tone. Thank you for saying it.
-Helen
I have 1 EZ book (Knitting Without Tears) I bought to see what all the hype was about. I learned a new cast on, and haven't looked at the book since. I thought the patterns were a little heavy handed.
As for Little Women. I read it in high school to continue my exploration of 19th century women authors. I wasn't crazy about it. I preferred (and still do) the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Although, lately, I've had to admit, there's a pretty good case for her daughter being a major contributor, if not an actual ghost writer. Regardless, there's a much more pro-female attitude I think.
After I posted that about Little Women, I thought the rest of the book had less of an attitude and wondered what the change could have been. Maybe I was having a better day? :) Or maybe there was some ghost writing happening.
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who is not enthralled with EZ. Thanks for the replies!
That Pi shawl part offended me, too. It's like, "OK, lady, you're not the only woman with a mastery of 'masculine' knowledge." Those numbers were, uh, pretty easy to figure out. I don't feel paticularly like excusing her, either, since there were people living during that time period who weren't sexist, either.
With that said, I actually liked reading the Knitters Almanac, whether or not I will ever knit something of hers. I remember, starting out as a knitter, reading her books and going bluh? It just didn't live up to the hype. Now, reading them, they seem more interesting. Shrug.
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