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Rating: 
Summary: Holistic knitting
Review: As a new knitter I was a little tentative about Bergman's approach. There weren't actual pictures, only sketches. The projects seemed complex for a beginner. It wasn't the book with the nice glossy pictures and step by step instructions with exacting instructions so I wouldn't be steered wrong.
And yet...my first project was gorgeous! Somehow her laid back but self confidence-building approach worked. The stories are interesting, and I felt the history put me in touch with what I was knitting in a very different way that a how-to book. For example, the piece she does on the color red inspired me to go for the red stole, even though I never wear red. Am I glad I did, it is beautiful!
The only thing I found a little difficult was that sometimes you have to flip around to get basic information, like weaving in or yarn substitution. But In a way, that was part of the fun. I look forward to my next project in this book.
One tip - her website does have actual pictures of most of the projects. This was helpful for me in determining if I was on the right track.
Rating: 
Summary: Not if you want a serious pattern book
Review: As a serious knitter, I was quickly disappointed with this book. All of the printing is done in purple ink, which I found very irritating while reading. Far too much of the book was taken up by strange interpretations of classic stories involving women, mixed with large doses of unnecessary autobiography and new-age philosophy. Some might find the stories interesting or inspiring; I found myself flipping past them in annoyance to find the patterns... which were poorly illustrated with sketches in purple. I truly love knitting and am always happy when someone else shares that love, but this book was neither helpful nor useful to me.
Rating: 
Summary: a must for knitters & lovers of stories!
Review: Beautiful knitting goes with beautiful stories. This is from an author who learned to knit when she was in junior high & had never gotten much further because, being a southpaw, she had to transpose everything. In her word, she summed up knitting as "ick."Spun in with the stories of the mothers of the world are technical details, pattern ideas & making your errors count, as it were. The illustrations accompanying each story are magical. This is a lovely, womanly meditative book for anyone starting out in the knitting life as well as a deeply spiritual adventure into the mythology of our feminine world. Fascinating, informative & fun - a must for the knitters in your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Stories, Less About "How-To"
Review: Bergman provides us glimpses of knitting throughout history and ties knitting into myth. She also writes a lot about knitting in the context of myth that historically has featured weaving. While the stories are interesting, the book's value for patterns not that strong. The main problem I have is not really being able to tell how the patterns would knit up. This has partly been alleviated by the website, ... but it would be nice to have better pictures of the garments in the book. All in all, this is not a book for those learning to knit. It is more of a spiritual knitting companion, to feel connected to the knitting community now and throughout time.
Rating:
Summary: gorgeous patterns
Review: I can sentimentally say that this was my first knitting book-- the book that started it all. Now hundreds of books, magazines, and patterns later I still come back to this book to remake items for myself, and gifts for family and friends. It is a beautiful book where you can further your creative knitting experience. I sincerely hope that Ms. Bergman writes a sequel to this book-- as it deserves one with her creative talent!!
Rating:
Summary: gorgeous patterns
Review: I enjoyed this book. It really got me thinking about what it means to be a knitter, on a personal and historical level. This might be too new-agey for some, but I'm not really a fan of new age stuff and this one didn't bother me. In general, I'd say that if the title sounds off-putting, you probably won't like it. Each chapter of the book is centered around a theme, with a story, a lessonlet (handy but NOT comprehensive, so if you're brand new, you should get another reference) and project to illustrate the author's point. If you're looking for a pattern book, this isn't it. The real meat of this book is the themes, not the projects themselves. In my opinion, it's worth it; you should make that call yourself. I really liked the patterns. They're illustrated in the book, but I highly recommend looking at the photos in the author's web site. They look ok in the book, but they're GORGEOUS in the pictures. The techniques, in general, are easy to intermediate level. Things I didn't like:
- the author takes a LOT of liberties with the myths involved. (They're often entertaining liberties and they make her point well. Just be aware.)
- a lot of the yarns she calls for are pricey. However, her patterns are free-form enough that you can substitute, and she describes the yarns pretty well, so it's not impossible to find something else. All in all, I'd say that if you're just looking for patterns, or if you're uncomfortable with new age stuff, borrow this from the library first, or read the excerpts.
Rating:
Summary: Not what you expected, but good anyway
Review: I expected... something else. however, I found the chapters fascinating, and really enjoyed the way she related various Goddesses to knitting (and vice versa). There aren't many of the patterns that I thought I'd want to make, but found myself all but compelled to make the Isis shawl. Then, I thought I'd never use it, but it's a favorite in my wardrobe.
She's not the best knitting teacher, if you don't have other resources, but the book is a good one.
Rating:
Summary: Overall, a Delightful Book
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book as much for the stories as for the patterns. I enjoy reading books that celebrate the work that women have done for centuries and, though the author adapts some of the story details, I think this book celebrates women's work. I also enjoyed her general description of different types of fiber and some practical advice on adding metallic yarn and other trendier yarns to a project to make it a bit flashier. The only drawback to the book is that most of the women in the stories were spinners and weavers, not knitters. This does not in any way take away from a very fun book.
Rating:
Summary: A real mixed bag
Review: This book is an interesting mix of craft instruction, patterns and stories related to women, spirituality and the connection with crafts. I liked the way the author gets a knitter right into making interesting garments, not just boring beginner projects. I also loved the stories - inspiring if a bit preachy and "New Agey." However, I would issue two caveats to a beginner: The instructions on how to knit are unnecessarily complicated, and show a preoccupation with left- or right-handedness that I do not understand at all. Knitting requires dexterity in both hands, and as a left-hander who has always knitted the same way that right-handers knit, I don't see the reason for the fuss. The second problem is her claim that the yarns she recommends for the projects are "readily available." That is simply untrue. I am a longtime knitter and yet I have not heard of some of these yarns, have never seen them in a yarn store, and would have to search online or through catalogs for some of them. The recommended yarns are also very expensive. Fortunately she does give an idea of the yarn type so substitution is certainly possible; in fact, it will be necessary. However, do not let these flaws put you off from a book that addresses an important subject: the connection between our hands and our hearts and minds. The more I knit, the more I realize that it's not about what we make, so much as what we do, and that the process is every bit as important as the product.
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