The Friday Night Knitting Club

The next book in my personal book club was "The Friday Night Knitting Club" written by Kate Jacobs.

This was a very interesting book, and I am glad to say that it was almost exactly what I expected based on the summary on the back cover. On the front it is described as "Steel Magnolias" set in Manhattan....I have never seen Steel Magnolias, but I know that it's the one movie that makes lots of grown men cry, so that prepared me for some sort of emotional event...and this book actually did bring tears to my eyes.

I've decided that you know it's a good book when you can write a review in a few sentences...this book was basically about a woman (Georgia) who had a teenage daughter whose father had split when he found out she was pregnant (and who of course shows up later on in the book) and she owns a yarn shop in New York. The book is about her shop and how inviting a few of the regulars to stay and knit when they wanted a break morphed into a formal gathering every Friday night. The club ends up being a wonderful bonding experience for these women who all come from different backgrounds and are in different stages of their lives. They all share their heartbreak, their excitement and their secrets over their knitting projects and really show us that with a common goal, we can all learn something from someone else (if that makes sense).

This book is a beautiful tribute to being a mother and raising a child. The end of the book is sad, but not entirely since the order of the events leading up to the ending made everything a smooth transition and made sure that every one of the characters involved had their own happy ending.

If you want a book that is going to make you grateful for friends, then this is a wonderful read. For me personally it has been a very long time since I had a friend like some of the women in this book and it made my heart ache to have that bond with another woman again. Although my life story is much different than Georgia's, I still felt a connection with her and her friends. This book really made me think about starting my own knitting/crochet club....I wonder if anyone would be interested?? I used to teach crochet at JoAnn's and I really miss it, I really miss the satisfaction of watching someone start up a scarf and their excitement as they returned the next week to show me how they had been able to do even a few rows straight!!

I figure once Greg gets the backyard done I might float the idea around...kids could come and run around the backyard while all of us women sit around and knit or crochet...and I would be more than willing to teach and/or give tips!!

What will my next book be?? I have one more paperback from Costco that I bought, but I have to find it first...I think I am going to try and make a baby blanket/burp cloth/bib combo pack from some leftover flannel and possibly put it up on Etsy and see what happens. Or maybe I'll just go watch my 2 beautiful children sleep for an hour.....

I can sew and read anytime, but these 2 kidlets won't be this small forever, I think I'll go sneak a few peeks while they're out!!!