Debbie Does Needlecraft

Debbie Stoller has done much to dispel the image of a gray-haired knitter wielding needles in wrinkled hands. As the best-selling author of the Stitch ´n Bitch books, she has taken the lessons handed down to her by her nimble-fingered Dutch ancestors and remixed them for a younger generation. “As a feminist, I think it’s important that we all help remove the stigma from these things women did for hundreds of years, and really come to value and enjoy and engage in them, so they don’t get lost,” Stoller explains. The righteous knitting babe is here to share her newest book, Stitch ‘n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker.

Aside from the fact that knitwear is considered fashion-forward this spring, there are other valid reasons to hit the yarn store. For starters, this hobby can literally patch over a generation gap. “You really feel connected to the women who came before you,” says Stoller. “People often say [about] my books: ‘Oh, it’s not your grandma’s knitting,’ and I always tell them: ‘No, it is! It’s just not her patterns.’”
Sat., April 1, 5 p.m.