I actually have one of her books and years ago i borrowed a dvd on her that was a few hours long . I make hats , mittens, scarfs for our food pantry and i make some shawls for myself and some for special people that helps helps throughout their troubles
I think you underestimate how much women in previous generations were empowered and in control of their knitting. My mother taught me how to knit and how to navigate a pattern. My grandmother was always measuring pieces of knitting against my body when I was a child. Women knew how to work from a pattern and how to make their own modifcations as to the size and shape of the body they were knitting for. Women's magazines always had knitting patterns in them and so there was a large source of information that could be used as a reference when creating a garment. I now use Zimmermann's percentage method when knitting circular yoked garments, but this creates a casual look which women did not want in the 1940s and 50s. If you want a garment that has a more tailored fit, a seamed garment knitted in flat pieces has its place, and for this style it is far easier if someone else has worked out the exact neck and armhole shaping for you. Zimmermann's garments are simple (which I like), but somewhat limited in terms of styling.
Yes, women have long been skilled in the art of dressmaking and knitting from patterns. My own grandmother as well did this. But there was a period when the only yarn that was being offered was acrylic and for a variety of reasons, younger women weren’t interested in pattern knitting. I cover this topic pretty extensively in another video about EZ. What she was able to do was reach an entire new generation of knitters who wanted real wool, and felt that pattern knitting didn’t speak to them.
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 Yes, you're right there. I learnt to knit using wool, but gave up knitting for a long time. I don't think I identified why I grew to dislike it, but looking back I think it was because of the yarn, which made my hands sweat so that whole process became unpleasant. I think that the sewing up of flat pieces is probably disliked by younger people because they have never learnt the skill of sewing. I have no problem with knitting flat because I learnt dress-making when young, so I find the concept of assembling shaped pieces easy to grasp.
@@kathydent2116 yes! The yarn had so much to do with it. I think it was at this time that EZ was able to tap into the interest in freedom and creativity that was happening in the culture. Knitting in the round with real wool suddenly seemed “cool” in a new way. The idea that you could make a sweater without a pattern that was a more casual garment was just right for that period. Timing is everything, right? 😊
I really enjoyed this! I connected to so many of the 5 Lessons that were from Elizabeth Zimmerman. And, I really appreciate that you have brought them to the forefront of my knitting journey! Well Done!!
I am so pleased your video came up in my feed today. Your love and passion for the fibre arts is absolutely gorgeous and you can really feel your joy coming through your content. I had never heard of Elizabeth Zimmerman before today so thank you for introducing me!
Thank you, Sarah, for your sweet comment! Elizabeth is amazing and she offers us numerous ways to make our knitting a personal expression of our best selves. Thank you for watching! I’m curious what you are knitting currently?
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 I really love your views on making and intention. How our making is a spiritual practice that can help us in so many areas of life, is something I see all the time in my own. I'm knitting a few things at the moment. I'm always knitting a few pairs of socks and tonight I'm knitting my very first sweater, the Orbits Sweater using hand dyed yarn.
@@TheMakersCorner the Orbits sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I love her designs and it’s on my list of favorites. I’m using some hand-dyed yarn currently and I’m loving it. Did you dye yourself? That’s something I want to try too. If you want, let’s connect on Instagram too so I can see your work. Have an amazing day!
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 It's a wonderful knit. I highly recommend and yes, I'm a natural dyer so I dyed it myself. I've just followed you on IG from my personal and biz account :) Looking forward to following you there :)
I just found your channel again. I'd forgotten I watched you a long time ago and it was because of that video of yours that I purchased a bunch of Zimmermann’s books and am not buying The Opinionated Knitter. EZ is absolutely fantastic. Thank you 💚🧶💚
Hi Meredith! Welcome back to the channel. I’m so glad that you love EZ! She’s a wonderful teacher, isn’t she? Let’s connect on Instagram - lyfewithfyfe
To learn more about Elizabeth Zimmerman, listen to Yarns at Yin Hoo audio podcast, episodes 267-281, ODD numbered episodes. Lilly Marsh talks with Sarah about her doctoral thesis on EZ. An excellent history of EZ and her influence.
What a beautiful lite you are! Thank you for this timely message. Most of my adult life has been focused on the lives of those that went through hard times and the wisdom of work and heart got them to the other side. Bless you for this offering! You just gained a fellow kindred spirit here. My sanity and hand work are extremely meaningful to me and the past couple of years have proven this more than ever. Elizabeth Zimmerman’s heart speaks to me daily!🙌🙏🌅Namaste!
Thanks so much for your kind words, and so nice to meet another kindred spirit! Handwork is so deeply connected to our well-being and so is a having a community of others who share this belief ❤️ Namaste
I enjoy her work as well. I started reading it back in the 90's when I found her books at second hand sales. I think every knitter is different, but many are extremely creative and analytical people who improvise and figure out things themselves, even today when many resources are available. My great aunt was a superb knitter in the 1930-40s, and it wasn't Hepburn type crafting, but depression era necessity, clothing her family cheaply. She knit a lot and it was a major creative outlet, while still filling a practical need.
Yes! That’s the thing - knitting is both creative AND practical and therefore it connects us to the women who came before us. And unlike those women, we have access to greater creativity because our lives are more free. Loved hearing your thoughts! Thanks so much for sharing, GenieR!
LISA, I enjoyed this discussion very much! Thank you! I am getting ready to watch Meg Swansea’s “Fair Isle Vest” video in preparation for knitting the “Keris” by Marie Wallin for the Woolly Thistle Sweater KAL. So this video was especially inspiring!
She was an inspiration to me too. So glad you spoke about her and reminded me of how much I owe her.
She was amazing, wasn’t she? We all owe her so much.
You are a beautiful person. Glad I found you.❤
Omgosh how did I miss this comment? Thank you so much for your kind words and thank you for watching. My heart to yours ❤️
I actually have one of her books and years ago i borrowed a dvd on her that was a few hours long
. I make hats , mittens, scarfs for our food pantry and i make some shawls for myself and some for special people that helps helps throughout their troubles
I think you underestimate how much women in previous generations were empowered and in control of their knitting. My mother taught me how to knit and how to navigate a pattern. My grandmother was always measuring pieces of knitting against my body when I was a child. Women knew how to work from a pattern and how to make their own modifcations as to the size and shape of the body they were knitting for. Women's magazines always had knitting patterns in them and so there was a large source of information that could be used as a reference when creating a garment. I now use Zimmermann's percentage method when knitting circular yoked garments, but this creates a casual look which women did not want in the 1940s and 50s. If you want a garment that has a more tailored fit, a seamed garment knitted in flat pieces has its place, and for this style it is far easier if someone else has worked out the exact neck and armhole shaping for you. Zimmermann's garments are simple (which I like), but somewhat limited in terms of styling.
Yes, women have long been skilled in the art of dressmaking and knitting from patterns. My own grandmother as well did this. But there was a period when the only yarn that was being offered was acrylic and for a variety of reasons, younger women weren’t interested in pattern knitting. I cover this topic pretty extensively in another video about EZ. What she was able to do was reach an entire new generation of knitters who wanted real wool, and felt that pattern knitting didn’t speak to them.
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 Yes, you're right there. I learnt to knit using wool, but gave up knitting for a long time. I don't think I identified why I grew to dislike it, but looking back I think it was because of the yarn, which made my hands sweat so that whole process became unpleasant. I think that the sewing up of flat pieces is probably disliked by younger people because they have never learnt the skill of sewing. I have no problem with knitting flat because I learnt dress-making when young, so I find the concept of assembling shaped pieces easy to grasp.
@@kathydent2116 yes! The yarn had so much to do with it. I think it was at this time that EZ was able to tap into the interest in freedom and creativity that was happening in the culture. Knitting in the round with real wool suddenly seemed “cool” in a new way. The idea that you could make a sweater without a pattern that was a more casual garment was just right for that period. Timing is everything, right? 😊
Lovely podcast and so inspirational. I always see my knitting as my therapy. It really centers me.
That makes two of us!🥰 thanks so much for watching. Would love to hear what you are currently knitting!
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 I am currently working on a cardigan, pattern from Olive Knits/Marie Greene. I just love her patterns. 😍
@@janetcowan4209 I love her patterns too 🥰
I really enjoyed this! I connected to so many of the 5 Lessons that were from Elizabeth Zimmerman. And, I really appreciate that you have brought them to the forefront of my knitting journey! Well Done!!
Thank you so much for watching! I truly appreciate your comments and our connection to EZ. Good knitting!
I am so pleased your video came up in my feed today. Your love and passion for the fibre arts is absolutely gorgeous and you can really feel your joy coming through your content. I had never heard of Elizabeth Zimmerman before today so thank you for introducing me!
Thank you, Sarah, for your sweet comment! Elizabeth is amazing and she offers us numerous ways to make our knitting a personal expression of our best selves. Thank you for watching! I’m curious what you are knitting currently?
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 I really love your views on making and intention. How our making is a spiritual practice that can help us in so many areas of life, is something I see all the time in my own. I'm knitting a few things at the moment. I'm always knitting a few pairs of socks and tonight I'm knitting my very first sweater, the Orbits Sweater using hand dyed yarn.
@@TheMakersCorner the Orbits sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I love her designs and it’s on my list of favorites. I’m using some hand-dyed yarn currently and I’m loving it. Did you dye yourself? That’s something I want to try too. If you want, let’s connect on Instagram too so I can see your work. Have an amazing day!
@@lyfewithfyfe8903 It's a wonderful knit. I highly recommend and yes, I'm a natural dyer so I dyed it myself. I've just followed you on IG from my personal and biz account :) Looking forward to following you there :)
@@TheMakersCorner yay! Followed back 😊
I just found your channel again. I'd forgotten I watched you a long time ago and it was because of that video of yours that I purchased a bunch of Zimmermann’s books and am not buying The Opinionated Knitter. EZ is absolutely fantastic. Thank you 💚🧶💚
Hi Meredith! Welcome back to the channel. I’m so glad that you love EZ! She’s a wonderful teacher, isn’t she? Let’s connect on Instagram - lyfewithfyfe
EZ is my all time favourite knitting GURU / Sensi ! I have all the books and a lot of her and Meg's DVDs !
She was truly amazing - and her legacy continues through schoolhouse press and through all of us ❤thanks so much for watching and for your comments😊
To learn more about Elizabeth Zimmerman, listen to Yarns at Yin Hoo audio podcast, episodes 267-281, ODD numbered episodes. Lilly Marsh talks with Sarah about her doctoral thesis on EZ. An excellent history of EZ and her influence.
Oh that’s so great! Thanks so much for sharing, Linda!
Darn I can’t find that reference site. 😢
@@jamiethrogmorton2540I think you should get that App
What a beautiful lite you are! Thank you for this timely message. Most of my adult life has been focused on the lives of those that went through hard times and the wisdom of work and heart got them to the other side. Bless you for this offering! You just gained a fellow kindred spirit here. My sanity and hand work are extremely meaningful to me and the past couple of years have proven this more than ever. Elizabeth Zimmerman’s heart speaks to me daily!🙌🙏🌅Namaste!
Thanks so much for your kind words, and so nice to meet another kindred spirit! Handwork is so deeply connected to our well-being and so is a having a community of others who share this belief ❤️ Namaste
I enjoy her work as well. I started reading it back in the 90's when I found her books at second hand sales. I think every knitter is different, but many are extremely creative and analytical people who improvise and figure out things themselves, even today when many resources are available. My great aunt was a superb knitter in the 1930-40s, and it wasn't Hepburn type crafting, but depression era necessity, clothing her family cheaply. She knit a lot and it was a major creative outlet, while still filling a practical need.
Yes! That’s the thing - knitting is both creative AND practical and therefore it connects us to the women who came before us. And unlike those women, we have access to greater creativity because our lives are more free.
Loved hearing your thoughts! Thanks so much for sharing, GenieR!
Everything can be a “mindfulness practice” if it’s done with intention!
So true!
LISA, I enjoyed this discussion very much! Thank you! I am getting ready to watch Meg Swansea’s “Fair Isle Vest” video in preparation for knitting the “Keris” by Marie Wallin for the Woolly Thistle Sweater KAL. So this video was especially inspiring!
Hi Jennifer! Thanks so much for watching! Please post your progress on Instagram so I can see! I love Marie Wallin’s designs. 💕💕💕
Inspiring
Thank you Ileana, EZ is an inspiration❤️
EZ was surely a woman ahead of her time, it’s fun learning about her through you. 🧶💜
I appreciate you, your comments, and knowing that there's other EZ fans out there!