Knit on, with confidence and hope, through all crises.

October 19, 2006 12:20 PM

EZ does it. "Unventor" of the Möbius scarf and the Pi Shawl, "ur-geek of knitting" Elizabeth Zimmermann will be honored at the University of Wisconsin's Design Gallery in the retrospective exhibit New School Knitting: the Influence of Elizabeth Zimmermann and Schoolhouse Press (opening Oct. 27). "EZ" has been called "the Jerry Garcia of knitting: jolly, kind, unconventional, endlessly creative, often quoted, and much-loved by countless people." More than all those things, however, EZ was an Opinionated Knitter who urged her fellow needlepersons to think critically and inventively about their craft; in her 1999 obit the New York Times said she "brought a penetrating intellect and a sculptor's sensitivity to revolutionizing [this] ancient art." Plus she was funny. The Wisconsin knit camp she founded is now run by her daughter, Meg Swansen (heir to the throne in more ways than one); it was featured in a Wisconsin Public Television segment that aired last December (warning: RealPlayer format; transcript here).
posted by GrammarMoses (11 comments total)

Lovely post. I don't knit but know folks that do and am going to share this with(and possibly pick up her workshop book for) them.
posted by krix at 1:49 PM on October 19, 2006

Man, I am a yarn whore and I had no idea! Thanks, I'm definitely going to check out her book.
posted by DenOfSizer at 2:16 PM on October 19, 2006

"Knitting Without Tears" is my bible.

Wonderful post, thank you!
posted by padraigin at 2:21 PM on October 19, 2006

As a knitting book author, yarn geek and total EZ fangirl, can I just say oooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!! Oh yes. Oooh.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 3:34 PM on October 19, 2006

I was disappointed by the Pi shawl. It doesn't look like Pi at all.
posted by sour cream at 10:54 PM on October 19, 2006

wow. that's amazing. the things people can become passionate about and take to a new level never ceases to amaze me.
posted by thekilgore at 7:01 AM on October 20, 2006

Too cool. I had completely forgotten the Mobius shawl, although I produced one as a clumsy young knitter, oh, twenty years ago. Thanks for the reminder, GrammerMoses!
posted by Elsa at 8:21 AM on October 20, 2006

Thanks, knitterly comrades; nice to know you're out there. (And hey, bitter-girl, I've seen your stuff. Cool!)
posted by GrammarMoses at 12:43 PM on October 20, 2006

I saw the title to this post and immediately thought: Knit on, you crazy diamond.
posted by sparkletone at 2:52 PM on October 20, 2006

I want the mobius scarf. So warm, so soft, so mathematical/
posted by jb at 5:25 PM on October 20, 2006

I have no interest in knitting whatsoever. Nonetheless, posts like this are exactly why I read Metafilter.

Thanks, Grammar.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:46 PM on October 20, 2006