Two Sweaters for My Father

Beyond the garments, scarves, blankets, and sweaters, knitting offers the kind of nonmaterial rewards discussed in these essays: the repetitive, rhythmic finger movements soothe, reduce stress, and bind a knitter to her community. Knitting's psychological dimension is celebrated in these personal accounts of one woman's experience knitting in the hospital, at a college reunion, and while making garments for her father and loved ones. These thoughtful reflections reveal that the real power of knitting has more to do with what goes on in the head and the heart than what happens with needles.

Perri Klass, MD, is a pediatrician and medical director in the Reach Out and Read program. She is the author of Love and Modern Medicine, The Mystery of Breathing, and Quirky Kids. She lives in Boston, Massachusetts.