This past Sunday, I had the absolute pleasure of making my way to my local yarn shop, The Sow’s Ear in Verona, WI to hear Clara Parkes talk about her latest book, A Stash Of One’s Own. She was accompanied by Meg Swanson, daughter of the infamous Elizabeth Zimmerman.
I arrived with a friend about an hour before the event was due to start, enabling me to knit and catch up with fibre friends in the disappearing evening sun. About 30 minutes before the event, a bright yellow Camaro drives past. One of the group exclaims, “That’s Clara Parkes driving that!”. There were snorts of derision, but those of us that follow Clara on Instagram knew that, indeed, she had secured a bright yellow Camaro as her hire car for the evening. I snapped a picture of her, elated with her choice in car as she got out.
Soon it was time to make our way inside and find our seats. If you’ve never visited The Sow’s Ear, it’s has a small cafe at the front, then as you travel through, past the bar, it opens out into a treasure trove full of yarns from a whole host of indie dyers and commercial companies. There are a number of classrooms through the back for classes and private group knitting. I tell you this, because we were all crammed into the front of the cafe area, 70+ of Wisconsin’s finest knitters. It was cramped but it was worth it.
Meg Swanson reading her essay 
Clara Parkes reading Debbie Stoller’s essay
Clara opened the event, talking a little about how she pulled this book together and what she wanted to achieve. Having a complicated relationship with her stash, Clara wanted to cover everything from a stash that takes over your house to having no stash at all. She then invited Meg Swanson to read her essay that she had contributed to the book. As I said before Meg Swanson is the daughter of Elizabeth Zimmerman, her essay is entitled “Inheriting from Elizabeth Zimmerman”. Hearing about growing up with EZ was fascinating; Meg learned to knit at age 7, sat in her mothers lap as she was guided stitch by stitch. She is still discovering designs and ideas from her mother; half finished sweaters, swatches, a sleeve with no sweater etc. It is clear to anyone that Meg adored her mother and is grateful for the legacy she has left, which Meg and her family have carried out, continuing the running of School House Press.
Then it was time for Clara. She is an incredibly animated and hilarious speaker. She talked about our stashes, and how we feel guilty for having them. This culminated in an anecdote from Rhinebeck, where she witnessed the transition of joy to shame and doubt in the face of a knitter with an armful of yarn. Reading from Debbie Stoller’s essay about the relationship between stashes and feminism, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I had never considered that why we feel shameful that we take up space with our stashes is inherently linked to the societal feeling that woman were told for centuries not to take up space. As Clara spoke these words, the feminist in me was screaming out “Yes, yes, yes!”. I am so thankful for Clara highlighting this essay, particularly during a time when the tide is turning and woman are making their mark. I am here, and so is my stash. We will take up space. We deserve the same space as you. Everyone does.
I can’t wait to read more of the essays from some of my favourite people in the fibre community.
Clara’s book, A Stash Of One’s Own is available for US $22.99, Can $27.99 and UK £16.99 from major bookstores and most yarn stores.
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