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In Review
Folk Bags: 30 Knitting Patterns and Tales
From Around the World
by Vicki Square
Reviewed By Karen Caterson

One of my daughters is a purse-aholic. So, when I was checking out the new books at my favorite little quilting store - and came across Vicki Square's Folk Bags: 30 Knitting Patterns & Tales From Around The World - I grabbed it for a better look.

I was hurrying through the book - looking at the designs, trying to decide if there were enough do-able patterns to warrant buying the book - when a salesgirl came over. She told me how she loved the book - for its stories.

And sure enough, each pattern had a story - a mini culture lesson in design use or bag/purse use in whatever civilization was represented. There are stories and patterns from the South Pacific, Asia, Central Asia, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Africa, South and North America.

Vicki Square, who also wrote The Knitter's Companion, tells us in her "Introduction":

"In almost every culture that I have researched, the making and using of containers is significant to daily life. People everywhere use containers of some sort to organize, carry, and store things. And people everywhere make containers that are worthy of display. I have engineered my own daily appreciation of beauty--and the importance of a good container--through the collection of bags I present here."

You can feel her enjoyment of art, different cultures and knitting in her writing.

There are three bags that are already on my To-Do list: The 3-D sculptured Bolivian Doll Bag (for my granddaughter), France inspired Market Bag, and the felted Bushoong Zigzag Bag - inspired by clothing of the people of the Kuba kingdom in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There's a Spiral Bag (a knitted I-cord sewn together like a basket) inspired by the Maori, a Chinese-inspired Fish of Prosperity (yep, a red fish!) purse, a Kiliim Carpet Bag, Irish Cables Bag - and more! Bags for everyone - except my purse-aholic daughter, who reminded me: "I like tailored, traditional purses". But that's another story.

Karen Caterson loves stories and is currently knitting like a fiend. You can read more of Karen's writings at
Square-Peg-People.com - a site dedicated to self-help and encouraging words for artists, writers and other Square-Pegs.