In 1917, the West Seattle Branch Library had a Knitting Club, to help in the War effort. Girls would meet once per week, and while one of their members read out loud, they would knit socks and ambulance pillows out of sturdy wool. A Red Cross volunteer handed out the yarn, and shipped the finished articles to Europe for World War I soldiers. If someone did not know how to "turn the heel" of the sock, perhaps they had a book of instructions nearby, such as "Longman's Complete Course of Needlework, Knitting and Cutting-out" by T. M. James, published in 1901. Ninety years later, sock knitting has become a much less common skill, but in the last five years, a renaissance in knitting has caused an explosion of new books, from instructional how-tos to fiction.

The socks those girls knitted for solders were probably black, but "More Sensational Knitted Socks" by Charlene Schurch is full of wildly colorful designs, practical tips for how to fit, and how to make them durable. "The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook" by Lynne Vogel includes chapters on how to spin, dye, and knit extraordinary socks. Perhaps you know someone who is looking for a skirt with a skull and crossbones? "Domiknitrix: Whip Your Knitting into Shape" by Jennifer Stafford, includes projects with a goth tinge. Don't just knit a sweater for yourself - make a matching one for your dog. "Men Who Knit and the Dogs Who Love Them" by Annie Modesitt and Drew Emborsky covers all the basic techniques, and includes fun projects such as a pair of sock for you, and two very small pairs for Muffy.

"Knitting With Balls: a Hands On Guide to Knitting for the Modern Man" by Michael delVecchio teaches you to make a cozy for your latte cup, a cabled tote for your laptop, and a polishing cloth for your Harley. And why knit with yarn? Explore the frontiers in "Knitting With Wire" by Nancie Wiseman. She shows you how you can create stunning jewelry and accessories, using basic knitting techniques.

Sometimes appalling mistakes happen, like the time I made a pullover sweater that was long enough to be a dress. "When Bad Things Happen to Good Knitters" by Marion Edmonds and Ahza Moore and "Oops! Correcting Your Knitting Mistakes" by Lori Sheffield show you how to deal with problems, including the dropped stitches, knitting that curls up like a tube instead of lying flat, and that dress-length sweater.

Knitting as meditation is another area that knitters are discovering. Knitters gather to create projects such as shawls, choosing colors to represent attributes, and knitting intentions into the work. "Knitting for Peace" by Betty Christiansen and "Zen and the Art of Knitting" by Bernadette Murphy explore these aspects of intentional knitting.

You don't need to knit to enjoy knitting fiction such as "The Shop on Blossom Street" by Debbie Macomber, or "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs, where the local yarn shop is a place of warmth and welcome. "Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing" is the first of a knitting trilogy by Elizabeth Lenhard, in which four teen girls become friends after forming a knitting club. For tips on starting your own knitting club, check out "The Teen Knitting Club: Chill Out and Knit" by Jennifer Wenger. She provides clear instructions, a variety of easy projects for beginners, and information about charities that need knitted items.

There are also many online knitting communities, such as the seattleknittersguild.org, and the tongue-in-cheek masondixonknitting.com, formed by two friends who live in Nashville and Manhattan ("We'll tawk, we'll knit, we'll have cawfee on Lawn Guylant").

I wonder if any of those girls in 1917 could have imagined that their great-granddaughters would still be creating communities of knitters?

Karen Spiel is branch library manager for the Delridge and West Seattle branches and may be reached at 684-4444.