When Knitting Becomes Nurture: With Yarn, Needles Hooks in Hand, Caring Flourishes in a Cleveland Neighborhood

Eleanor Mallet Bergholz was a columnist at the Plain Dealer. She is a graduate of Oberlin College She has written two other books, "The Notion of Family' and "Tevye's Grandchildren."

About

Eleanor Mallet Bergholz

Eleanor Mallet Bergholz started a knitting group 13 years ago at the Rice Branch Library located in an impoverished part of Cleveland’s East Side. The group still meets today.

This book is a memoir of two intertwined stories that run in opposition to each other. One is the nurture that flourishes in this group and empowers individuals and community. The other is about the powerful and intractable forces that still circumscribe many of their lives. The fight to build their lives, their children’s and their grandchildren’s never stops. Yet, beautiful things emerge from this group, not only knitted and crocheted garments, but the blossoming of individuals and the building of community.

The book is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble website, Macs Back Books on Coventry, Fine Points on Larchmere, Around the Table Yarns, Apple Tree Books, River Colors Studio in Lakewood, and a signed copy from the author

[email protected]. And, if you are so inclined, I would be most appreciative if you would share this page about my book on your Facebook page and/or Instagram.

How A Strand of Yarn Can Connect Us All

You may pass casually by and think this is another charming "how to" knit book with beautiful pictures and witty tips. But read just a few pages and you will quickly realize this is a profound insight on how a strand of yarn can connect us all. Stitch by stitch and person by person, we meet members of this community whose stories are personal, challenging, progressively heartbreaking and reveal the unthinkable truths of systemic racism in our country. But, together, knitting turns into a pause in reality, and a foundation for acceptance, healing and friendship. This is a view of poverty and racism that could be seen in any city across America, but Eleanor connects us to each individual one intimate story at a time. The accumulation of these stories (much like stitches) builds a blanket of warmth for this community and inspires a radical commitment to doing better and making something beautiful.

— JESSICA PINSKY, founder and executive director, Praxis Fiber Workshop

What Others are Saying

Eleanor Bergholz has brought the old art of knitting into the public space of a library. Like weaving, quilting or barn raising—a circle of knitters is a powerful way to strengthen the fabric of community.

— Jay Westbrook, retired program director, Thriving Communities: The Western Reserve Land Conservancy and former president of the Cleveland City Council

Over the years I have seen these knitters and crocheters, using these traditional art forms to turn the group into a place of refuge, of care and connection, creativity and learning. I have had the honor of seeing them become a trusted family.

— Ali Jamal Boyd, Warrensville Heights Branch manager, Cuyahoga County Public Library; former manager of Rice Branch, Cleveland Public Library

With a journalist's eye for deep observation, Eleanor Bergholz investigates the everyday complexities and inequities often associated with life in this underserved area of Cleveland. In a community knitting circle, memory, introspection and, a deep sense of curiosity about people and place are the foundation for this writer's generous telling of the work of hands and hearts.

— Kerry Davis, executive director, The Print Room, Cleveland, Ohio

When Knitting Becomes Nurture shows us that coming together with an outward focus like knitting helps us find common ground. Eleanor’s tale of community, compassion, and discovery is an inspiring example of hope that can be replicated, if there is the will.

— Peggy Spaeth, Founder, Heights Arts, Cleveland, Ohio

Watch an interview with Eleanor as she discusses her book

Christi Paul sits down with Knitting-Crochet Group Founder Eleanor Bergholz and Participant Penny Peterson to talk about how the group has impacted them.

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