In reading this book, none of represented themselves as any thing other than novice knitters. The reasons many of these celebrities knit are the same as ordinary people, because of a woman in the family, to feel creative or for relaxation. Knocking novice knitters, even “celebrities” is easy to do and just a bit arrogant.

So many bloggers have made fun of the "celebrity knitting" thing, Darryl Hannah, etc. I'm not a celebrity (except in my own mind), but I have a lot of the same attitudes toward knitting.

Knitting is something to do with my hands while my brain is otherwise occupied. I don't watch a lot of television, but I knit while I'm reading blogs on the computer, I knit while I'm talking to my husband, I even prop a book up in a book holder and knit while I'm reading.

I knit because I love the process, not because I love the product. I've made one sweater in my life, and it's probably the reason I never made another one--it was gorgeous, a tangerine orange sleeveless polo top out of cotton--it turned out too small and I gave it to a friend. The effort put into knitting it made the disappointing outcome all the sharper.

When I was a teenager, I knitted handbags and tote bags out of rug yarn. Then there was a long dry spell, and I recently started knitting again--scarves, tote bags, and socks. I've just started a vest, though, and if it turns out okay, I plan to move back into sweaters, and have accumulated a stash ready to go.

But back to my point. I'm mostly not interested in doing intarsia or fairisle or cables. I may be--probably will be--some day, but for me, right now, I want to knit something simple, just garter stitch or stockinette, something where I can turn off my brain for awhile. I'm not a knitwear designer, although who knows? I may design something one day. Right now I want something that I can pull out of my bag while I'm stuck in traffic, or have a free moment at the office, or in the half hour before I go to bed at night. I don't want something that I have to spend a lot of thought on, I want to be able to just pick it up and knit.

And I have a feeling that's what these actresses want, too: something they can pull out of their bag when they have a free moment or two, knit mindlessly for a little while, then stuff back in the bag when they have to go back to work.

Knitting, even if it's just a garter stitch scarf on big needles, is more than just producing a garment. Producing a beautiful garment is wonderful, of course, but so is a scarf, if knitting it allows you to lose yourself in it for a little while.