“punxsygal said: 3 stars
Lydia Hoffman opened her little yarn shop on Blossom Street in Seattle with the hopes and fears of a cancer survivor. Her first knitting class for beginners attracts three women, Jacqueline Donovan wants to knit something for her grandchild in an effort to makeup with her daughter-in-law. Carol Girard is making the baby blanket filled with her desires for a child of her own. And Alix Townsend is knitting her blanket as a part of a court-ordered community service project. During the course of the lessons these women begin to have a profound difference in each other's lives.
I'm a lifelong knitter and lover of women's literature so I fully expected to love this book. But for me it just didn't work. I found the characters to be rather flat, they didn't affect me. And the relationships they built were predictable. I knew the ending to each story early in the book. I don't think I will be reading any of the others in the series.
Sara W said: 3 Stars
A two time survivor of cancer, Lydia decides to do something daring, open a yarn shop. She had learned to love knitting while undergoing treatment for her cancer and she can't think of a better way to prove to herself that she's alive. To attract customers, she starts a learn to knit class. The class itself is small, only three students: Carol, who is desperate to have a baby; Jacqueline, a socialite consumed by appearance; and Alix, a troubled young woman with a past. None of them would ever have believed how much change a pair of needles and some yarn would bring into their lives.
I never thought I'd say these words, but I actually enjoyed a cozy. Yes the characters are caricatures, the story saccharine sweet, and the writing uninspired, but for all that it wasn't half bad. Maybe it was the knitting, though there wasn't as much discussion of it as I would have expected, or maybe I was just in the mood for something easy on the brain. Whichever it was, it was more likable than I expected and I'm glad I gave it a chance. I don't think I'll be rushing out to read the next book in the series or even anything else by this author, but I wouldn't be adverse to continuing The Blossom Street series if I just want to read something light.”
