Knit 2, Purl 1, Laugh, Repeat
PW Talks with Tracey Ullman and Mel Clark

by Lynn Andriani -- 8/7/2006

Actress and producer Tracey Ullman teamed up with the owner of her
local California yarn shop, Mel Clark, to write Knit 2 Together
(reviewed, p. 51).

What's a kooky British actress doing writing a knitting book?

TU: You look at me and go, "You? Why?" But it's an extension of my
love of fashion and design. My mother was a dressmaker. I love going
home with new yarn, a new pattern and these clickety new needles. I go
into a meditative state; it calms me down. It's so hot here in England
right now, and my new fridge just arrived and it wouldn't fit down the
bloody stairs, and I thought, "I just need a really good knit!"

What do you think of the renewed interest in knitting?

TU: Knitting is cool! I've always said guys who tried to catch chicks
by sitting outside Starbucks with a puppy should just knit!

Why did you decide to write this book?

TU: I thought there was an opening in the market for a book having a
novice asking a master.

MC: We'd been having so much fun dreaming up things to knit. Tracey
and I would brainstorm, and some of the patterns were Tracey's idea of
things she wanted to make and I helped to write the pattern. And she
let me put some things in the book that I wanted to do. It was a
wonderful, creative experience.

What were the criteria for the patterns you include in the book?

MC: We wanted to include projects for beginners as well as for more
advanced knitters. I tried to have things that maybe hadn't been seen
before. A lot of knitting comes out of England or the East Coast, and
we wanted to put a West Coast spin on it. We've got three linen
projects in the book. You can knit all year round.

TU: There are more patterns for skirts and trousers [than most
knitting books], and my crazy [knitted] dreadlocks.

Tell me about the Knit 2 Together Sweater [see jacket photo, above].

MC: We thought the idea of us accidentally knitting ourselves together
would be a funny joke. We didn't expect it to be on the cover, but it
just worked. And then, of course, Tracey has her own little theory—

TU: Marriage counselors will be recommending it. They can tell people,
"You need some more togetherness"!

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