Library 45: Hitchcock Library and Museum (Westfield)
Holy taxidermy.
Library 45! The Hitchcock Library And Museum in Westfield was the 45th stop on my quest to read, write, and knit in as many of Vermont’s public libraries as I can during my sabbatical.
I read: The Opinionated Knitter by Elizabeth Zimmermann’s daughter, Meg Swansen
I wrote: notes about the baby surprise jacket, which is on my to-knit list
I knit: the I-cord edging of my cinque terre shawl by the Plucky Knitter.
Holy taxidermy.
When I walked into this building, I was not prepared for 1) the polar bear that greeted me in the lobby or 2) EVERYTHING ELSE. The first words I could get out of my mouth after I remembered to talk were “oh my god.”
This is a good example of “you can’t judge a library by its cover.” Outside, it looks like a classic Vermont town hall. Inside … So. Many. Stuffed. Heads. Rocks! Seashells! Tools! Birds! Typewriters! Calendars! Fish! Entire bears! Lynx! Moose! Elk! Coral! Insects! Human hair jewelry!
I was also not expecting to see a copy of “The Opinionated Knitter” sitting out on a chair. I added an I-cord edge to my shawl while reading this compilation of Elizabeth Zimmermann’s newsletters “Wool Gathering.” I’ve read that she named this technique “I-cord” to stand for “idiot cord” because they’re so easy, an idiot could make one. She was a frank, crafty, witty writer and made knitting seem doable for thousands of fiber-curious people. Knitters talk about her with reverence. A legend. She signed her newsletters with:
Good knitting,
-Elizabeth.
My favorite things in this museum (besides the librarian) were the antique knitting needles and spinning wheel, and the two-headed, two-tailed calf that was born here in Westfield. Jennifer showed me the photo of it right after it was born, and said “Can you imagine giving birth to that?”
When I saw the Zimmermann book displayed the chair, I thought: “It’s as if they know I’m coming!” But perhaps libraries are simply places where any human can walk in and find something that interests them. So I got to sit and knit for a bit underneath a moose head reading a book about knitting I didn’t even have to look for.
Good knitting,
- Hannah
Wow. Intense!