{"id":47141,"date":"2026-10-27T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/?p=47141"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:19:28","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T16:19:28","slug":"big-kids-pride-preju-knits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/big-kids-pride-preju-knits\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Kids \/ Pride & Preju-knits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A DARK, PSYCHEDELIC COMING-OF-AGE STORY BY AWARD-WINNING COMIC ARTIST MICHAEL DEFORGE<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Big Kids<\/em>
by Michael DeForge
Drawn & Quarterly
2016, 96 pages, 5 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been fascinated by the work of Canadian comic artist Michael DeForge for a while now. If you like unvarnished explorations of the human psyche and the high weirdness that an unhinged mind and a free hand can render, check out Michael\u2019s Lose<\/a> series, Very Casual<\/a>, and Dressing<\/a>, all from Toronto-based comics publisher of note Koyama Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Kids<\/em> is something of a departure for DeForge, or at least it starts off seeming that way. On the surface, Big Kids<\/em> is a dark and mopey coming-of-age tale. It concerns a troubled teen boy who lives with his parents and a recalcitrant uncle in the basement and has awkward, restless sex with his best friend, in-between dangerous dares, bullying, bouts of petty vandalism, and other adolescent antics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the boy\u2019s uncle gets kicked out of the house and a female college student moves in \u2013 a girl with a very different take on life who hangs with a group of more sophisticated, less juvenile delinquent friends \u2013 something extraordinary happens. Too many other reviews of this book spoil what comes next, which I think is a shame. I knew nothing of what was about to happen and was really stunned by the whole thing as a result. The book is obviously meant to be a meditation on the profound transformations we go through at different stages in our lives (especially in becoming a teen), and how strange, terrifying, and wondrous those changes can be. But this is done in a unique way that you could never guess is coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael DeForge\u2019s work seems to be all about challenging our perceptions of identity, reality, and the comic form itself. Every time you delve into one of his pieces, you have no idea where you\u2019re going to end up. Or just how splintered your mind will be by the time you get there. Big Kids<\/em> manages to do all this while still delivering a touching, if somewhat disturbed, take on a classic tale of adolescent angst. \u2013 Gareth Branwyn<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PRIDE & PREJU-KNITS: 12 GENTEEL KNITTING PROJECTS INSPIRED BY JANE AUSTEN<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

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Pride & Preju-knits: Twelve Genteel Knitting Projects Inspired by Jane Austen<\/em>
by Trixie von Purl
Harper Design
2015, 112 pages, 8.6 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches (paperback)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the perfect book for a crafty, British literature fan with a sense of humor? It\u2019s Pride & Preju-Knits<\/em> of course! \u201cThis book is my life!\u201d my 20-year-old daughter exclaimed when she opened up this adorable do-it-yourself paperback. \u201cI love the fact that they give you just a few simple figures to make, and then so, so many clothing options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pride & Preju-Knits<\/em> contains 12 knitting projects (scenes) based on Austen\u2019s six novels. Every element in these scenes can be knit, including main characters, accessories, animals and furniture. There are detailed instructions on how to knit Regency ladies and gentlemen, how to knit Elizabeth Bennet\u2019s dress and Mr. Darcy\u2019s trousers from Pride and Prejudice<\/em>, and even how to knit the pianoforte played by Anne Elliot in Persuasion<\/em>. You can also learn to knit sheep from Sense and Sensibility<\/em> and for Emma Woodhouse\u2019s wedding dress from Emma<\/em>. Instructions include the materials, the gauge and how to finish off the piece. Trixie von Purl (aka Geraldine Warner) briefly recaps each Austen novel as well. Although these are very intricate projects, anyone can appreciate the imaginative handiwork and enjoy this charming little book. \u2013 Carole Rosner<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Books That Belong On Paper<\/strong> first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair.<\/em> Sign up here<\/a> to get the issues a week early in your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Issue No. 141<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47588,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[31],"tags":[2398],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47141"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47141"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47166,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47141\/revisions\/47166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kk.org\/cooltools\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}