Melanie FalickKnitter, writer, and illustrator Susan Strawn has a Ph.D. in Textiles and Clothing from Iowa State University. A regular contributor to Piecework, Interweave Knits, Spin-Off, and other textile magazines and journals, she presented a paper entitled "Bck to the Knitting Needle: Manufacturers, retailers, and the image of handknitting in America, 1935-1955" to the Costume Society of America. Strawn teaches textile-related classes at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, and researches hand-produced traditional textiles. She lives in Oak Park, IL, a suburb of Chicago. Read More Read Less