By Sue DiFranco
Copyright © 2003 Sue DiFranco/Fun Facts Publishing  

In case you haven't been following the entertainment magazines for the past two years, celebrities have caught knitting fever. Legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith reported in July 2003 that knitting is the trend du jour for celebrities such as Jennifer Aniston, Elizabeth Taylor, and Debra Messing.

Now comes word that costume designer and knitting pro Suss Cousins has written a book entitled, "Hollywood Knits." The book is a guide for both beginners and experienced knitters, and it includes patterns modeled by Steven Weber, Julianne Moore, Regina King, and others.

"There seems to be a return to the simple things in life," Cousins says. "And there's nothing better than giving a gift made with your own two hands."

Can scrapbooking be far behind? Sure, we've got Rosie O'Donnell, Leeza Gibbons, and Lisa Whelchel, among others, but when will the A-list celebs jump on our bandwagon? Can't you just imagine people like Julia Roberts or J-Lo documenting their multiple weddings? If Elizabeth Taylor switched from knitting to scrapbooking, she'd have eight separate wedding scrapbooks to complete. And if each celebrity started creating scrapbooks documenting all of their previous relationships, not only marriages, there would be no more time for acting!

My prediction is that we will see scrapbooking hit Hollywood sometime in the next 1-3 years. And once Hollywood embraces it, look out! Our industry will see even more phenomenal growth, if that's possible. Keep checking back to our Web site - when we know, you'll know!