Category: Books

This book arrived a couple of days ago and I have carted it around with me instead of knitting whenever I thought there would be some waiting around time, and I have been stealing moments with it whenever I thought get away with a little peak.

I  have been aware of the work of Natalie Chanin through her company Project Alabama  for some time, and I have been fortunate enough to see and admire some of the beautiful garments they produced,  and sold in stores like Bergdorf Goodman.   I have been thrilled to read that these same artisan stitcher’s continue to be employed making beautiful objects through Natalie’s new company, Alabama Chanin. 

I knew I would buy the book as soon as I heard about it, even if it hadn’t included a pattern and instructions on how to make the inspiring garments.  I had kind of figured out how to create the reverse applique that Project Alabama was known for.  But I find that the book is inspiring and helpful and filled with wonderful ideas and techniques.  So perhaps now I will actually use the recycled t-shirts I have been saving up for just such projects.  There are all kinds of ideas for projects beyond  shirts, including wonderful floppy flowers and a fabulous boa.

But the truth is, that I love it just as much for the stories about the stitchers that create the Alabama Chanin garments, for the sense of history and culture that permeates the book.

I applaud Natalie Chanin for creating the opportunity for this kind of work and for figuring out a way to keep it going when Project Alabama had to close.

Obviously I am besotted.

New Rowan books!

I love getting the Rowan magazines and this one is no exception.  There are several designs in here I would like to knit, some immediately, and some that can wait.  And there are others that I think are nice. 

I am always amazed when I go back and look at previous issues how many designs stand the test of time and I think this issue will be no exception.

Most of the sweaters that I am attracted to in this issue are more classic sweaters that I can wear for a long time.

One exception is perhaps Granite:


This sweater is just seriously cool, and I am really hoping to be knitting this.  Unfortunately it uses Bamboo Tape, which is not currently represented in my stash and my intention is to knit up a bit more of the stash and reduce new yarn purchases somewhat.  Unfortunately, although I can substitute, I think the shape of this sweater will really shine with the drape of bamboo and I would have to be very careful with substitutions.

Another sweater that uses Bamboo tape is this loose vest-like tank, called Mine.  I love the beads along the edge and I think this would look really cool over a pair of jeans with a close fitted tee or two underneath.  Because it is loose and drapey  I would want it to be short enough that a clingy tee would extend underneath.  This pattern is a bit short for me and I might make it a tad shorter, to maximize its layering potential. 

Mine is simple but really already planted firmly in my brain as a must-have for spring and summer, so I might just have to get the yarn and the beads.

As I said the other designs I really like are more classic in their appeal.  Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mabley are both represented:

I would make the men's vest in a small, making it for myself and adding a good bit of shaping to it so that it was much more close-fitting .  I would probably also lower the v-neckline just a wee bit to show a little more flesh at the neckline.

I also love this delicate lacy tee by Sarah Hatton.

It seems that I am increasingly attracted to delicate feminine things even though not so long ago I would have said that lace was really not my thing.  Apparently that is no longer the case and one of these days something like this tee is going to appear on my needles. I can't quite bring myself to do the whole wispy romantic look, but I can see this with a pair of sharply tailored pants as well.

There is actually more.  A couple of RYC books arrived in the same package, but I have already gone on long enough, and not completed my chores for today, so I will have to continue later.

I have had every intention of writing about the book I finished last week, The
Future of Reputation by Daniel Solove, but I have been laid low by a
cold that just won’t let up, and usual when I have a head cold, my brain seems
to go into some kind of "power conservation mode" and leave me
floundering a bit.

When I first picked the book up from the library I delved into it right away
— it is fascinating and really makes one think about how the internet and the
almost instantaneous exchange of information is changing our views of what is
private and what is public in our lives.  In fact I was so wrapped up in
the book I read most of it that first night.  Then I put it down and
didn’t get back to it, not because it wasn’t interesting, but just because
other things got in the way.  The fact that I did not get back to the book
did not mean I stopped thinking about it though.

Many people I know worry about the internet and their children’s exposure to
it and although many of my friends would consider themselves rather technology
savvy, they are often amazed by how adept their children are with new
technology that still confounds them.  What I am increasingly wondering
about is how all of this exchange of information affects how people see their
place and their role in society.  I suspect that the future isn’t just
about being more connected but that this same connectivity will bring about a
profound shift in how we view the role of the individual in society. 

Increasingly I believe that my view (and the view of my generation) of the
role of public versus private is nothing like the view of younger
generations.   Perhaps it is some aspect of my own "fuddy
duddy" views (to use a previous generation’s term) but this shift could be
either liberating or enslaving and there is potential for greater good here as
well as for greater control and less freedom.

It is imperative that we look at these issues.  It is imperative that
we leap into the pond, even when we are not sure we understand all the new
rules.  After all, even though the young may understand the technology
better, and we may feel lost in this new world, it is still our duty to prepare
our young to survive in this world which we may not even understand.

I highly recommend this book.  It doesn’t hurt that it is often fun to
read. We all need to consider privacy and how one is protected and what one’s
rights and obligations are in this "brave new world" we are all
dealing with and pretty much taking for granted every day. We all know of
situations where what seemed harmless or meaningless suddenly got out of hand
and turned ugly and we have all been surprised occasionally to learn how little
control we as individuals may have.   We have to remember that much
of the instant access granted by the web is viewed completely out of
context. In fact this may sometimes be
the point. There is danger here in that
in any given moment in any given life there is so much that can be
misconstrued. But the effects of that
moment may haunt us forever.

I think we all owe ourselves the effort to think
about the implications

Reading The Quiet Girl  was absolutely thrilling.  I don’t think I have been as involved, or had as much fun, reading a novel for quite some time.  The reviews have not all been good, and I can even understand why, but I loved it nonetheless.  Reading this book is something of a roller-coaster ride, filled with thrills and chills, and a blindingly furiously clamoring abundance of ideas, disassociated thoughts, and actions.  There are many references to music which made sense to me, but might not to some.  The writing is very sharp, with short staccato sentences that echo the overwhelmingly furious pace.  And yet it is also very thoughtful.  Sometimes sentences jar the mind.  The characters are not always pleasant and their thoughts and actions not always comprehensible.  But the book is incredibly witty and incredibly fun.  It is rather addictive as well.

I actually cannot begin to simply tell you what the book is about.  Is it a mystery? I was asked on the train.  Yes it is.  But it is not a mystery either, although it will keep you guessing until the very end.  Is it an exploration of love and life?  Yes, but not overtly so.  Is it an adventure novel.  It is very fast paced, blindingly so at times, and yet it is far too contemplative for most adventure fiction. 

It will probably drive many people crazy.  The short phrases, the long expositions of the protagonist’s thoughts.  The way ideas and observations come out of nowhere and don’t seem to connect.

Sentences like this:
    "It was beef soup; it tasted of eternal life and of the fact that all living beings consume one another."
Will drive many people crazy.   But in the context of this novel, and in the context of Kasper Krone they make sense.  They make sense to me anyway.  A lot of this novel wraps itself around the story the way a curious, intellectual, introspective person might lets his or her mind wander around thoughts and ideas, seemingly random, but all connecting in the end.

I think it is rare that one finds a novel that really challenges one’s assumptions, makes one think and is also such pure addictive pleasure.  I don’t think it is possible to fully absorb this novel in one reading.  I will be reading it again.  I may even start tomorrow, although perhaps, a little distance will be better.

Obviously this is not a normal review.

I have now read 4 of Hoeg’s novels and I think this one might surpass Smilla’s Sense of Snow as my favorite.  I can concede however, that for many, Smilla might be more popular; it is certainly more accessible.

Thank you Rhonda for inquiring about ISBN numbers on the Japanese books.  I have gone back and added the ISBN numbers to the discussion of the books in my January 16th post.  I will try to do that in the future whenever I discuss a Japanese book.  I know from experience how hard it can be to find a book I have seen on someone’s blog without the ISBN.

Part of my ongoing plan this year, and the past couple in fact, has been the process of eliminating and consolidating.  In the past I went through much of the house, but of course, the difficult things have been left to last, and one of those areas is the area I call "the dreaded piles".  These consist of piles of boxes of patterns, piles of sewing and knitting magazines, and generally piles of stuff that I thought I might use someday, but for which someday has yet to arrive.  It also means that I am trying to stop piling everything that "I can’t get to but hope to someday" on my sewing table or in my sewing room.  This may not sound like much, but if you are a person of many enthusiasms it is amazing how quickly they get out of hand.

And so I have been cleaning off the cutting table, but I have been trying to do it in a thoughtful way, not just shoving things aside into another pile to be dealt with another day.  I have found many things:  the travel jewelry pouch with my favorite heavy sterling silver ring,   a pair of slacks that needed mending, the patterns I took to San Francisco in September.  In fact, I found everything I took to San Francisco in September.  I apparently got busy, stacked the contents of my suitcase on my sewing table, and left it there, where it only formed the foundation layer of ever increasing piles.

I also found the remainder of the order of Japanese Sewing Books I received the week before last:.

The Green book, titled Pattern Drafting, is one of my favorite sewing books.  My mom gave me this one and I remember watching her use it when I was a child.  I do not have ISBN information on this book but my copy is 8th edition printed in 1969). Even though I have many other books, I am always amazed at how much help I get from the little book and it is one of the first books I turn to when I have a pattern fitting or drafting question.  It has a section on fitting problems, and also patterns for some basic garments, which are granted, somewhat dated but still interesting.  Here a couple of sample pages:

The green book inspired me to get the red book called Pattern Making (ISBN4-579-10714-4) .  It does not have English translations, like the green one, but I can see that it too is going to prove very useful.  The day it arrived I spent a fair amount of time looking through it, and I took it with me today after unearthing it this morning.  I can certainly say that I was the only person in the waiting room at the doctor’s office reading a Japanese pattern book.  Here are a few sample pages:

.

I also purchased two books about sewing jackets and I am thrilled with both of them and they are quite different.  I had not been certain when I ordered them what the differences would be but I am so glad that I went ahead.

The book on the left (ISBN4-579-11016-1), is basically about drafting patterns for jackets and other garments.  It explains, in a very visual way how to draft a base pattern and then it goes on to build an assortment of patterns, including the ones on the cover from that base.  The layout of the book is very methodical.  There is also a pattern sheet that includes the base pattern from bust sizes 30 to 42.  I think this will help me with many pattern alterations and with working from my collection of Mrs. Stylebook magazines.  Here are some sample pages:

The second jacket book, the one on the right with the orange and brown jackets on the cover (ISBN4-579-10962-7), is not about pattern making at all, but is about constructing jackets, and it looks like it is a treasure.  You might wonder how a garment construction book in Japanese would be any help at all.  I don’t read Japanese.  But this book is fully illustrated, almost like a picture-guide to building a jacket.   Here is a sample:

I am sure there are important details that I am missing by not being able to read the text of all of these books, but there is also much to be learned just from the fabulous illustrations and photos.  There are times when I am reading sewing instructions where I can’t really wrap my head around what I am supposed to do until I actually see it in front of me.  These pictures, and the great illustrations in the pattern drafting book really help me with that.  Even though a lot of the techniques illustrated are for things I already know, I have made jackets before, there is always something new to learn and these books look very promising.

** Edited on 1/29/2008 to add ISBN information.

New Japanese Books arrived in the mail!

It looks like there will be lots of fun pattern play ahead.

The new year has begun and if I had great plans for being efficient, together, working hard and not sloughing off important tasks I would have failed.  Fortunately no such resolutions were made, although I do intend to spend a little more time on the exercise bike, accompanied by books of course.

In fact reading seems to be the main accomplishment of the year so far.  I sneak off to a quiet corner whenever possible to lose myself in someone’s prose and it is a quite enjoyable habit, one I have never managed to quite outgrow.

I have finished:
Musicophilia which was interesting and entertaining.  Like most of Sacks’ books, it revolves around numerous case studies, each illuminating different points, pathologies, or aspects of how the human mind approaches and understands, or fails to understand music.  In that sense it was a quick read because it was easily picked up on a whim and just as easily abandoned. 

Do not think this  is a criticism of the book. I enjoyed it and it has made me reconsider many of my thoughts and preconceived notions about how we as humans process and approach our sensory input.  Sacks has a way of giving us just enough information to lead us to reflect on what we have read, pointing us in a particular direction perhaps, but leaving the reader to ponder implications not previously considered. 

In fact the book has reminded me of my own discomfort at criticism — such a subjective analysis and prone to so many biases.  I am reminded how my own judgment of a book or a musical performance can be highly influenced by my own expectations as well as my emotional or mental state. As humans are we ever so purely intellectual and neutral that we can make a purely rational judgment on facts alone? I aspire more to the summary view, something along the lines of "I read x and it made me think about y".  As usual, for good or ill, well-written or total hack-job, I remain uninterested in anything that does not lead me on to ponder something, good or ill, complex or mundane.

I also read Phoebe Damrosch’s Service Included which was interesting because most of the books I have read about the restaurant world are written from the point of view of the chef and this is the first book I have read from the view of someone working in the front of the house.  I found it interesting and entertaining.  I would think anyone who likes to eat out and occasionally go out to high-end restaurants would find it interesting. 

The person who passed it on to me expected it to be more of a titillating read, expecting more celebrity gossip  and tales of the misbehaviors of the rich and famous.  I frankly found the lack of the titillation factor to be a good point and as I said I enjoyed reading the book.  It is not something that I will treasure for ages, I don’t suppose it is meant to be.  But it was fun, entertaining, at times enlightening; at times it made me laugh and at other times I laughed at human foibles.  I didn’t find it as gripping as the NY Times review seemed to intimate it might be, but I found to to be fun.  And although I have never eaten Per Se, I have wanted to do so since it opened.  Reading the book has only added spice to the dream, not dampened the anticipation.

"We are never very far from those we hate. For this very reason, we shall never be truly close to those we love. An appalling fact, I knew it well enough when I embarked. But some truths deserve our attention; others are best left alone."

So begins my new novel, Cold Skin  by Albert Sanchez Pinol, and I am immediately drawn in.    It is a dangerous thing, this novel which is also beautifully written.  I had picked it up for bicycle reading.  Beautiful language is not usually what I seek out in  a bicycle book.  Not that I object, but beautiful prose can be a deterrent to exercise.  Beautiful prose makes me want to stop pedalling, to curl up in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee and savor the language.  Bicycle books are meant to keep the blood flowing and the legs pedalling with a gripping story.  I may find them formulaic,  with imperfect characterizations and  even heavy prose, but all is forgivable as long as I keep to the stated goal:  more miles pedaled.

That does not mean I don’t enjoy good fiction when I can find something that I can actually savor while I ride.  This book promises both, a good ride and a good read. 

It seems that my reading has been either missing entirely, or of one extreme or the other of late.  Until a week ago the last book I read was Floor Sample  with which I was very enchanted in the beginning.  In the end that is what I look for in a book, something that enchants, something that forms a connection, almost like making a close friend.  Few books live up to that potential of course, and of the ones we read, some are just passing acquaintances and others become friends to some extent or another, but few become lifelong companions.  Those books we love deeply are few.  But even knowing this I am eager to start each new book, and disappointed when it does not fulfill that promise.

Julia Cameron’s book was like that.  It seemed full of promise at the beginning and I eagerly looked forward to each meeting.  And truthfully I was drawn in to the story through a good portion of the book.  But then it faded, slipping into what seemed to me just another accounting of the passing of life.  Although that is not exactly true.  The book has a rather open ended conclusion, but then life, while being lived, is also open ended.  I suspect too that my own frustrations with this peripatetic lifestyle shadowed some of my perceptions of the book.  "Settle down" I wanted to scream.  This moving back and forth really gets you nowhere, you keep repeating the same scenarios.  But that is not true.  That is how I see it as I am much more of a person rooted to a place.  But the personality and the art are always linked, and I admire Ms. Cameron for continuing to allow her art to thrive.   At times the spark seemed to have gone missing in the book, but that may be that it is just all the more difficult to write about one’s own more recent past than it is to view that which is more distant.  Not that I should complain.  We all start out with great promise, but so often then are worn down by the repetitiveness of life and the need to get things done and account for our accomplishments.  That the writing fades should not surprise me.  Who am I to judge?  I too subject the world to a meaningless drivel of boring words and accountings of the mundane passings of life.  Of course I am not selling my words in a book, but still they are being flung out there, ever ready to blanket the world in boredom.

After that I did not read.  There seemed little time to slip away into that magical kingdom ruled by words and imagination.  Even bicycle books were ignored as I gravitated to the treadmill and running to a driving beat.  But my brain longed to escape, and my knees longed for relief brought by that circular motion.

Last week I read Louse Erdrich’s The Master Butcher’s Singing Club and thoroughly devoured in a few short hours.  Then I began bicycling again, and finding myself at the gym without a book, picked up Mary Higgins Clark’s ‘ll be Seeing You which was not such a treat, but did its job as exercise distraction, although just barely.  Admittedly I can read some pretty bad things on the bike, but I have trouble getting through Mary Higgins Clark every time.  Even on the bike the temptation to skim and skip ahead was almost overwhelming.  Luckily it is a short book and fast read. Two sessions was about all I could take.

But now I have something better, but it too is short, and unlike Clark, this one encourages me to stay on the bike longer, travel further and read more.  It will be finished before the week is out, even if I resist the urge to take it to my favorite reading chair and shut out the world for a while.