Fluffbuff

    Remember Sock and Glove? The author, Miyako Kanamori, has now published a new book — Happy Gloves — all about making cute animals and objects out of old gloves, and the nice folks at Penguin sent me a copy to review.

Happy Gloves: Charming Softy Friends Made from Colorful Gloves
by Miyako Kanamori
Publisher: Penguin Group
63 pages
ISBN-10: 1557885397
ISBN-13: 978-1557885395
in English

All the gloves used in the book are solid color, which works well in showing shapes and details such as fabric appliques and embroidery. And once you master the techniques, you can branch out and use all sorts of gloves. I can already picture old Fair Isle or other colorful gloves used in creative ways.

Bunnies…

All the projects

• Banana and Flower
• Car
• Cat
• Chipmunk
• Donkey
• Doughnut, Muffin, and Bread
• Duck
• Elephant
• Frog
• Girl
• Lion
• Penguin
• Polar Bear
• Rabbits, Mother and Baby
• Teapot and Cup
• Tiger

Of course I love the baking page…

and the charming illustrations.

The back of the book has a section on "Helpful Things to Know Before Starting" followed by instructions on how to make the individual projects.

Too bad I don't have any sacrificial gloves lying around the house.

Posted by Francesca at 12:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

Feather and Fan tagged me with a book meme a few days ago — I don't do memes much, but this is about books.

1. What book are you currently reading?
Right now it's all about food and cooking. You know me… I'm a serial monotasker.

Pure Dessert, by Alice Medrich
Ooh, baby… I just got this book yesterday and I'm already in love. Pure Dessert is about simple recipes, unadulterated flavors, quality ingredients of all kinds — finally someone is using chestnut flour, buckwheat, kamut and more — and desserts that are not overlayered, frosted, and filled ad nauseam with sugariness; my kind of dessert. No Italian connection here that I can see, but it is the kind of dessert that resonates with the Italian palate.

And it gets better. If you are new or relatively new to baking, you will love the introductory part with all the tips on mise en place, how to measure ingredients, what equipment is good for what and why, and how and where to shop for ingredients. I am going to have to write a full fledged review of this book on tanta robina.

Saha: a chef's journey through Lebanon and Syria, by Greg and Lucy Malouf
This I've only been leafing through and enjoying the beautiful photography and the exoticness of it all.

Digital food photography
One thing I'm going to have to do on a regular basis in culinary school is photographing my dishes, so I thought I'd get some good advice. Not that I have any intention of getting in the food styling business, but most of the information is good for amateur photographers as well. There's something disturbing about some of the "secrets" of food photography such as applying brown shoe polish to grilled steaks or soapy water to a cup of coffee. Yuk. The book is good, though.

2. When you think of a good story what are the first 3 books that come to mind?
I don't read much fiction, almost none in fact, but these are books I love.
The spy who came in from the cold, by John Le Carrè
Possibly the best spy story ever.

Ficciones, by Jorge Luis Borges
This is not a story, but a collection of short stories. Ficciones (Fictions) is one of my all-time favorite books. I linked the title to a particular edition because it's the best English translation I've found so far. Other translations leave much to be desired and don't do justice to the original.

3. Which 3 books would you recommend for summer 2008 beach reading?
Drawing a blank here; I'm not even sure what "beach reading" means. Maybe because I don't go to the beach?

4. Any knitting book(s) you care to share?
There are so many; these are just a few that are gorgeous to leaf through, inspiring, and more.

Poems of Color

北欧のニットこものたち
(Knitted Accessories from Scandinavia)

Knitting Nature

Norsk Strikkedesign

Poetry in Stitches

I know I am supposed to tag a few people in return, but I'm always shy about that, so consider yourself tagged if you like books and memes.

Posted by Francesca at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

    Have you noticed that the English versions of some Japanese craft books are starting to trickle in?

Aesthetically, I tend to prefer the originals — something about how kanji and kana look on the page vs. our functional but less poetic alphabets — but there's nothing like being able to actually READ a book.

I can't wait for Setsuko Torii's beautiful knitting book to come out in English in a few months. But today, I bring you "Sock and Glove", the English version of 手袋いぬと靴下ざる, ISBN 4579110617. In the spirit of full disclosure, I received this copy from the publisher specifically to review it. That said, there were no strings attached. Now that that's out the way…

Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-off Socks and Gloves
by Miyako Kanamori
Publisher: HP Trade
62 pages
ISBN-10: 1557885168
ISBN-13: 978-1557885166
in English

After a page of "Things you should know before getting started", we encounter a whole cast of characters made from discarded socks, mittens and gloves (pages 2-40). They include two dogs, a cat, a monkey, a rabbit, a bear, a mouse, a bird, a pig, a fish, a panda, an elephant, a zebra, a sheep, and a girl. All with a primitive, unpolished charm.

Pages 41-61 cover the instructions on how to make all the softies plus a few basic items of clothing for your new friends. All project instructions are clearly illustrated with line drawings and in some cases with photographs. I haven't tried anything yet, but the directions seem easy to follow and I get the impression that making these critters is a quick affair.

I am partial to the piggie and the fish. Part of the reason is that they are made from socks that have some color or texture of their own. I am pretty sure that if I decide to make something from this book, it will be with colored socks. Of course we have a bunch of old plain white socks lying around in the closet.

Wanna see more? On Flickr, you can see a selection of stuffed toys made from this book.

Sayonara!

Posted by Francesca at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

  Just a quick note about the book Poems of Color.

In yesterday's post I linked the title to Amazon, but the book is not in stock and it takes 3-5 weeks for them to ship it so I ordered mine just now from Interweave Press. You can also find it at Schoolhouse Press and a bunch of other craft related websites. Patience was never my forte and I didn't want to wait more than a month to get my copy.

Marina also asked about the yarn used for the Blue Shimmer hats. The hat on the left was knitted with Bohus Stickning yarn, most likely from one of the Solsilke kits, the one on the right with yarn from Kimmet Croft Fibers.

Posted by Francesca at 9:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

  After a series of trendy knitting books that left me unimpressed and slightly annoyed, finally a book to treasure for years to come. I put this book in the timeless category for several reasons. It provides a good overview of the various natural fibers (animal and plant) and beautiful projects to highlight each one. More than twenty projects and with such a variety that I dare you not to find something you like. They include classic styles and innovative techniques with something for everybody.

Each project provides also information about the people behind the yarns, often small companies or individual entrepreneurs who are building their businesses with environmentally friendly practices.

Beautifully designed and photographed, too.

The Natural Knitter: How to Choose, Use, and Knit Natural Fibers from Alpaca to Yak
by Barbara Albright
Potter Craft (2007)
Hardcover, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 1400053528
ISBN-13: 9781400053520

Posted by Francesca at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Before and during my grad school days, I used to read a lot. Then, the strain of keeping up a three-year full-time graduate program while working full-time, commuting, sustaining a relationship, keeping a cat and a menagerie of fish and corals in my reef tank alive, and generally trying to have a life, took its toll. My reading habits took a drastic turn from actual reading to browsing, leafing through, consulting and plain just looking at pictures. I haven't read a book cover to cover in about five years.

Two days ago something happened to break the dry spell — I am not sure what — and I started reading again. I am now at page 130 of Dreaming in Code with two other books already lined up: The Wisdom of Crowds and Maps of The Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer. Dreaming in Code, albeit disheartening in its almost fatalistic assessment, is an easy and entertaining read on why it's so hard to build software. Reading it is reacquanting me with concepts and acronyms I had pushed to the back of my mind, and showing me new ones. I feel the old enthusiasm for geek pursuits coming back.

Despite having completed all the class requirements, I never finished my thesis project or got my Masters in Media Studies. The whole experience left me with a bitter taste, a lack of sufferance for the politics and bullshit of academia, and a bad case of information fatigue that caused my regression to picture books. Oh well… it's all in the past now, and I never regretted getting out without the piece of paper.

This weekend will be all about relaxing, some house chores and hopefully finishing the yellow scarf which only needs a little bit of grafting at the border and then blocking. Since I finished the border, I've been knitting the other scarf, the one with short rows. It's growing slowly and I may not have enough yarn after all, but It's relaxed knitting as I memorized the pattern.

Posted by Francesca at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

A few months ago I started a complete list of all the books for which I have individual entries in the blog and somehow, along the way, forgot about it. Today, I finally updated it and also reinstated the link to the page under the Popular category in the right column. Somewhow I had lost the link, which I suppose played a part in me forgetting about that list.

For your viewing pleasure: complete book index. Enjoy.

Posted by Francesca at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today's mail brought me a book I ordered just a couple of days ago from Schoolhouse Press: Three-cornered and Long Shawls. The book presents 27 patterns: 21 triangular shawls and 6 rectangular stoles. Schoolhouse Press was very prompt replying to my email acknowledging my special packaging instructions (we've had a rather abusive mail person lately who thinks nothing of forcing things into our mailbox regardless of shape and size). They also followed my instructions (unlike other vendors) and shipped the book right away. I'll definitely add them to my list of good guys.

The book is spiral bound and not as substantial as I had expected for $45. A lot of the images are old black & white photos that don't show the shawls as well as I had hoped. Another slight disappointment is the translation. The companion booklet with translation includes instructions for all the shawls and an introduction on general instructions and techniques, but I would have liked to read also the historical background section since I don't know anything about Icelandic knitting. In spite of these complaints, I'm glad I got the book as there are two shawls that I like enormously: Hálfsák and Hirna Herborgar. More projects to add to my to do wish list. Ah, when?

Three-cornered and Long Shawls
by Sigríður Halldórsdóttir
78 pages
language: Icelandic
ISBN 9979-70-032-7

Translation by Marilyn van Keppel

Posted by Francesca at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

  I suppose I can only blame myself for buying a book sight unseen, but I couldn't find any image of inside spreads anywhere and the cover is so beautiful and inspiring.

Well, that's about the only beautiful thing in the whole book. I can't remember the last time I was so utterly disappointed in a book. As soon as I opened it, my jaw dropped. All, yes *all* the images inside the book are black & white. But that's not all: they are all terrible quality. These photos were probably taken decades ago and my guess is that either the negatives were not preserved properly or these are actually photos of old photos. I don't know; it's just awful. There wasn't much point in scanning a lot of pages. The three pages below are representative of the image quality of the rest of the book.

The Constance Howard Book of Stitches
ISBN 0-7134-8938-3

Posted by Francesca at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Lest we forget, Banned Books Week reminds us every year that the freedom to read is not a right everywhere and all the time.

This poster — created by student artist Camden Forgia from Arizona State University — is available for download on the Amnesty International USA website, as "During Banned Books Week, Amnesty International directs attention to the plight of individuals who are persecuted because of the writings that they produce, circulate or read." (quote from the Amnesty website)

Posted by Francesca at 5:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

  When I spotted this little book in one of the language shelves at Kinokuniya's, I thought someone must have picked it up in the children's section or the comics section and put it down in the wrong place. I was wrong; it really is a language book.

Shironekokun (the white kitty) illustrates the use of some of the particles of the Japanese language by using whimsical illustrations to describe very simple sentences. Each sentence consists of a noun, a particle and a verb, and belongs to a set of two or three sentences that differ only in the particle, as in "neko to kagu" and "neko o kagu". The illustrations show the white kitty and a little girl in a variety of humorous situations. I simply couldn't resist.

しろねこくん
(shiro neko kun = the white kitty)
ISBN 4-09-727511-9

Posted by Francesca at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

  Today I managed to take some time off and do two good things: get together with my friend Andrea — we hadn't seen each other in two months and she's moving out of Los Angeles in a few weeks — and go to the Kinokuniya store in Costa Mesa. In all, I spent about 3.5 hours driving, but it was worth it, and anyway I was in good company and that makes all the difference. The Kinokuniya in Little Tokyo is much closer to me, but the one in Costa Mesa has a better selection of craft books. I came away with five books, five! I feel so spoiled. :)

These are the books; more detailed entries in the next few days.

しろねこくん
(shiro neko kun = the little white cat)
ISBN 4-09-727511-9

Dear, Sweet Home
ISBN 4-391-62192-4

Simple Stitch Life
ISBN 4-579-11103-6

布に描く糸模様
ISBN 4-579-11088-9

縫う編むリネン
ISBN 4-89396-901-3

Posted by Francesca at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I recently found out about LibraryThing, a website that lets you catalog your books online, and started entering my books. It's really easy to enter a book even with partial information. Just entering a partial title or the name of the author brings up a list of possible matches, and simply clicking on a book from that list will add it to your library with all the available information: ISBN, title, author, publisher, year of publication and so on. You can also tag your books so they can be searched by keyword, rate them, and write comments. And a social networking system shows you other people who have the same books and suggest books you don't have and might be interested in. Pretty cool.

Posted by Francesca at 8:16 PM | Permalink

  We must have upset the technology gods, because we are having another spout of breakdowns: the fridge, a toilet, Ben's car, and my computer's been acting up, too. Yes, there seems to be no end to bad luck this summer. And the sofa definitely needs to go; all the disinfestation work was useless. So, to cheer myself up, I bought this book as an early birthday present. Given that I have ten more days, I'll probably treat myself to another book or two. Hey, I deserve it.

Quilts of Provence: The Art and Craft of French Quiltmaking
by Kathryn Berenson
ISBN 0-9724369-0-1

Contents

1. Introduction


2. The Needle Arts of Provence


3. Embroidery from Within


4. Provençal Colors, Provençal Patterns


5. On the World Stage


6. Continuing the Tradition


7. Resources

The mustard yellow above is probably my all-time my favorite color.

Posted by Francesca at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

  I love children's books. When I was in Italy, I used to go to the Children's Illustrators Fair in Bologna and feast my eyes on the beautiful illustrations exhibited each year.

This is a book I bought a long time ago; in fact, it's not in print anymore. It was published in 1981 and it's one of my all-time favorites. It's based on the Shaker Abecedarius, used to teach children the alphabet. It's wonderfully whimsical and it really needs to be read out loud, to enjoy the cadence of the rhymes. The illustrations are delightful and evocative of times gone by.

A Peaceable Kingdom: The Shaker Abecedarius
Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
Publisher: Puffin
ISBN 0140503706

Alligator, beetle, porcupine, whale,
Bobolink, panther, dragonfly, snail,

Crocodile, monkey, buffalo, hare,

Dromedary, leopard, mud turtle, bear,
Elephant, badger, pelican, ox,
Flying fish, reindeer, anaconda, fox,
Guinea pig, dolphin, antelope, goose,
Hummingbird, weasel, pickerel, moose,
Ibex, rhinoceros, owl, kangaroo,
Jackal, opossum, toad, cockatoo,

Kingfisher, peacock, anteater, bat,

Lizard, ichneumon, honeybee, rat,
Mockingbird, camel, grasshopper, mouse,
Nightingale, spider, cuttlefish, grouse,
Ocelot, pheasant, wolverine, auk,
Periwinkle, ermine, katydid, hawk,
Quail, hippopotamus, armadillo, moth,

Rattlesnake, lion, woodpecker, sloth,
Salamander, goldfinch, angleworm, dog,
Tiger, flamingo, scorpion, frog,

Unicorn, ostrich, nautilus, mole,

Viper, gorilla, basilisk, sole,
Whippoorwill, beaver, centipede, fawn,
Xanthos, canary, polliwog, swan,
Yellowhammer, eagle, hyena, lark,
Zebra, chameleon, butterfly, shark.

Posted by Francesca at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

  Ultimamente mi è venuta la voglia di imparare il dialetto romagnolo come si deve. Dico come si deve, perchè capire lo capisco, ma non l'ho mai parlato sul serio. Un po' quando andavo a vendemmiare, sì, però facevo ridere i polli.

Lately, I've been toying with the idea of learning romagnolo dialect for real. I say for real, because I do understand it, but have never really spoken it. When I used to go grape picking in my late teens, I would speak a little dialect with the farmers and the other hired hands, but I was rather bad.

Mia madre ha fatto un po' di ricerca a Ravenna e mi ha mandato alcuni libri. Pare che anche in Romagna non si trovi molto materiale didattico per chi voglia imparare il romagnolo.

My mother did some looking around for me in Ravenna and found a few books. As it turns out, even in Romagna there isn't much literature for someone wanting to learn the romagnolo dialect. Quite a shame.

Il Vocabolario Romagnolo Italiano della Zanichelli, pubblicato nel 1996, ha 35.000 voci. Chi l'avrebbe mai detto? Ma 'sti buzzurri hanno pubblicato un mezzo dizionario, solo dal romagnolo all'italiano. E l'altra metà, dall'italiano al romagnolo, dov'è? Um pê d'sugnêr. Comunque il materiale è buono e contiene moltissimi esempi d'uso e note contestuali.

The Vocabolario Romagnolo Italiano published by Zanichelli in 1996 has 35,000 entries. Who would have thought? But they published only half a dictionary: Romagnolo to Italian. What about the other half, Italian to Romagnolo? The material is good, though, with lots of examples and contextual notes.

Vocabolario Romagnolo Italiano
Adelmo Masotti
Zanichelli Editore
ISBN 88-08-17352-6

Questa grammatica sembra scritta da un linguista per altri linguisti, per cui non è esattamente di facile lettura. Per di più, le scelte tipografiche e l'impaginazione rendono la lettura alquanto difficile. Comunque è meglio di niente e qua a Los Angeles non si trova proprio nulla del genere. Grazie mamma!

This grammar seems written by a linguist for other linguists, so it's not exactly an easy read. To make things worse, the book designer made some poor typographic and layout choices, aggravating the problem. Still, it's better than nothing and in Los Angeles I can't find anything at all on this subject. Thanks, mom!

Grammatica Romagnola
Adelmo Masotti
Edizioni del Girasole
ISBN 88-7567-351-9

Questo è il mio preferito fra i libri che ho appena ricevuto. È una collezione di proverbi romagnoli e non appena ho cominciato a sfogliarlo, mi son tornate in mente cose che avevo dimenticato da anni. Tipo… L'aqua la mêrza al budël e L'ora de' quajòn la vèn par tot.

This is my favorite among the books I received today. It's a collection of proverbs and as soon as I started leafing through it, I was taken back in time. Romagnolo is a very colorful language and I love it.

Proverbi Romagnoli
Aldo Spallicci
Giunti Gruppo Editoriale
ISBN 88-09-20832-3

Sono proprio contenta di avere questi libri. Magari non imparerò a parlare il romagnolo, ma almeno mi ritornerà in mente quello che sapevo.

I am so happy to have these books. They may not help me learn to speak my dialect, but they'll at least help me recover what I've forgotten.

Posted by Francesca at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

  I bought this book just for one project, and it's not even a quilt. I do things like that. Fortunately for me, I got more than I bargained for. Once I started reading it, I found that Denyse Schmidt Quilts is really a great book, with a wonderful introductory section on basic sewing (much, much needed for me) and quilting techniques. I haven't had time to start practicing yet, but from what I can tell, everything seems very clearly explained and I am not feeling too apprehensive about trying my first quilting project.

Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects
by Denyse Schmidt
Chronicle Books
ISBN 0811844420

The basics of preparing your patchwork pieces, from cutting to laying out.

After the technique sections, there are ten quilts and twenty other projects including slippers, a quilted handbag, soft toys, and an eye pillow.

This is the culprit. As I laid eyes on "Steve", it was love at first sight. He will be my first patchwork project.

Posted by Francesca at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Since I am starting to have a lot of book entries, I thought I'd create a master list of all the books to make them easier to find. This will be work in progress. If you spot any mistake or typo, please let me know. Grazie!

Children
Design
Embroidery
Felting
Knitting
Language
Sewing/Quilting
Zakka

CHILDREN

  A Peaceable Kingdom: The Shaker Abecedarius
Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen
ISBN 0140503706

DESIGN

  Designing Tessellations : The Secrets of Interlocking Patterns
by Jinny Beyer
ISBN 0809228661

  知識ゼロからの絵手紙入門
ISBN 4-344-90083-9

EMBROIDERY

  図案と刺しゅうがごっつんこ
Embroidery Designs
72 pages
by 大塚 あや子, ワンダフル
ISBN 4-277-37012-8

  布に描く糸模様
Embroideries on Linen
ISBN 4-579-11088-9

  Initial & Monogram
ISBN 4-579-11034-X

  文字の刺繍
Monogrammatic Embroidery by Calligraphy
by 真喜子, 小田原
73 pages
Published: 2006/9
ISBN-13: 978-4277370073
ASIN: 4277370071

  One & Only
ISBN 4-09-310377-1

  刺しゅうで描くまいにち—Simple Stitch Life
Simple Stitch Life
ISBN 4-579-11103-6

  Small Embroidery
ISBN 4-14-031141-X

  The Constance Howard Book of Stitches
ISBN 0-7134-8938-3

  小さな庭の小さな刺しゅう
Tiny Garden
by 和子, 青木
83 pages
Published: 2004/03
ISBN-13: 978-4277311441
ASIN: 427731144X

FELTING

  Simple zakka and bag of felt wool
Publisher Ondori
ISBN 4-277-43072-4

  Handmade Felt
ISBN 4-579-10798-5

  Handmade Felt (My Felted Bags)
ISBN 4-579-10891-4

  Small articles made of wool felt
ISBN 4-309-28044-7

KNITTING

  透かし模様300―棒針あみ模様別決定版
300 Knitting Patterns
ISBN 4529020711

  よくわかる編目記号ブック―棒針あみ120
Clear and Simple Knitting Symbols
ISBN 452902413X / 9784529024136

  フェアアイルニット
Fair Isle Knitting
by 勝子, 阪場
ISBN-13: 978-4835579191
ASIN: 4835579194

  新 棒針あみ―よくわかるセーター作りの基礎
Hand Knitting Techniques Book
Paperback, 82 pages
Language: Japanese
ISBN-10: 4529029271
ISBN-13: 9784529029278

  Håndplagg til Bunader og Folkedrakter
(Hand Coverings for National and Folk Costumes)
by Heidi Fossnes
ISBN 82-496-0187-4

  もっと知りたい棒針編みのわざ!―編み物教室の現場から
From an actual knitting class
by 千枝, 小瀬
104 pages
ISBN 4579111125

  Three-cornered and Long Shawls
Three-cornered and Long Shawls
by Sigríður Halldórsdóttir
78 pages
language: Icelandic
ISBN 9979-70-032-7

  北欧のニットこものたち
Knitted Accessories from Scandinavia
by 嶋田 俊之 (著)
88 pages
ISBN 4-529-04140-9

  Knitting Nature
by Norah Gaughan
ISBN 1584794844

  More Sweaters: a riot of color, pattern, and form
by Lise Kolstad & Tone Takle
ISBN 0-934026-99-8

  北欧ワンダーニット—不思議ですてきな10のテクニック
Nordic Knitting: Ten fabuluous techniques
ISBN 4-579-11118-4

  Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers
by Margaretha Finseth
ISBN 1893063011

  Poetry in Stitches
by Solveig Hisdal
ISBN 82-517-8435-2

  Shadow Knitting
by Vivian Høxbro
ISBN 1931499411

  はじめての手あみ手袋とくつ下―今年の冬こそチャレンジ ミトン・5本指の手袋・くつ下
Start Series - Gloves
ISBN 4-529-03844-0
50 pages

LANGUAGE

  しろねこくん
(shiro neko kun = the white kitty)
ISBN 4-09-727511-9

  The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
by John McWhorter
Harper Collins
ISBN 0-06-052085-X

SEWING + QUILTING

  Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects
by Amy Butler
Chronicle Books
ISBN 0811851591

  Aranzi Aronzo
ISBN 4-579-10921-X

  繕いノートk
Darning Notebook
by 勝屋 まゆみ
ISBN-10 4579111273
ISBN-13 9784579111275

  Kawaii Mochimono
by Aranzi Aronzo
ISBN 4-579-11076-5

  Quilts of Provence: The Art and Craft of French Quiltmaking
by Kathryn Berenson
ISBN 0-9724369-0-1

  縫う編むリネン
Sew and Knit Linen
ISBN 4-89396-901-3

ZAKKA

  内田彩仍さんのちょっとだけおめかし。私の暮らし—Dear,sweet home
Dear, Sweet Home
ISBN 4-391-62192-4

  Handmade bag and zakka of natural cord
ISBN 4-277-43052-X

Posted by Francesca at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

  I just got Amy Butler's In Stitches and love it already. Having only recently taken up sewing, I find myself at a loss trying to do the simplest things. Yes, I can put together a needle case for my circulars, but so far I am one-trick pony. Someone else figured out the pattern and measurements for me and showed me how to do everything, step-by-step. Now I want to make other things and until now I hadn't found a book with a good variety of projects — easy to intermediate — in a modern style. The problem with a lot of the books I see at the local bookstore is that they show projects I wouldn't want to make. In Stitches is just what I needed. And having said that, I am sure I'll proceed to embarass myself by goofing on the next thing I attempt, but it's ok. At least now I have the inspiration.

Amy Butler's In Stitches: More Than 25 Simple and Stylish Sewing Projects
by Amy Butler
Chronicle Books
ISBN 0811851591

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Fabrics
3. Living Room Projects
   - Decorative Patchwork Throw
   - Floor Cushions
   - Kitty Tunnel
   - Big Dot Pillow, Round Ruffle Pillow, Pom-Pom Pillow
4. Kitchen Projects
   - Placemats & Napkins
   - Giftable Recipe Card Bags
   - Short Pleated Apron
   - Square Pot Holder
5. Bedroom Projects
   - Patchwork Duvet Cover
   - Bedside Organizer
   - Wide-Leg Lounge Pants
   - Sleeping Mask
   
6. Bathroom Projects
   - Kimono-Style Bathrobe
   - Hanging Toiletry Basket
   - Oversized Laundry Bag
   - Decorative Hanging Towels
   
7. Office Projects
   - CD Holder and Desktop Organizer
   - Document Duvet and Photo File
   - Fashion Checkbook Clutch
   
8. Personal Style Projects
   - Clutch Handbag with Fabric Flower
   - Sash with Beaded Fringe
   - Simple Leather-Handled Shoulder Bag
   - Patchwork Handbag with Zipper Charm
   
9. Simple Techniques and Basic Equipment
10. Resource Guide
11. Index

And here are some spreads from the book.

Added 13 August 2006

I forgot to mention that you can see all of Amy's fabrics at Amy Butler Design and find online shops that carry her line along with other fabrics and notions at Where to buy.

Posted by Francesca at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

My Intro to Linguistics class has turned out rather disappointing for me. We spend a good chunk of class time doing phonology expercises I am really not that interested in, and the rest of the time is spent in rather uninspired adherence to the textbook. I had expected a livelier environment with more discussion of ideas and a better sense of the big picture.

To find out more I started looking at books, and I am now reading The Power of Babel by John McWhorter, an associate professor of linguistics at UC Berkeley. So far (I am at page 55), I find it enormously enjoyable and informative. The only thing I have issues with at this point — and it may be addressed later in the book — is that the author assumes the existence of a proto language from which all existing languages derive without providing a context for me to make up my mind about the validity of the theory. Since it is a big assumption, I'd like to be convinced of it before I read all sorts of interpretations that are based on that assumption. Regardless, it's a very good read and I am fascinated by the explanation of how languages transform. McWhorter is careful about using the term transformation instead of evolution, and I like that. I hope the rest of the book is as interesting and entertaining as the first 55 pages.

The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
by John McWhorter
Harper Collins
ISBN 0-06-052085-X

Posted by Francesca at 8:40 PM | Permalink

   This book explores systematically several kinds of patterns found in nature and, for each one, provides a good diversity of projects. I only got the book last night and don't know when I'll be able to actually try something from it, but it really seems a great combination of inspiration and patterns: my favorite kind of book.

Knitting Nature
by Norah Gaughan
ISBN 1584794844

Chapter 1: Hexagons
• Introduction
• Asymmetrical Cardigan
• Basalt Tank
• Hex Coat
• Honeycomb Henley
• Snapping Turtle Skirt
• Hex Afghan

Chapter 2: Pentagons
• Introduction
• Sand Dollar Pullover
• Swirled Pentagon Pullover
• Bubble Pullover
• Starfish Shawl
• Pentagon Aran Pullover & Cardigan
• Mosaic Shrug

Chapter 3: Spirals
• Introduction
• Nautilus Poncho
• Spiral Scarf
• Cowl Pullover
• Cable Spral Pullover
• Shell Tank
• Ram's Horn Jacket

Chapter 4: Phyllotaxis
• Introduction
• Diamond Tunic
• Phyllo Yoked Pullover
• Roundabout Leaf Tank
• Phyllotaxis Scarf
• Sunflower Tam

Chapter 5: Fractals
• Introduction
• Branching Aran Guernsey
• Ogee Tunic
• Frost Jacket
• Serpentine Coat
• Coastlike Camisole and Skirt
• Triangle Scarf

Chapter 6: Waves
• Vortex Street Pullover
• Reflection Aran Pullover
• Turbulence U-Neck Pullover
• Target Wave Mittens
• Moiré Skirt
• Droplet Hat

Posted by Francesca at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

  My Secret Pal is the best. My Saturday got lost in a series of small chores and by late afternoon I was bummed out that I hadn't had a real day off and I didn't know why. Couple of emails to clients, an invoice here, another little thing there, laundry, errands and it was 5:30pm. Then I convinced Ben to take a break from programming and we went for a short walk. The neighborhood is lovely in the evenings, not so hot, and all the plants in bloom. Among the bouganvilles on hormones we saw a beautiful doe grazing a neighbor's garden. By the time we got back home, the day was finally starting to look up. Then I checked the mailbox and there it was: a big yellow padded envelope from my SP in Japan.

And inside all these cool things! My SP had told me to watch the mailbox, but this was another stressful week and I had forgotten. I certainly didn't expect so much. *Four* books and booklets, funny stickers, an adorable card and felting wool.

I love this card; something about the pose and expression of the amigurumi makes it really sweet.

The highlight of the package is the book Simple zakka and bag of felt book. I had put it on my list at Amazon Japan after seeing just two photos and now I am so glad I did. It's a lovely book with some adorable felted projects. I am scanning several pages and I'll make an entry just for this book tomorrow.

These booklets are also about handmade felt.

The kittens and the sleeping puppies are too cute.

And not only the books, but also two bags of 100% merino wool so I can get started with some felting right away. Is that sweet or what?

Who's got the best secret pal?

Grazie SP!

Posted by Francesca at 6:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

 Shadow knitting is a form of textural knitting that employs a combination of stockinette and garter stitch in two or more colors. The idea is clever and simple at the same time. When viewed flat with diffused lighting, you only see the colors, but when the knit surface or you or the light move, then you see the texture and the protruding ridges of garter stitch project shadows on the "indented" rows below them, adding to the multidimentional effect. The overall impression is one of shimmering now-you-see-it-now-you-don't that can be subtle to the point of almost invisibility.

The idea of understated beauty has long been a hallmark of Japanese aesthetics so it's not surprising that the first documentation of this technique is found in Japan. At least according to Danish designer Vivian Høxbro who, in the preface to her book, openly credits a Japanese book as the first publisher of patterns that used this knitting technique.

Shadow Knitting
by Vivian Høxbro
ISBN 1931499411

The book that started it all.

Shadow Knitting clearly presents examples and diagrams for a variety of projects and they are all beautiful, but they seem more variations on a theme than distinct design directions. I would have loved to see more design exploration and less execution.

Pot holder.

Chek out Vivian Høxbro's website for other designs and knitting kits. I particularly like Wing Shawl 3.

If these images have wetted your appetite for new projects and you want to design something using this technique, consider that:

• It's where different textures and colors meet that you see a pattern more clearly, so pay particular attention to the edges between areas.
• Part of the optical effect is caused by alternating light and dark colors so if your colors are too close in value — as in light orange and medium orange for instance — the effect may be too subtle.
• Light colors seem to advance and dark colors recede, so you can use this optical illusion to intensify or soften a particular effect.

Have fun!

Posted by Francesca at 8:07 AM | Permalink

Solveig Hisdal, one of the Norwegian designers featured in Norsk Strikkedesign, has her own beautiful book: Poetry in Stitches. And poetry it is.

Poetry in Stitches
by Solveig Hisdal
ISBN 82-517-8435-2

This is the Fair Isle sweater I've been working on since April. Different yarn, different colors, 2/2 rib instead of picot edges, but it's this pattern.

Posted by Francesca at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

If you are interested in designing tessellations — from simple repeats to complex representational interlocking patterns — this is the book.

I think my friend Lucia in Reggio Emilia will love this book. She used to make modular origami when I was still making cranes and inflatable frogs. I remember some tinsel Christmas ornaments: still making those, Lucia? Although two-dimensional, I think this book would appeal to her and inspire something creative and unexpected.

Designing Tessellations : The Secrets of Interlocking Patterns
by Jinny Beyer
ISBN 0809228661

Book chapters:

1. What Are Tessellations?
2. An Introduction to Symmetry
3. Designing with Two-Dimensional Symmetries: The First Eleven Symmetry Groups
4. Designing with Two-Dimensional Symmetries: The Last Six Symmetry Groups
5. Designing with Linear Symmetry Groups
6. Experimenting with Symmetry
7. The Keys to Creating Interlocking Tessellations
8. Refining Tessellations: Shape and Color
9. Creating Geometric Tessellations
10. Creating Representational Tessellations
11. Metamorphosis

Categorizing symmetries is an example of the systematic approach to designing patterns throughout the book. It's reassuring to see that it's a system so even intricate designs á la Escher become possible.

While the books caters heavily to quilters (all the photographic examples are of quilts), once you learn how to design patterns, you can apply them to any project. I am thinking Fair Isle. :)

Creating Escher-like representational interlocking patterns

If you make something based on this book, let me know!

Posted by Francesca at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It looks like I am going to have to learn a bit of Norwegian since the last book I bought is not only about Norwegian knitting design, but actually in Norwegian. 320 pages of gloves, mittens and wrist warmers (or pulse warmers as I've seen them called). It's a coffe table book and I meant to scan a few pages, but I gave up after some scanning acrobatics — the book does not fit in my scanner — and subsequent Photoshop surgery to stitch the pieces together. So I snapped a few pictures with the digital camera.

Håndplagg til Bunader og Folkedrakter
(Hand Coverings for National and Folk Costumes)
by Heidi Fossnes
ISBN 82-496-0187-4

Most of the models are sumptuous, with ornate embrodery and beads. Some are quite out there for my taste, looking like giant baroque oven mitts, but there are so many that it's hard not to find something you like. I am not a big mitten fan myself, so I prefer the gloves.

Posted by Francesca at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This is a gorgeous book that I am probably never going to knit anything from, unless I win the lottery, quit web development and become a full-time knitter. Ha! Wouldn't that be nice?

Seriously, though, this is a great inspiration book and I have actually seen the cover model in person last month when I took a color knitting workshop with Linda Marveng at Loop, in London. It was stunning.

Feast your eyes.

Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers
by Margaretha Finseth
ISBN 1893063011

Not to worry. In spite of the Norwegian title, the book is entirely in English. Along with the diagrams and instructions, each model comes with a little history on the inspiration that led to it.

If only I had the figure to go with this beauty, I would be really tempted.

Is this adorable or what?

Sorry, no enlargement of the pattern out of consideration for the author.

Posted by Francesca at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

In addition to a postcard from my secret pal in Japan, yesterday's mail brought More Sweaters, an out-of-print book I purchased on eBay. The cover is disappointingly beaten up, but the content exceeded my expectations. I had only seen pictures of a couple of sweaters and all I expected was the patterns. Instead, the book presents a lot of information on how to chart your own designs and shape your own garments.

More Sweaters: a riot of color, pattern, and form
by Lise Kolstad & Tone Takle
ISBN 0-934026-99-8

Page 11, About Supply and Method

The "design machine" is the authors' name for a charting technique that will get you designing new patterns even when you are lacking inspiration. I like that they are not treating design as an esoteric form of art for initiates.

Page 39, The Design Machine

It'll take some time to read throught the whole book, but I can tell already that it will become a favorite.

Posted by Francesca at 4:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Two knitters' lists I belong to have recently brought up an issue that I would like someone competent to clarify for me (any lawyers who knit out there?). There seems to be a consensus among some laypeople that if a book is out-of-print and unavailable at a reasonable price, then it can be photocopied, even in its entirety. The reason this topic is being hotly debated on knitting lists is the unavailability of certain Alice Starmore books. Works such as Aran Knitting and In the Hebrides have been out-of-print for a while, there doesn't seem to be a plan to reprint them, and only a few copies are available on eBay and specialized bookstores at prices that no one in their right mind would call reasonable. Today, Aran Knitting is listed from $299.85 to $794.95, and In the Hebrides from $337.50 to $1,203.43 (as seen on BookFinder).

While I wait for someone who knows what they are talking about to come to the rescue, I thought I'd look for answers from Stanford University. They ought to know. Here is a quote from the Fair Use section of the Stanford University Libraries website:

• "Copying a complete work from the library collection is prohibited unless the work is not available at a "fair price." This is generally the case when the work is out of print and used copies are not available at a reasonable price." [Italics are mine]

So, how "generally" is generally and what are the exceptions? For one thing, this is all within the library confine. What about me making photocopies of an out-of-print book I own and giving them to friends? I may be overcautious, but I don't automatically assume that what is within a library's rights would be ok for poor little me.

Besides, even for libraries the photocopying right doesn't seem so air-tight. On other websites, I found mention of a couple of factors that might affect them, too. One is the use of the photocopied material: strictly private study, scholarship or research. The other is the age of the work in question: how far along its copyright term is the book?

So many questions, so few answers… One thing's for sure: Fair Use is a very gray area of intellectual property law and I am eager to hear from experts. In the meantime, I doubt that Aran Knitting is up for grabs. Good thing I bought my copy when it was in print.

Posted by Francesca at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We just enrolled in a UCLA Extension class on linguistics called "Languages of the World: Variable Topics in Linguistics". It'll be fun to take a class with Ben and we'll finally be able to add some scientific background to our conversations about language.

This is the class description and I can't wait for it to start (June 26):

• "An introduction to the distribution, classification, and structural characteristics of the world's languages, this course acquaints students with the principles and techniques of language classification and provides a comprehensive view of the linguistic diversity of the world. Topics include elements of areal linguistics, linguistic typology, and comparative and historical linguistics and their relationship to language classification. Other topics include language isolates, the genetic affiliation of contact languages, and the evolution of language".

Posted by Francesca at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)