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I've got an odd collection of books on the nightstand right now. The top two books came from the public library visit last weekend. The first is Ethnic Knitting: Discovery: The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and The Andes, by Donna Druchunas. One of the next knitting projects on my list is a hat to match the mittens I knitted for my "mother-in-law" (aka LM). I made the mittens from a pattern in the book Selbuvotter, which was created based on mittens housed at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle. By nature, Selbuvotter doesn't contain corresponding hat patterns. So, part of the purpose of the library trip was to acquire resources for thinking about hat creation.
Some side notes, for context: When I was up in Minneapolis with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie, he, LM, and I stopped by The Yarnery so I could buy size 1 knitting needles to knit socks for my nephew. That was just before I gave the mittens to LM, and while they waited for me to poke around the shop for a few minutes, they both picked up some of the lovely-looking knitting books displayed around the shop. It was pretty funny to hear LM ooh and aah over different Scandinavian patterns, knowing she'd be the recipient of some in a very short time. Anyway, the comment I made there still holds: I generally don't like or buy knitting books. The reason why is most knitting books are organized around some theme or another - say, scarves. Well, if I want to knit a scarf, generally I just want to knit one, not an entire book's worth of scarves. Plus, then I have to spend a bunch of time flipping through the book in a knitting store, looking for the exact scarf that fits my fancy and knitting interests/methods at that particular moment. Really, all I want at that point is a photocopier, so I can copy out that one pattern I'm after. I've made exceptions for technique-based books, like the book I purchased to teach myself the intarsia in the "fake-round" method so I could knit S's leg-warmers. Overall, though, it's like the influx of cookbooks that are just stuffed full of food porn instead of recipes and information.
[All of this is why Ravelry is generally a fantastic knitting resource. On Ravelry, one can search for patterns with really specific criteria (say, I have puke-green lace-weight yarn and want to knit elbow warmers for a toddler from it), and even the patterns that aren't free don't cost nearly as much as an entire book full of glossy photos.]
Anyway, back to the library books. Knitting books checked out from the library are brilliant. Even if they aren't great, hey, they're free! I can look through them at my own pace and figure out whether or not they're worth keeping around! This first knitting book (Ethnic Knitting) caught my eye because it presents patterns for making things in three different ways, to cater to knitters with varying levels of interest/exactitude in knitting construction. On top of showing construction methods for Scandinavian sweaters, it contains animal patterns found in Andean knitting - something that drew my interest because S has an alpaca hat made from alpaca wool that depicts alpacas. Reading about the basics of different knitting styles has been useful. I wouldn't buy it, but I'm grateful the library did.
Book number two is Vogue's The Ultimate Sock Book, as knitting those socks for my nephew got me interested in and thinking about knitting additional socks. I want to learn more about sock construction methods. I'll spend some more time browsing through the Vogue book while deciding what sorts of socks I'd like to make next. If I like this book enough, I might actually get my own copy of it. We'll see.
Underneath that is a copy of Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, by William Bridges (although it's an older edition than this one because it's from the A&M Library). This book has been on my List of Books to Read for ages. At least nine years, actually. I'm curious to find out whether or not it contains any useful insights. It was recommended by a benefactor who contributed a scholarship I received at Tufts; he organized a lunch to meet us, his scholarship recipients, and the book came up in our conversation. Somehow, it just seems appropriate to give it a read for that reason. Plus, you know, I've been undergoing a lot of transitions, so maybe it will be helpful.
Below that, a copy of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. A good friend and mentor has said she's found the book useful - if so, well, sign me up, I say. It couldn't hurt, I figure.
So, a nonfiction kick for a bit. Fairly quick reads, though, so soon I hope to return to fiction. Or perhaps I'll read a book on insect physiology instead. You might think I'm joking about that, but I'm not.
Some side notes, for context: When I was up in Minneapolis with
scrottie, he, LM, and I stopped by The Yarnery so I could buy size 1 knitting needles to knit socks for my nephew. That was just before I gave the mittens to LM, and while they waited for me to poke around the shop for a few minutes, they both picked up some of the lovely-looking knitting books displayed around the shop. It was pretty funny to hear LM ooh and aah over different Scandinavian patterns, knowing she'd be the recipient of some in a very short time. Anyway, the comment I made there still holds: I generally don't like or buy knitting books. The reason why is most knitting books are organized around some theme or another - say, scarves. Well, if I want to knit a scarf, generally I just want to knit one, not an entire book's worth of scarves. Plus, then I have to spend a bunch of time flipping through the book in a knitting store, looking for the exact scarf that fits my fancy and knitting interests/methods at that particular moment. Really, all I want at that point is a photocopier, so I can copy out that one pattern I'm after. I've made exceptions for technique-based books, like the book I purchased to teach myself the intarsia in the "fake-round" method so I could knit S's leg-warmers. Overall, though, it's like the influx of cookbooks that are just stuffed full of food porn instead of recipes and information.[All of this is why Ravelry is generally a fantastic knitting resource. On Ravelry, one can search for patterns with really specific criteria (say, I have puke-green lace-weight yarn and want to knit elbow warmers for a toddler from it), and even the patterns that aren't free don't cost nearly as much as an entire book full of glossy photos.]
Anyway, back to the library books. Knitting books checked out from the library are brilliant. Even if they aren't great, hey, they're free! I can look through them at my own pace and figure out whether or not they're worth keeping around! This first knitting book (Ethnic Knitting) caught my eye because it presents patterns for making things in three different ways, to cater to knitters with varying levels of interest/exactitude in knitting construction. On top of showing construction methods for Scandinavian sweaters, it contains animal patterns found in Andean knitting - something that drew my interest because S has an alpaca hat made from alpaca wool that depicts alpacas. Reading about the basics of different knitting styles has been useful. I wouldn't buy it, but I'm grateful the library did.
Book number two is Vogue's The Ultimate Sock Book, as knitting those socks for my nephew got me interested in and thinking about knitting additional socks. I want to learn more about sock construction methods. I'll spend some more time browsing through the Vogue book while deciding what sorts of socks I'd like to make next. If I like this book enough, I might actually get my own copy of it. We'll see.
Underneath that is a copy of Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes, by William Bridges (although it's an older edition than this one because it's from the A&M Library). This book has been on my List of Books to Read for ages. At least nine years, actually. I'm curious to find out whether or not it contains any useful insights. It was recommended by a benefactor who contributed a scholarship I received at Tufts; he organized a lunch to meet us, his scholarship recipients, and the book came up in our conversation. Somehow, it just seems appropriate to give it a read for that reason. Plus, you know, I've been undergoing a lot of transitions, so maybe it will be helpful.
Below that, a copy of How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. A good friend and mentor has said she's found the book useful - if so, well, sign me up, I say. It couldn't hurt, I figure.
So, a nonfiction kick for a bit. Fairly quick reads, though, so soon I hope to return to fiction. Or perhaps I'll read a book on insect physiology instead. You might think I'm joking about that, but I'm not.
