Sunday, July 30, 2006

I blame Borders

Naughty, naughty Borders bookshop. Not only have they placed their Cambridge branch within a minute's walk of where I work, they've also somehow arranged to get new influxes of knitting books on the very day that I am paid. Bad, bad Borders. It is, therefore, entirely Borders fault that I left yesterday £16.95 lighter (wish that was 16.5lbs lighter, but that's another story) clutching a copy of Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. I've been in love with tesselations ever since I was a little girl, fell in love with Fibonacci, sea creatures and (ahem) slug genitalia in my 20s and then, whilst doing my MA, developed an obsession with Pangolins
Another armored animal--scale
lapping scale with spruce-cone regularity until the
form the uniterrrupted central
tail-row!

and paper nautliluses (nautilii?)
for she is in
a sense a devil-
fish, her glass ram'shorn-cradled freight
is hid but is not crushed

for which Marianne Moore is entirely responsible.
Add to that my passion for short rows and modular knitting, and just one look at the skirt composed of hexagons on the front cover sucked me in to this book. I've hardly pulled my nose out of it since. I don't think I'll be making many exact replicas of the patterns in this book, except, perhaps, the Ram's Horn Jacket, although all the fun knitting there is in the collar. But I can see endless possibilities spiralling out from the basalt tank and spiral scarf: in crochet, as well as knitting. So, money well-spent. Mind you, some of the garments do rather seem to have elevated form over function (don't think you'll be finding me in the nautilus poncho but it has major possibilities for making a cushion!). I'd also have liked to see more photos of natural objects, a bit more background on the maths and some choice quotations from Marianne Moore but there is a reading list at the back...
Now I must get back to work--the great post-carpet laying reorganisation: dragging files back into the study and stash back into everywhere I can possibly cram it; copywriting which I should've done on Friday afternoon but it was too hot; and my latest curly whirly scarf (yes, more slug genitalia, this one is turquoise cotton, may feature a lace panel, and will definately be finished with a scary stand-out eyelash edge.) Watch this space!

7 comments:

Wye Sue said...

you might want to look at this before starting knitting...

http://knittingnature.blogspot.com/2006/07/errata.html

look forward to seeing what you create ;-)

Rosie said...

Thanks, Sue, that sounds like a *very* wise idea!

Anonymous said...

Oooh - I keep reading about that book on people's blogs... might it possibly be coming along to the next-but-one KTog? (Pretty please?)

Nickerjac said...

I have also fallen in love with this book but have resisted the temptation so far.
If you want to borrow twelve sharp let me know your address and I'll put it in the post

Lyndsey-Jane said...

How on earth did you manange to spend eanough time in borders to actually purcahse anything. I was in there the other day with a friend and it was so hot and they had no air conditioning that we left and went to waterstones - which meant i spent less money as they didn't have the book i was planningon buying. I will DEFINETELY be at the next ktog, esp now i know i can get home on a tues night.

Rosie said...

Anne: yes, will (try to remember to) bring book along to the Cambridge Blue on 29 Aug (er, perhaps you could remind me nearer the time?!). Lyndsey: I only spent about 5 minutes in Borders and did so safe in the knowledge that I'd be back in Past Times' amazing aircon any moment! And I look forward to seeing you at the Granta Bar (in the Grad Pad) on 8 Aug! Nic: thanks for offer of Evanovich book, is it a pareback? If not, the postage will be crazy :)

Rosie said...

For pareback, please read paperback. Have had a glass of wine this evening (whilst watching the last-ever Top of the Pops), now my fingers are in a tangle