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January 26, 2005

War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning

War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning is written by Chris Hedges, a fifteen-year war correspondent and reporter. This, his first book, looks at the seduction and poison of war; how it is integrated into our lives and societies, and points out for us the truths that come from war and the corruption, destruction and perversion that it leads to.

Hedges will tell you "I am NOT a pacifist." This is not a diatribe about the evils of violence, but a profound statement about reality and existence, intertwining morality, philosophy, and personally-witnessed experience.

He has seen children killed in the streets, been prisoner in the Middle East, and immersed in the political turmoil of El Salvador. He lived, worked, breathed with the people who are most affected by war: those being attacked, and those doing the attacking.

I had the opportunity to listen to Mr. Hedges on January 25th, 2005. He gave a speech at my University using information from writing this book. He spoke for an hour, and then answered questions from the audience.

One woman asked how he thought that women in combat would be able to come home and have children after the war. He answered that he didn't know. He pointed out studies showing that more men died from suicide after the Vietnam War than died in combat itself. He said that he would rather not have psychological damage after covering war, and yet it is common.“Seeing a dead child after having my own was almost unbearable because I understood the fragility and sanctity of life,” he said.

Mr. Hedges also talked about the current war in Iraq being perpetuated by America. He said that "The War on Terror" is nearly illogical and a play of words, because "terror" is an abstraction, and fighting a war on it is fighting a war on an idea.

War, Mr. Hedges says, is exhilirating and often addictive. He told us of many friends he lost, addicted to war and the coverage of it that they could not get out. Men and women in Iraq, Bosnia, and the Balkans who found the seduction and power of war to be too much to break free from. He says "[War] gives us purpose, meaning, a reason for living."

I am reviewing this book because I think that it would be an excellent title for our group to consider reading soon. It is honest, real, and at the same time extremely eloquent and profound. I have learned much from this book about why I feel how I do about war (which I will not mention here because I do not want to push my opinion on others), and how others may respond to war in the manner that they do respond. It will open eyes and hearts and minds, and it may be integral to the continuation of our society.

Posted by at 06:11 PM | Comments (1)

January 03, 2005

Sweater Design in Plain English

Sweater Design in Plain English
by Maggie Righetti

The minute I started reading this, I new it was going to be good. By good I mean that I would a) understand what Righetti was talking about, and more importantly, b) be able to INVISION what Righetti was talking about. One of the skills I haven’t quite mastered with my knitting is being able to SEE what a pattern will look like without having it in my hands. I think Righetti has helped me with this immensely. That alone makes it a fabulous book.

Her style is exactly like she says – plain English. No nonsense. To the point. Some may actually find her a little too abrupt, but what she’s talking about is important, so I think it might be overlooked.

Some of the most important subjects she talks about are “Understanding the Nature of Yarn,” “Achieving the Right Marriage of Fiber, Fabric and Design,” “Pattern Stitches and How They Behave,” “Getting the Right Gauge,” and “Understanding the Arithmetic of Knitting.” (The last one was enough to send me into a cold sweat, but it was greatly needed.)

Righetti comes from a sewing background, and even though I’ve never sewn more than a loose button, her explanations of the differences between sewn garment and knitted garments was illuminating. The chapter on understanding the nature of yarn was an eye-opener – it explained just why you start decreases on a v-neck AT THE SAME time you start decreases for the arms. “Forgivingness” is the word of the day when it comes to knitted garments. She gives detail on how knits sag and droop and how to achieve the look you want all the while working with the sag and droop.

Another great chapter was on pattern stitches. How does stockinette “forgive” as compared to garter stitch? What about cables, color, etc? Add this to the chapter on various fibers and how they behave and I felt like a scholar! Never will I look at yarn the same way.

One negative to the book: the designs in the second half. They are very, very dated. But the descriptions and patterns are so well described, it would be very easy to incorporate some of the ideas into an updated garment.

I could go on, but I have knitting to do. Suffice it to say, if you have any interest in designing for yourself, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed in what Righetti has to offer.

Posted by Knit One Read Too at 01:08 PM | Comments (1)