Monthly Archives: April 2009

Why It’s Bad To Know Other Knitters

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Karie

I blame Bells. I was sitting here enjoying a cup of coffee, having a spot of lunch and then I began reading Bells’ love letter to Ishbel (a shawl pattern by everybody’s favourite Scottish knitting pixie, Ysolda Teague). Bells’ paen … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Purls, shopping, yarn | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Random Is the New Black

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Karie

We have found more clay pipes by the Forth and Clyde Canal – here is one of the nicest pipes, if not exactly the most intact.. Notice also the rather interesting shards of china in the background. We’ve identified one … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Fandom, History, News, Popular Culture, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Relationship Status: Good (Once More)

Posted on April 27, 2009 by Karie

If you subscribe to my Twitter feed you will already have been privy to a major relationship crisis. Last night I was not talking to and was close to breaking up with knitting. It was bad. Seriously. Looking back it … Continue reading →

Posted in humour, Knitting, Purls | 2 Comments

AS Byatt & Contemporary British Fiction

Posted on April 26, 2009 by Karie

There was a marvellous inteview with AS Byatt in yesterday’s Guardian Review. I particularly loved the following quote, but you should really read the entire interview. So enlightning and so clever. What distinguishes her is a sort of grounded curiosity. … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Do Not Feed the Culture Vultures?

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Karie

Glasgow does visual arts so very, very well and every year we get the added bonus of a four-day art fair. Guess what? It’s that time of year again.. Today we went to the Glasgow Art Fair and enjoyed ourselves … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Scotland | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Behaving as the Wind Behaves

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Karie

Let the Right One In was a much better film than book. Everything which was overegging the book-pudding had been removed in the film: neverending subplots, irrelevant and distracting characters, and immense wordiness. The film was sparse, beautifully shot, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Film, Knitting, Print Culture, yarn | Tagged , , | Comments Off

What’s In A Name?

Posted on April 22, 2009 by Karie

The US has some very strange place names. Bad Axe, Michigan: “While surveying the first state road through the Huron County wilderness in 1861, Rudolph Papst and George Willis Pack made camp at the future site of the city and … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Gifted

Posted on April 21, 2009 by Karie

This is the week of receiving gifts, it seems. When Kirsten Marie visited, she offered to make me some bling out of materials we bought at The Bead Company. I don’t wear much jewellery, but I do appreciate handmade things. … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Craft, Print Culture, shopping, typography | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

R.I.P. JG Ballard

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Karie

The author J.G. Ballard has passed away. More at BBC. While JG Ballard’s seeming obsession with technology, disaster, sex and violence was not to everyone’s taste, there is no doubting the huge impact of his work. He was an original, … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, News | Tagged | Comments Off

And .. relax.

Posted on April 19, 2009 by Karie

They have suspected it for a long time and now our neighbours are sure: Casa Bookish is a really weird household. Taking photos of brickwork? Yes, weird but it could be for an art project. Taking photos of rusty iron … Continue reading →

Posted in Knitting, Personal, Purls, Scotland, shopping | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments