Deborah Bergman

This one was a real disappointment -- too much touchy-feely crystal-gazing crap for a knitting book and too much knitting for a New Age affirmation book.

Bergman says she's designing for the brand new knitter, but her instructions are confusing, her pattern-writing style doesn't match any format I've ever seen (and I've been knitting for 50+ years), and worst of all, the finished items are shown in drawings rather than in the clear photographs beginning knitters really need. (There is a reference to a website where photos of the finished objects may be seen, but the link no longer works.) Because the book came out 20 years ago, the yarn selections given are useless. Most are specialty-yarns, which have a very short market life. And again, without a photograph as reference, it's difficult-to-impossible to figure out what a good substitute would be.

I suppose there was some glimmer of originality in the concept -- tying the modern art of knitting (you should excuse the pun) to women of myth and history who were associated with spinning or weaving. It's an uphill battle, because knitting, so far as we can determine, wasn't developed until midway through the Second Millennia. There are some pretty tortured comparisons -- Penelope staving off unwanted suitors until she finished a weaving project, which she worked on by day and unraveled by night, being compared to the modern knitter ripping out errors or less-than-satisfactory finished objects.

Some of the goddess material is interesting -- the oft-neglected Native American tale of Grandmother Spider was my favorite. But then Bergman turns around and goes all woo-woo on us with recommendations for home altars and Finding The Goddess Within Yourself and choosing your colors for their supposed balance with the Forces of the Universe. Just not goin' there, folks.… (altro)

Note to people writing how-to books for new knitters: If the first thing you’ve taught is garter stitch, and you’re following that with how to fix a dropped stitch, take the extra effort to explain how you pick up a dropped stitch in garter stitch rather than in stockinette. Note 2: Almost every gauge label I’ve seen on a yarn is for stockinette stitch; your gauge in garter stitch is almost certainly going to be different in at least one dimension if not both. It’s okay to mention gauge early, but when you’re talking about gauge on a yarn label, wait until you’ve introduced stockinette.

In other words, I absolutely would not recommend this book to a brand-new knitter looking for a learn-to-knit book; it’ll leave them thoroughly confused. And while the patterns seem simple enough, they call for some pretty darn pricey yarn — an experienced knitter will know how to substitute, or if they love the called-for yarn, will have the knowhow to make something that doesn’t waste their $50-$150, but a completely new knitter could end up with an expensive tangle.

That said, the retellings of myths are quite good, so if you’re a knitter with pagan leanings or interested in mythology, it’s worth reading for the stories. And I could see making the Athena cowl (though in a different and cheaper yarn), which might justify checking the book out from the library again sometime. But I don’t plan to buy a copy.… (altro)

Strange book! I have no idea if I liked it or not. The overwhelming feel of it was surreal. There were two parallel stories, but it always seemed as if I were missing large chunks of each. In one, Tess Jordan, an American living in Spain, became fascinated with the company of Javier, an Argentinian political activist. In the second, Tess recalled her youth in America where her mother Elise remarried thereby thrusting two stepbrothers suddenly into her life. Flowing through both stories were descriptions of Tess as a glass artist with much florid description of her work.

Taking the book as whole, I found that it had a lyrical and haunting quality. What was missing for me was the sense that I knew what any of the characters wanted. They all seemed to be in free fall. I have no idea why most of the characters did what they did. The end was satisfying, though, because by that time the book's drifting protagonist (and I, as well) needed a bit of grounding after so much confusion.… (altro)