slogging through words…
Three books were completed this past week and I’m slogging my way through many many more words. I’m caught up on the Economist, almost caught up on Business Week and am almost through October 2007 for The New Yorker. *sigh*
Inspired Fair Isle Knits: 20 Creative Designs Inspired by the Elements by Fiona Ellis
I wish I had time to knit the varied Fair Isle Designs in Fiona Ellis’ book. Earth, air, water, and fire are the elements to look at anew and enjoy the novel designs. Perhaps it’s the grey of winter which caused me to drool over every pattern in this book (hmm, just think what I’d do over any of Kristin Nicholas‘ designs?). I remember flipping through this at a book store shortly after it was released and I wasn’t really taken by anything. I don’t think it’s my now successful attempts at stranded knitting which swayed me over. I’m not sure why, but many of these designs really won me over, for their standalone beauty and design even if I’ll never wear or knit them. I did fall head over heels in love with Sway, the cardigan with pleated sleeves (air); we’ll see what happens.
Preserving the digital heritage : Principles and policies edited by Yola de Lusenet and Vincent Wintermans
This one is part of my research for the Project. I tend to do my research in an odd manner, some of which involves browsing stacks (virtually or in person). I am not sure what caused me initially to pull it off the shelf, perhaps the size (inverse to how I choose my fiction). I had it with me last Wednesday and was prepared to skim it and return it that day. However, it surprised me. This slim volume of 56 pages is a publication of four selected papers from a November 2005 international conference organized by the Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO as a follow up to the Charter on the Preservation of Digital Heritage, adopted in by UNESCO in 2003 (available here (pdf)). While I’m not yet positive how exactly I will incorporate this into my research or if I indeed ultimately will; the papers resulting from that conference just over two years ago are still timely. They essays review the new paradigms experienced in this digital world. Information does not decay in the same manner with which we are familiar, it is some of this binary existence of information which requires us to re-examine how we store, maintain, and ultimately preserve information in this new social society. While many of the arguments and proposed solutions are ones I’ve heard before, I like this volume in that it reiterates the global reach of this concern and that the selected papers are short and provided nice reading and knitting fodder last Wednesday.
Lastly, I did indeed complete Dragonworld by Byron Preiss, Michael Reaves, and Joseph Zucker shortly after posting last Sunday. I really enjoyed this and wish there were more. I want to know what happens next. If this does indeed exist, please speak up!
Yes, I do indeed knit and read at the same time, but not always. I can only do this with certain hardbacks, knits, and with the stars in alignment just right. On Wednesday I discovered if I sat in a chair in the Uni’s library cafe (I don’t like it, but it’s dang convenient) a certain way and balanced my ibook just so, I could read and knit most of what I brought with me. :)