This Thing of Paper: A Knitting Book About Knitting and Books.
October 9, 2017 6:54 AM Subscribe
This Thing of Paper: A Knitting Book About Knitting and Books.
Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, I've written & designed This Thing of Paper, a knitting book inspired by early printed books. Officially the first knitting book to be included in the Gutenberg Museum's archive of book history.
This book has been 18 months in the works and will be published next month. It includes eleven patterns with ten essays exploring ideas around making, reading, and identity.
I am a strong believer in knitting being more than 'just knitting' (something I've explored in a previous collection that took its cues from psychogeography, land art, and archaeology), and this book is rooted in my own interest in materiality, textiles as carriers of information, and the notion of agency. I worked with the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. I also tried casting my own type and printed on a replica 15th C printing press. Good times.
It's also very pretty. Bespoke graphic design complete with ligatures and manicules and photos shot on location at Scotland's oldest lending library (where I got to handle incunabula just like that). Oh, and if people just want pretty knitting patterns, I'm certainly giving them that.
Title taken from a 15th C treatise by Johannes Trithemius - In Praise of Scribes - in which he laments that modern technology is just a fad & we'll soon revert to the good old days ("how long will this thing of paper last?"). Grumpy old men have been with us for a long time.
Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign, I've written & designed This Thing of Paper, a knitting book inspired by early printed books. Officially the first knitting book to be included in the Gutenberg Museum's archive of book history.
This book has been 18 months in the works and will be published next month. It includes eleven patterns with ten essays exploring ideas around making, reading, and identity.
I am a strong believer in knitting being more than 'just knitting' (something I've explored in a previous collection that took its cues from psychogeography, land art, and archaeology), and this book is rooted in my own interest in materiality, textiles as carriers of information, and the notion of agency. I worked with the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany. I also tried casting my own type and printed on a replica 15th C printing press. Good times.
It's also very pretty. Bespoke graphic design complete with ligatures and manicules and photos shot on location at Scotland's oldest lending library (where I got to handle incunabula just like that). Oh, and if people just want pretty knitting patterns, I'm certainly giving them that.
Title taken from a 15th C treatise by Johannes Trithemius - In Praise of Scribes - in which he laments that modern technology is just a fad & we'll soon revert to the good old days ("how long will this thing of paper last?"). Grumpy old men have been with us for a long time.
Role: Designer, author, writer, project manager
Looks beautiful! Ordered two and can't wait to see it.
posted by nightwood at 7:24 PM on October 23, 2017
posted by nightwood at 7:24 PM on October 23, 2017
Early modern print culture was my focus in undergrad, and knitting is one of my hobbies now. This is amazing and full of wonder.
posted by marteki at 5:41 AM on October 24, 2017
posted by marteki at 5:41 AM on October 24, 2017
Oh gosh, thank you all!
posted by kariebookish at 2:01 AM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by kariebookish at 2:01 AM on October 26, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lovely patterns!
posted by smudgedlens at 9:50 PM on November 3, 2017
posted by smudgedlens at 9:50 PM on November 3, 2017
Karie, I bought your book today (in This Is Knit in Dublin, the staff were excited about it) and it is so gorgeous. Congratulations.
posted by carbide at 7:27 AM on December 2, 2017
posted by carbide at 7:27 AM on December 2, 2017
Oh wow, thank you carbide!
The first print run has sold out which absolutely floors me.
posted by kariebookish at 2:13 PM on December 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
The first print run has sold out which absolutely floors me.
posted by kariebookish at 2:13 PM on December 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
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