2 comments about This Is How I Go When I Go Like This: Weaving and Spinning as Metaphor.

1. This book is a collection of essays written by Linda Ligon, from the pages of Handwoven magazine. The aren't technical "how to" essays, but stories written from the author's experiences.
   It is a very enjoyable and sometimes very humorous read for either spinner or weaver (or both!), capturing the love and enjoyment we all have for these wonderful crafts.



2. It's a collection of essays written by Linda Collier Ligon, beautifully presented. If you don't know, she's the lady who started Interweave, which puts out some of the best bead books, and Beadwork magazine. The company put this book together as a labor of love and as a tribute to Linda.
   It's inspirational and very fun to read. I sat down and read it in one sitting because it was so well put together and so witty. The anecdotes truly cross the boundaries between fiber artists. I laughed out loud at some parts, and thought "Oh yeah.. I've been there" at other parts.
   It had ideas for finding time to create, and finding the inspiration to create, for keeping it fun. Plus ideas for getting children interested, which are written for weavers, but can be adapted for beaders. It was heartwarming.
   Yes, it's a book about weaving, but also just a good fun read for any textile artist.
   It's become one of my favorite books, I even recommended my husband read it because it was so well written.
   I really recommend it. Great beach read if you like light reading for the beach since it's done in series of short essays you can read one, set it down, chase the kids, and come back and read another one. I read it all in one go though, the essays were like potato chips. I couldn't stop with just one, I had to go on to the next until the whole book was done.

1 comments about Decorative Straw Craft: Swiss Straw Work, Embroidery and Marquetry.

1. A highly interesting introduction to the art of straw weaving and knotting. My fingers are itching to get to it. Beautiful pictures and easy to follow instructions. Well worth a try. I love the publishers note that no models were used in the book but for the Author. A very human touch.

No comments about The Centinela Weavers of Chimayo Unfolding Tradition: A Brief History of Weaving in New Mexico's Rio Grande Valley and Its Development Throughout Several ... of Trujillos in Chimayo to the present.

1 comments about Appalachian White Oak Basketmaking: Handing Down the Basket.

1. If you love making baskets, or just enjoy looking at them or maybe even collecting them, then this book is a must have book. Law and Taylor have put together the definative book on white oak basket making ( as well as some baskets of other materials). For the accomplished basket maker the photographs and illustrations can serve as inspiration as well as pattern. Reading this book will make you want to grab your ax and head for the woods, and if that isn't possible you will want to get to your local basketry material supplier as soon as possible. This is the best book of its kind that I have seen, the perfect blend of art and history.

5 comments about A Handspindle Treasury: Collected Works from the Save the Sheep Exhibit.

1. This book is great for the person who either wants to learn to spin with a drop spindle or who has just learned. There are several articles that give clear descriptions of how to use high and low whorl spindles, supported spindles and how to make your own. There are even drawings showing the spinner how to hold her/his hands to cut down on discomfort. The articles are written in a very conversational tone so that you feel like one of your friends is telling you about the craft. There are also stories by people who have used wheels for years and have recently decided to pick up a spindle. This is a great collection.



2. I have read several older books on spinning but this book was the first one that gave me all the information I needed to learn how to use the hand spindle and what to do with the yarn after I had spun it. I think this is a very good book to have for your spinning library.



3. If you want to learn to spindle spin, this is an excellent book for beginners, and also for those who have been spinning for a while. Drop spindling is normally dealt with in a few short paragraphs and a diagram that doesn't really answer any questions, so a book devoted to the subject gets my nod of approval, and a permanent place in my personal library. I'm sure I shall be referring to it in time to come as it covers so many different aspects of spindle spinning that are normally ignored, and treats it as a legitimate spinning choice and craft form, instead of a technique we are obliged to learn before getting on with spinning on a wheel. I purchased this book by mistake, and I'm glad I did!



4. I have been spinning for a few years now, however the drop spindle has always been my nemesis. This book is re-teaching me how to use the drop spindle correctly, and for that I think it is an excellent choice.



5. This is a collection of old spinning articles from the first days of Spin-Off Magazine. Some of the stuff in here is really outdated and smacks of the hippie years, like, making a spinning hook from trimmed branches, or a drop spindle from sticks stuck in potatoes. Not all that interesting or useful any more. Some of the articles seem unedited and quite amateurish. Some of the technique is timeless, but some has gone out of vogue.
   
   There are many great spinning books available now. I'd recommend you pass on this one.

4 comments about The Complete Book of Drafting for Handweavers.

1. Even experienced weavers can use a refresher and this book is it! It covers all aspects of weaving drafts. It is fine for a beginner and everyone else.



2. This book is destined to become one of the great classics for weavers! After 30 years of knowing 'how' to weave . . . I know understand more of the 'why' behind the drafts I have have been using. Wonderfully straight forward and well-organized. This book is a must-read for every weaver regardless of their experience.



3. It is the bible of four shaft draws. Simple easy to read and filled with draws!



4. As a novice weaver this book is an important tool to have. I have used it for class and will continue to use it as a reference for questions and problems.
   I would recommend this book to any weaver, beginner or seasoned.

2 comments about Natural Baskets: Create over 20 Unique Baskets With Materials Gathered in Gardens, Fields, and Woods.

1. I have been creating rustic woodsy baskets as well as teaching classes for Fifteen years.Im always looking for new good quality books to learn from as well as share with my students. Natural baskets shows supplies easily collectable from your own backyard or near by woods, no matter where you live. The illustrations are clear ,precise and easy to read. I enjoy mine very much.



2. I have been creating rustic woodsy baskets as well as teaching classes for fifteen years.Im always looking for new good quality books to learn from as well as share with my students. Natural baskets shows supplies easily collectable from your own backyard or near by woods, no matter where you live. This book has many clear and precise illustrations covering open work, twining coiling as well as rib style creations. Lots of good information for basket weavers of all skill levels. I enjoy mine very much.

2 comments about Halo of the Sun: Stories Told and Retold.

1. This book offers an especially sensitive and sympathetic introduction to rug weaving, a major element of Navajo culture, and is typical of the quality books published by Northland Press.

   Noel Bennett accomplished something which few outsiders even try on the Navajo Nation. Based on her background and experience, she set out to understand and learn one of the traditional crafts -- weaving a rug from raw wool to finished product. It looks easy. After all, lots of Anglos weave. Some even spin yarn. The whole process, from raw wool to a finished rug that is work of art, sounds simple in the telling; but, reality is different.

   Let me give you an example. Fry bread is a traditional Navajo food, which almost every woman can make without thinking. It's as natural as walking. Maybe one of the simplest of traditional Navajo skills. I've tried to learn one element of it, taking a small ball of dough and patting and kneading it out to a circle about a foot in diameter that is then dropped into hot oil to be cooked to a golden brown.

   It was a lot of fun. The Navajos got a lot of amusement out of watching me try and mostly fail, day after day. I had fun trying. My "teacher" was kind, helpful, patient and amused; she'd show me again and again, but I inevitably ended up with a lumpy disc of dough that she'd patiently pat into a proper circle before laying it in the frying pan.

   In other words, it ain't as easy as it looks.

   Bennett undertook a similar but far more complicated learning experience in the 1960s. Unlike me, she stayed with it and became skilled. One result is this book, a sensitive semi-insider's look at a traditional craft that exemplifies one of the few genuine American art forms. Her desire to learn was appreciated by her Navajo friends; one reward is she becomes a target of their good natured humor, a friend of the family.

   Many outsiders "study" and patronize Native American cultures; Bennett became part of it. There is a genuine "Us vs. Them" attitude among the Navajo, with very good reason based on the constant Bordertown (Gallup, Winslow, Holbrook, Flagstaff, Farmington, etc.) prejudice and exploitation. The Navajos came to regard Bennett as one of "the People," so when it came to entering a rug in an off-reservation exhibition her Navajo friends helped her evade some pretentious Anglo rules.

   It's always fun to poke fun at the bilagaana (Anglos). Their pretensions are too good not to laugh at.

   Americans like to think, "Underneath, everyone is basically the same." Bennett appreciates there are fundamental differences between Navajo and Anglo cultures. She touches on it, such as the importance of "four" in Navajo culture. Anglo culture is based on "three," such as the Trinity in religion and three examples if you want to prove something; Navajo culture has "four" as typified by the four cardinal directions, four sacred mountains, four basic colors, four precious materials for jewelry.

   Bennett cites these examples, but she never really delves into the meaning of these cultural differences. For example, Anglos live in a confrontational culture of guilt or innocence; Navajos live in a consensus culture in which K'e, the spirit of harmony, is more important.

   But, she lived in the western Navajo Nation where the more traditional people live; the eastern side, where I lived, is more accustomed to pushy Anglos. She feigns shock at some Anglo ways; my experience is that most Navajos fully understand the aggressive Anglo world and its rude contrast with their patience. She is more of a nizhoni (beautiful) person; I'm more of the Ma'ii tso (which has far more meanings than simply "fox").

   In general, though, she offers a sympathetic, intelligent insight into rug weaving -- one of the integral elements of Navajo culture. Her book is the epitome of Anglo culture -- an "insider's" view of a different culture, one that most people will never see and even fewer will ever have a chance to begin to understand.

   It's well worth buying, reading, keeping and sharing with friends.




2. BOOK REVIEW
   HALO OF THE SUN
   REVIEW BY SUSAN G. STERN
   
   Written for Oriental Rug Review, Vol 8 #6.
   
   Noël Bennett's book, Halo of the Sun, is really a volume about love-- cultural love. Yet the reader feels Bennett's awkwardness and fearfulness as she encounters the ancient Navajo customs foreign to her experience. Although this is Bennett's fourth book about the Navajo, a culture she embraced more than 20 years ago, it is the first volume of stories to take us inside the Indian culture. Through the author's Anglo eyes we intimately view Navajo life, seeing it as humanely as she did, and feeling profound respect and love.
   
   Photographs by John Running picture the Navajo people in their homes, surrounded by the material and spiritual landscape of their lives. Made possible by two grants, one from the L.J. Skaggs and Mary C. Skaggs Foundation and the other from the Weatherhead Foundation, this work is born out of many years of love between Bennett and the Navajo People.
   
   Bennett, a well known New Mexican author, weaver, and artist, successfully presents insights gained from her devotion to weaving, and through this technical relationship offers patterns of understanding between the traditional Navajo culture and the predominate and surrounding Anglo civilization. The enduring values of traditional Navajo life, so elusive to the Anglo mind, are made accessible through every day stories that illustrate simple but eloquent truths. Through her words we see the Navajo with a clearer focus and a deeper vision.
   
   Noël Bennett is blessed with an unusually beautiful voice. It sings with rhythmic warmth; humor, and mellifluent but penetrating clarity. Its soothing lilt caresses the ear and bears a mesmerizing quality as it imparts the stories and legends she learned as an apprentice weaver on the Navajo Reservation.
   
   For eight years Bennett worked on the Reservation, mastering the technical aspects of Navajo weavers art. She performed every activity associated with the craft - from shearing the sheep to the carding, spinning, and dyeing of the wool. While following the weaver's way and working with the women, Noë1 Bennett heard and learned the philosophical values of traditional Navajo thought. Listening to the weaving legends as she sat patiently at her vertical loom, she came to understand the subtle psychological modes by which Navajo culture has survived and coped in its thousand years on the North American continent.
   
   Halo of the Sun addresses some of the techniques used by the Navajo to handle the human condition. The stories reveal a road map to psychological well being. The legends seem a prescription for coping with life's adversities. The wisdom provided in these oral legends are pertinent to human society anywhere.
   
   One story depicts the potential evil of a snake. It is resolved successfully and in such a way as to be a lesson in how to deal creatively with panic and fear. Another story describes friendship, generosity and the Anglo concept of "thank you." The most fascinating legends deal with the power in a name, names by contrast being carelessly tossed about in Anglo culture.
   
   For the Navajo, saying a name aloud calls that thing into being. Therefore, a name is a sacred thing and the Navajo do not use a name lightly. In fact, a Navajo child is given its true name only after Grandfather has observed the baby for a year or two, considering the child's most distinguishable attribute. This trait, in the form of a symbolic Navajo name, like "Never-sleeps" or "Running-Woman," stays with a person for life, to be drawn on as a permanent source of strength and as a connection to one's unchanging essence and ancestry. After all, Grandfather chose the appellation.
   
   "Time is nothing,"' Bennett writes. "But a story is a source of power." To illuminate the significance of the storytelling tradition to the Navajo, Bennett offers a personal and insightful quote by Indian author Leslie Marmon Silko. "I will tell you something about stories," Silko says. "They aren't just entertainment. Don't be fooled. They are all we have, you see, all we have to fight off illness and death. You don't have anything if you don't have stories."
   
   Noël Bennett grew up in California, receiving a B.A. in Art in 1961 and an M.A. in Education in 1962 from Stanford University. With her former physician-husband, she joined the Public Health Service in 1968 and shortly thereafter moved to the Navajo Reservation in Tuba City, Arizona. Noël, equipped with a cross-cultural heritage (her father was Lebanese and her mother is of diverse multi-ethnic background) and her artistic gifts, found herself in the center of the ancient Navajo Nation. She was determined to learn weaving, but not just "how to" but to understand, in the Navajo way, the entire thinking and feeling of weaving as well.
   
   On reservation Noël found it difficult to find a Navajo weaver willing to teach an Anglo woman. Yet she went about the business of her life - going to the post office for mail, visiting the hospital where her husband worked, hauling clothes to the laundromat, always searching for a weaving teacher. Through her words we feel the rebuffs and resistance she met. We admire her courage.
   
   "No one pitied my clumsiness with the weaving cards. No matter how much difficulty I encountered, no one offered help. No advice. No words at all. Just a soft easy giggle occasionally rippling around the growing circle. There was nothing to do but continue. Intently. Completely. With singleness of mind."
   
   Noël persisted. She studied the Navajo language. She picked up hitchhikers on reservation in an attempt to learn more. Finally, there was a breakthrough. She found and befriended Tiana Bighorse, a Navajo weaver of great skill and, furthermore, a patient teacher.
   
   From then on Noël Bennett immersed herself in the Navajo way of life. She made her own corn pollen pouch out of deer skin. tanning the leather herself. She sat at healing ceremonies. She cooked and ate in the Navajo tradition. Lamb, prepared in the Lebanese way, was a favorite dish in her childhood home.
   
   "I loved the food," Noël said. "Some of the doctors and their wives were appalled by it. They wouldn't eat the mutton or fry-bread. If it was cooked, I ate it," Noël said. "I thought it was nice they even offered me any."
   
   She participated in traditional,Navajo ceremonies, sitting long hours on the dirt floor of hogans. But by weaving she entered Navajo life. She learned when to be silent. She learned how to ask questions without giving offense. She came to understand the Navajo sense of time. The skeins of plant-dyed yarn yielded much more than artful weavings. The woolen fibers carried her into the spiritual fabric of the Navajo way.
   
   "It would be easy to misinterpret the Navajo form of body language," Noël said. "They say, if you don't know what to do, do nothing. Put your feet together, stand up straight and cross your arms. That is the position of not breaking any taboos. We, as Anglos, can interpret that as hostility, but they are just being quiet, patient and even shy. You cannot apply from our culture what you think is true to the Navajo."
   
   As Noël Bennett learned the ways and people came to trust her, they knew she was not simply taking their knowledge; they felt her love and respect for their culture. And then, through her writings, she was to share understanding between her adopted culture and the American one.
   
   Halo of the Sun is about the love of a people, art, weavings, customs, food, and ceremonies. Each story illuminates a specific value of classical Navajo culture. They are rendered for Anglo understanding because Noël Bennett is an Anglo who adopted Navajo culture with her heart. And now she presents these stories for readers outside the Navajo culture. Ultimately, these legends are a gift from the Navajo people. Just as the Wampanoag tribe taught the Pilgrims how to survive the physical hardships of 1620 - by planting maize and beans, by capturing turkeys, and harvesting cranberries - so the Navajo teach ageless wisdom in a time of shifting values, family upheavals, and psychological crisis. The life of the Navajo has never drifted from the land. Consequently, their values have remained constant and tied to the natural world of the elements.
   
   Noël Bennett renders the Navajo legends in an honest, straightforward style while retaining the poetry of the mystical Navajo voice. Halo of the Sun is a joyous book, written well, replete with sadness and humor, but rich in rare sagacity.
   
   "Return to your loom. Resume your work. Spin your web of wool. And as you weave and as you work, Life's Truths will come to you." So say the Navajo Holy Ones in Halo of the Sun.

No comments about A Woven Book of Knowledge: Textile Iconography of Cuzco, Peru.

2 comments about The Techniques of Sprang: Plaiting on Stretched Threads.

1. superb, like all of collingwood's books. the instructions are clear and easy to follow the book is full of primary source references and diagrams. if you have an interest in sprang this book will tell you everything you could ever concive wanting to know in an interesting and lucid fashion. this review makes it sound stupid but the book will speak for itself -if you have an interest in fiber arts just order it!



2. I purchased a hardcover edition of Techniques in the mid-70's and have guarded it carefully ever since. I was first introduced and attracted to the sprang technique through a fun little spiral bound craft book entitled How to Make Your Own Hammock & Lie in It, by Denison Andrews (copyright 1972, Workman Publishing Company, ISBN 0911104186), which I also value highly. Andrews' book very clearly describes how to make sprang (and several other kinds of) hammocks. Andrews shows how to set up a basic loom arrangement which I simplified even further - using a configuration depicted and explained by Collingwood - to two 1" dowels, a pegged 2x6 warping board, 3 thin/narrow "sword" boards from standard wood trim stock, and a few screw eyes and hooks - the whole affair about $15 or less in today's money. Andrews gives a direct, simple, fun and quick technique to make a large rectangle of fabric for the hammock body (about a day and a half's effort) as a great introduction to the craft of sprang.
   
   Collingwood's book is biblical and introduces the techniques of the art of sprang (pronounced "sprong [with 2 dots over the o]", as Collingwood explains). The author covers only sprang, as you would expect from the book's title, and his coverage is in complete, intimate, readily grasped detail, with many helpful and useful illustrations and instructions. The book is exhaustive and engaging, covering sprang history, looms, fabrics, uses, materials, techniques, patterns, and possibilities. If you want to actually fully understand and do the art of sprang weaving to make a wide variety and nature of projects, as well as know about the craft of sprang, this is THE book!