Saturday, January 03, 2009

Grids


Funny how humans reduce everything to grids. Knitting patterns- grids. Computer music programs- grids. Guitar necks- grids.
I once devised a project that involved making music out of a knitting pattern. You played the music into the computer, it made a visual grid and a piece of knitting came out the back. I even found a knitter in Aberdeen who would work on it, too, and some enthusiastic supporters. The problem was I just didn't have time to do it, just to have the idea.
When I make knitting patterns I usually work it out on a grid but then get more confident and do it freehand. When I program music I have to remind myself to be a listener not a watcher, cos if I'm not careful I become fascinated and distracted by the little coloured columnar pop video I'm creating on the screen.
Lots of folk dances work on grids too and I imagine the weaving as people are galumphing about in formation. Of course that actually happens physically in Maypole Dancing. Strange that such physical things are reduced to geometry, and I know that is always one of the problems with notation, because you can't notate emotion in music or indeed the stamina that it will take different dancers to get through a dance. Notation is a sad little world of its own; I have a very funny picture of a bird with its song carefully notated out beneath it, without the fresh air, the temperature, the other ambient sounds, the age of the bird or the purpose of the song.

I hope you like the folksinger jumper. It was knitted all on one big needle and I have always meant to do sleeves, but then I didn't get round to it and realised that all the best folksinger jumpers are tank tops anyway, aren't they?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great jumper, with your distinctive lettering style!

Have been enjoying your Christmas ep and Poetry and Rhyme...

Happy New Year! Here's to more reviews like the Mojo one

Brother Tobias said...

That's a masterpiece.

Sarah said...

I agree with both of the other commenters!

Helen McCookerybook said...

Thank you. I knitted another one with stripy sleeves that had a royal necklace on it and a pale blue chest for royal blood, but I gave it away in the summer. Sometimes when you make things you are sick of them by the time you've finished. I find this happens with food too. By the time I've cooked it I am not interested in eating it. Unless it's chocolate cake.