Japanese Inspired Knits by Marianne Isager

The postman and I have a quiet understanding - he knows that I am nearly always home at post delivery time (and that I don't mind if he rings the doorbell), and therefore I get the smaller parcels delivered to the door when normally I would have to pick them up at the post office (which is only a five-minute walk away, but the journey seems long when one is wearing woollen socks and it's rainy outside, like today).

Today said postie brought me Japanese Inspired Knits by Marianne Isager, a book that I ordered on a whim last week. Japan and all things Japanese seem to be en vogue these days, but I haven't paid much attention to fashionable things (I take style over fashion any day). However, I love this book! Immediately after flicking through it for the first time, I queued three items (The Carp, The Fan and The Sun, specifically). It is likely that there will be more if the patterns turn out to be well written.

I had the opportunity to spend half a day in Tokyo last December on our way to Australia for Christmas. Considering the jet lag and the hectic schedule, the 12 hours we spent there were most wonderful. It was amazing to just people-watch (and building-watch and advertisement-watch): everything was so Western and yet so very un-Western. I'm not much into manga or the other hallmarks of modern Japanese culture, but I am intrigued by classic Japanese handicrafts, the original technologies etc., how they developed in a completely different direction from the Western world (Tristan, who does woodwork, is amazed by their saws).

Having said that, I am fully aware that Marianne Isager's book is not Japanese as such. As the title puts it, it is Japanese Inspired and written by a Danish knitter. There are no classic techniques represented, no patterns handed down through generations. Of course, it would be fascinating to look at such a book as well. Perhaps next time I will visit Kyoto, which has been recommended to me as a starting point for exploring older Japanese culture.

Often it is said that Finns and the Japanese have a lot in common: a vowel-rich language that is difficult for foreigners to learn, for starters. We both seem to also like simple, colourful clothes and textiles, as is apparent when you look at brands such as Marimekko, Nanso and Uniqlo. And we both seem to be a bit kooky. ;)

The daylight saving ended yesterday and it's so doom-and-gloom here. *sigh* Fingers crossed for snow soon!