Reading About Making

It’s been a little longer than usual since I last posted. I’ve been giving myself permission not to write a post simply for the sake of staying on a schedule. While I’ve been busy with knitting and spinning, none of the projects are ready for an update.

But I have an update on books I've been reading.

I’m usually an avid reader and a frequent library user, but I’ve been struggling since we moved in 2017. My favorite way to choose my next book is to browse the new book shelves in the library. Over the years, I’ve come across some great books that I would never have noticed otherwise. The library system in our new home has been a disappointment in this and other ways.

Rather than focusing on the negative, I’m trying to get all that I can out of our library system this year. So far in 2019, I’ve read six books about making:

• The Graphic Design Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters by Steven Heller and Gail Anderson. Each page in this book features a different idea for conveying messages through graphic design. None of the ideas were new to me, but it was a fun refresher.
• The Typography Idea Book: Inspiration from 50 Masters by Gail Anderson and Steven Heller. In a similar format to the previous book, this book features ideas for using type. Again, there was nothing new here. This time, though, revisiting the ideas was more boring than fun. Maybe if I hadn’t read it on the heels of the previous book it would have been more appealing.
• Designing for Newspapers and Magazines by N. E. Osselton. If you haven’t picked up on it already, by day I work in graphic design. This book caught my eye because it’s specific to the niche of designing for journalism. But it came out in 2003, which might as well be a million years ago when it comes to the publishing industry. While the actual layout information is good, some of the information on how to produce those layouts is sorely out of date.
• Creative Pep Talk: Inspiration from 50 Artists by Andy J. Miller. I recently discovered the Creative Pep Talk podcast, so the title connected in my brain right away. Each spread has some text from a designer on the left and a piece of their artwork referencing the text on the right. While the range of design styles kept me interested, it quickly felt repetitive and I was disappointed by how many pieces were clearly recycled from previous projects. I’m all for working smarter, not harder, but in some cases the “inspirational” message was nothing more than an explanation of the original project or random rambling lacking in any semblance of “pep.”
• Spin Control by Amy King. If you’ve read my blog for a while, you know that I’m a spindler. This book is geared toward spinning on a wheel, so I found the information useful but not directly applicable to how I spin fiber. I think it could be a good resource for beginners.
• Spinning in the Old Way: How (and Why) to Make Your Own Yarn with a High-Whorl Handspindle by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts. This book on spinning is more relevant to me as a spinner. None of the information was new to me, but I think it’s a solid reference book. The black and white line illustrations might be more confusing for beginners than a source with photos. The author is very opinionated about techniques that she likes and dislikes, which may not sit well with some readers.

I’m off to a good start with reading this year. I’ve learned about a couple of used book stores that I plan to visit soon, so I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to keep it up.

What books about making are on your reading list?