Kulturradikalisme

Humming away on the Miss Honeychurch these past few days--I'm just about to do the increases on the lower body. This Drops Lin yarn is knitting up totally differently than the thrift-harvested cotton that I used in the first version. I'm a little concerned, but still hopeful. I tried it on today and it does appear to fit fine.

Yesterday I was incredibly unmotivated for anything at all, but today I had a good day at work (got to read a fabulous chapter on monsters by my PhD student) and managed to get my US tax return finished. Printing it out turns out to be a bit of a pain, though. Since it's US letter size and the only paper I have here is A4, the right margin (where all the numbers are) gets cut off. I'll fiddle with it tomorrow.

Dear Reader, read no further unless you're game for a pointless ramble on Norwegian political ideologies:

In terms of work I finally tracked down the sources I need on defining "kulturradikalisme": one of 3 articles by Eivind Tjønneland on the topic as well as Torunn Borge's 2000 book Gudsskrekk, which is basically a critique of Tjønneland (along with all the sources they cite, giving me more articles to track down. Sigh). Kulturradikalisme is one of those terms that gets bandied about all the time here in Norway, but that sometimes seems to means different things depending on the speaker. Or at least the term is used very imprecisely. It has an identifiable genealogy with three phases: roughly 1. 1870s & 1880s (Brandes/Ibsen/Jæger), 2. 1930s (Øverland/Hoel/Krog), 3. 1960s (the Profil-group). The one that concerns me is the third wave, since that's what Frobenius writes about. I still haven't clarified for myself to what degree kulturradikalisme overlaps with (or is synonymous with) "68-erne" (the so-called 1968 generation).

I'm hoping that the readings I located will help me understand what's going on ideologically in Frobenius' Teori og praksis. It appears that there are simultaneously three different ideologies being critiqued in the book: 1. Conservativism (Høyre-politikk), 2. Social Democracy (Arbeiderpartiet), and 3. Kulturradikalisme itself, though this last one is hard to pinpoint and perhaps ironic, since that's the protagonist/author/narrator's (initial?) position.

What finally hit home for me today is the enormous cultural gap and open antagonism between man-on-the-street Labor and the intellectuals who make up kulturradikalisme. I guess I always assumed that the kulturradikale elites were somehow encompassed under the happy Labor umbrella, but it turns out they're most definitely not, as Frobenius' novel point out. Actually, I should have known that anyway, but it gets complicated, what with the elite's bizarre flirtation with Maoism and contrived identification with the working class (which never really accepted them).

Kulturradikalisme is/was at any rate anti-bourgeois, anti-religion, and anti-capitalism and at the same time highly critical of the ruling labor party precisely because that party had great political and economic power. This is counter-intuitive for me, since I would typically assume that the left and the radical left would share values. Perhaps it's just my American biases at work here, where labor (primarily in the form of unions) and management (a.k.a. "capitalist pigs") are traditionally construed as being adversaries. In the Scandinavian welfare states, on the other hand, the official labor parties cooperate extensively (some would say "are in bed") with management, and there is no perceived contradiction.

Argh. I'm not getting anywhere here. The short version:

Kulturradikalisme is (or at least has been in one or more of its waves) ANTI:

• religion
• capitalism
• the bourgeoisie
• anything that smacks of hypocrisy and/or moral double standards

Kulturradikalisme has been described as being in constant opposition to the status quo, so much so that it doesn't have any positively expressed ideological platform. Nonetheless, along the way it has embraced certain ideologies. Thus:

Kulturradikalisme is (or at least has been in one or more of its waves) PRO:

• sexual liberation (the whole gamut from Jæger's idealized free love to today's moderate social democratic policies on things like birth control, divorce, or the number of sexual partners it is generally viewed as acceptable to have had in one's life)
• Freudian psychoanalysis
• Marxism

That last point is the most contradictory in some ways, since Marxism has frequently lead to totalitarianism in 20th century politics, and especially since Maoism in particular (of all things) was embraced by the intellectual elite in the 60s and 70s. Tjønneland actually has a really good explanation for that: he says that an ideological position that demands complete freedom will inevitably create a backlash in the form of a longing for authority.

Gardinglede

Ah, that's more like it. I had to go to 2 stores in Oslo, 3 on Nesoddtangen, and 6 more at the mall before I found an acceptable curtain rod, and even then I couldn't find any café curtain rings to hang the curtain with. After trying a couple of different things, I ended up crocheting a row along the top with loops. I'm really glad that I'm getting more proficient at crochet, as it is such a versatile and useful technique. I would have never thought of this solution if I hadn't made the ripple blanket. If I do say so myself, I think the curtain is darling. Strictly speaking I should knit a second one, as this doesn't cover the whole window. I doubt that's going to happen any time soon, especially since it's mostly just meant to be decorative.

I also took a snap of the blue linen Miss Honeychurch that I started last night:

I have modified it a tiny bit so that there is a column of knit stitches at each of the raglan seams. It bothered me with the first one that only one of the four seams had that. It's knitting up rather loosely. Of course I can't be bothered to check the gauge. I hope I don't live to regret my lackadaisical attitude!

Tomt ... in a good way

I did it! I finished my lace curtain. I feel like I should be entered into some kind of elite and very secret society open only to those who are loony enough to knit a lace curtain. Here's a picture of it while blocking:

Not much to look at just yet, and I need to find a curtain rod somewhere, but the lace pattern looks pretty nice. Can't wait to get a snapshot of the curtain once it's up. And with this, I now, officially and for more than 24 hours, have not a single craft work-in-progress! Totally cleared out! This hasn't happened since I picked up knitting in earnest again in 2008. Of course I still have a stash, but even most of that is now dedicated to specific projects. Feels good to have "orden i sysakene."

Last night I had yet another dinner invitation--this time at the Oslo pied-à-terre of a UK-based colleague. It was just four of us, me and three women academics in their 60s. I was a little worried that I wouldn't fit in very well, but it was actually a relaxed and even fairly fun evening. I spent the earlier part of the day in Oslo running around like a chicken with my head cut off though, trying to get things to work and run errands.

Today I was able to devote a good long block of time to the Frobenius article, which is starting to come together. The last remaining hitch is the question of how the term kulturradikalisme (of the so called third wave or post-1968 variety) is defined in the debates surrounding Teori og praksis. I can't even fine a clear definition of the term in Norsk idéhistorie, which really surprised me. At any rate, I got out as much on paper as I possibly could today, and now I'm feeling pretty drained. Time for a little nap and then it's on to take two of Miss Honeychurch.

Første forsøk

Look! I sewed something and it didn't turn into a disaster. Thrilling! This is Simplicity pattern 9949 view G, using the same unbleached Ikea linen that I apparently use for all sewing projects. It turns out that my machine doesn't have a zipper foot, so I had to sew the zipper in by hand, but otherwise this was all (well, "all" is probably a stretch. There was a total of 9 very short seams) done on my machine and I don't think I swore once. There are some problems with it, but it does give me hope that I will someday be able to machine sew. I'm just going to keep plugging away at small "low impact" projects like this made out of fabric I have lying around. I cut out the pieces for another one of these, and I'll just try to do better on the things I messed up on this one.

I didn't make any fused plastic today because the weather was cold and sleety, and thus not conducive to working with open doors and windows. In the afternoon the sun came out though, so I was able to take some pictures, including the finished and blocked ripple blanket:

Bold, no? I still have loads of 10 colors of this yarn (Garnstudio Drops Alpaca) left over. I'm contemplating making a granny square afghan out of it, since that's easy and very portable. I've started looking around on Flickr and Ravelry trying to figure out what granny square aesthetic appeals to me. They're so incredibly varied, and some are astoundingly ugly. I was thinking maybe I should make hexagonal blocks rather than squares. Clearly not sure of what I want to do here, so I'll let the yarn marinate. Now it's back to the lace curtain, which feels a bit like a chore. Only about 10 cm to go, I think, so there actually is an end in sight, even though it doesn't feel like it. Can't wait to cast on for a new sweater as soon as it's done. Right now I'm thinking it will be another Miss Honeychurch (in the blue Garnstudio Drops Lin that I bought last spring), though that is obviously very subject to change.

Our social adventure last night turned out to be a good experience for all. E and his auntie appeared to really bond. AK said she had fun with E, and he was totally at ease spending the night at her house. KE and I had a nice time at the dinner party we were invited to. It was a very academic crowd, and even though it was at a colleague's home I'm not sure I really got any closer to getting to really know them any better. But given that this is Norway, it was a huge breakthrough just to be invited, and it was a lovely evening. The whole event feels like a milestone in our family dynamics. We got off the bus at midnight along with a neighbor, who remarked with surprise that she certainly wasn't used to seeing us out at that time of night.

Åpenbaring

I hate to say it, but OMG! I am so freakin' stoked! I started poking around on upcycling groups on Flickr, and discovered a craft that really hadn't made it into my consciousness until now, namely fusing plastic bags to make fabric. Here is a tutorial on how to fuse the really thin plastic grocery bags you get in the US. Check out this amazing bag lady coat (there's a close up of the wild patterns here) and this sweet little coin purse made out of US bread bags. Then, for a totally different look, there's this minimalistic striped bag. Very, very, very, very cool.

We of course have massive amounts of plastic bags, so I've spent most of the morning sorting them by color and have started cutting some up. Yay! Of course the process of fusing the bags itself is highly toxic, since you're melting plastic. Definitely something to do in warm weather with the doors and windows wide open. But once you get over that stage, the project possibilities are endless. I'm guessing (though I have yet to actually try) that the process of layering and fusing is really fun and challenging, since that's where you can build up patterns and layers into interesting designs.

I got so excited about this that I almost forgot to mention that I did actually (finally) finish the ripple baby blanket last night. It's blocking now. I was a little bummed to see that my gauge changed from the beginning to the end (the first few ripples are much looser). I'm hoping the blocking will even that out a bit.

I haven't cast on for a new project (still plodding along with the curtain), but I suppose technically this new plastic bag obsession counts as one (but since I'm just cutting up bags, I think it's okay, at least in my world, especially since I'm the one who imposed the rule about not starting a new project until the curtain is done!).

Tonight E is spending the night at his aunt's house so that KE and I can go to dinner at a colleague's house. I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing, but we have to start this kind of social activity some time.

Grinebiter

The people I most admire are the ones who are able to rise above every day frustrations with serenity, humor and kindness. I am not one of those people. I've been cranky for most of the day. Sometimes I get so filled up with irritation that I just want to spit, or pinch someone hard: having to do things over again, forgetting things, spending money unnecessarily, people who stand right in front of the doors on the subway so I can't get out, ice on the sidewalks, the smell of smoke in my office, the list goes on and on. I don't really have anything to say about this other that, hey, I'm grumpy today. Proceed with caution.

But actually, the small non-grumpy part of my personality is doing okay. I helped a colleague with something today and I think it was really appreciated. Despite spending a lot of time on that I still got some work done on the Frobenius article and cranked through four or five tedious tasks that needed doing. I still have more tedious stuff (it never ends) and some big things too--like US federal income taxes--but at least I'm not drowning in it all like I sometimes feel.

I also picked up that extra skein of black yarn for the baby blanket, so I'll probably finally finish that in the next day or two. Then it's lace curtain knitting until I reach 120 cm or have a stroke, whichever comes first. I think right now I'm at about 97 cm. I have so many potential projects flying around in my head that It's dizzying, but I so want to have the experience of having no project in process, if only for a day. It's good discipline, if nothing else.

Given how many times I've strained my hands and wrists this winter with knitting and crocheting, I'm starting to give some serious thought to what I could occupy myself with if this becomes chronic. My immediate thought is that a life without handwork would be hard to maintain. For whatever reason, I am hardwired to make things. I don't have any particular need for artistic expression, but I do need to be constructing things, and preferably things that serve a practical purpose. Reading or other quiet leisure activities are fine, but they're not a viable substitute, since there's no material end product (plus I read for a living, which makes it less appealing as a leisure activity).

I've decided that machine sewing would be the logical skill to start building up. I have written before here about how stressed out machine sewing makes me. I hate feeling so incompetent and at the mercy of a machine. I have the same kind of irrational tunnel vision about a sewing machine that some people have about computers. I get nervous just looking at it, and that means that I get erratic, instantly furious, and absurdly incompetent as soon as I try to start sewing. It is not pretty. Yet at the same time, I love the idea of sewing clothes and other practical items. I love the look of tidy seams and exactly the right fabrics and colors, but nothing I've ever sewn on a machine has ever turned out right.

So I was poking around on Amazon looking at some of the sewing books that get mentioned on the blogs I follow, and I discovered one book that looks different from the rest. It's incredibly minimalist and, well, very Japanese. The book is Linen, Wool, Cotton: 25 Simple Projects to Sew with Natural Fabrics by Akiko Mano. Despite totally hating the project on the front cover, it looks like there are many things that I would like to make. There's a preview of many pages of the book here so you can check it out yourself. Some of the projects are so simple that it's embarrassing that I would need a book to teach me how to make them, but honestly I'm so incompetent that I need the most remedial projects imaginable to practice on--things like kitchen towels and handkerchiefs that are literally just rectangles!

Oppdatering

Frobenius article: just hit the top of page 11 and am still finishing up my main points about the novel itself. Next up is the first critical article about the novel.

Ripple blanket: ran out of black yarn with only 1/2 a row, one more colored stripe, and one more black stripe to go. The irritating thing is that I went to Tjorven on Friday to pick up a skein of another color I ran out of, but didn't have the foresight to buy a skein of black. Ooops.

Leaf lace curtain: started working on it again since I'm out of commission on the ripple blanket and have gotten about 10 cm knitted. I'm a little distressed to see that my gauge is much looser than before. I am tightening it up now that I can see the difference, but there will definitely be a wonky patch up about 4/5 of the way up the curtain. Ooops, again.

Life: the cold is almost gone. Just hacking up the occasional lugie. Gross, I know. I stayed in my pjs all day today. I baked a kick ass pizza. I watched Norwegian cross country skiers kick ass at Holmenkollen (on tv, of course). I did laundry. I forgot to brush my teeth. I am still in my utterly neurotic phase of not being able to fall asleep with KE in the room. I'm such a freak.

Outings: E was so wiped out by ski day (he's the kid in an apple green snow suit) on Thursday that he refused to go to preschool on Friday. I needed to pick something up at my office so I took him with me into Oslo. We had a nice little outing. He said hi to a few of my colleagues, and laid down on the floor in the hall explaining (in a quite animated fashion) to a couple of them that he was dead. We hit Tjorven and Riktige leker on the way home: both of us were pleased with our little shopping trip. And of course E loved all the modes of transportation: bus-boat-subway-subway-boat-bus!