"Outside Japan's cities and towns, it is no exaggeration to say that a century ago every household had at least one operative loom."
Japan is a textile country.
"I am told it takes considerable experience to achieve the rhythmical clackity clack of working on a hand loom because weaving requires coordination of the whole body. Since it engages every part of the body right to the fingertips, people are said to never suffer from dementia in old age as long as they continue to weave."
Shinshu pongee (by the way "pongee" apparently comes from the Chinese 本織, "own weaving").
From the impressive Traditional Crafts of Japan site (via Mefi). Here's a montage of the site.
I finally got around to adding a link here to Pins and Needles, the knitting and bowling wonderwomen.
Scroll down to see the Shinkansen Lego train poster.
More Shinkansen links.
Spending time on the computer today, I found a weblog called A Little Pregnant, which I've been enjoying. It's a funny, smart woman's diary of her infertility treatment, pregnancy, and motherhood.
Perhaps not for all audiences.
Matthew just pointed me to the online Bullfinch's Mythology. Oh, how wonderful.
This chapter makes me think of the approaching springtime.
Miuccia Prada is cool. Manolo's shoe blog is entertaining.