Kramer’s (from Seinfeld) idea for a coffee table book that turns into a coffee table may be up to some stiff competition!
A winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award, Cai WeiQun’s publication actually contains a weaving loom inside it that weaves small swatches of wool! Titled “XIU – This Book Can Be Weaving” the relatively large-ish book glorifies the traditional Taiwanese handicraft style while literally allowing the reader to weave their own yarn!
“Traditional weaving tools are huge and complicated, with weaving processes that are commonly difficult to learn. XIU hopes that being able to experience simple weaving techniques will pique the reader’s curiosity in learning more about the culture of weaving,” says designer Cai WeiQun. The weaving machine is directly demonstrated within the pages of the book, allowing the reader to simply flip through the pages and appreciate the art form not through text or images, but through actual experience!
Designer: Cai WeiQun
The name for the book XIU comes from the onomatopoeic Taiwanese word xiu, which is the sound the loom makes while you’re weaving. (The sound of the shuttle moving from left to right and back) WeiQun’s book provides an encyclopedic amount of information on weaving histories, techniques, and patterns, while the front of the book operates as a flying shuttle weaving loom, allowing you to actually practice what you’ve read in theory!
Celebrated for its unique way of allowing readers to inform themselves about weaving (by practicing the artform too), XIU didn’t just win the Red Dot Design Concept Award, he secured the Golden Pin Design Award along with the Taipei Award.
Besides, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen quirky creative books here on YD! This book from Bookniture turns into an actual stool, while this publication opens up into a vase for your flowers!
