Wednesday 7 September 2011

WIP Wednesday and Yarn along

I really enjoyed talking about what I was reading last week, so I think Yarn along will become a regular meme for me. I hope you all don't mind as the books will be random, not necessarily knitting related.

I have been looking forward to this post as yesterday I went into The Works (discount UK bookshop) and picked up some super bargains.


First up the knitting- I am working on a boot sock. It was supposed to be part of my Dad's Christmas present, but I worked a short row heel and decided that it was too tight when I tried it on on a similar sized foot (clean). I am making them shorter so they will either be for me or go on my Christmas present pile. This is the second sock and I have just gone past the heel. I also havve my sock yarn blanket, which is now part of one a day and my Year of Project knee high sock on the go, but they get their own posts.

The reading, as you can see I bought a couple of books yesterday and was tempted by more. The Works (at least, the one in Loughborough but maybe others too) have lots of knitting and crochet books in at the minute. Several that would be great for beginners and some that have more advanced patterns. Because I have a tiny brain (more on that later) I can't remember the titles, but it is worth a browse. I was also tempted by a load of other books on all sorts of things, but managed to restrain myself to two.

Anyone who has counted will point out that there are three books in the picture, "The Marine Aquarium handbook" came from a charity shop. I picked this up because we have a poorly fish and the disease section is far better than in the fish keeping book I already own.
This is where I confess to my tiny brainness- I don't have a marine aquarium, I have a freshwater aquarium. And it took me until I got home and was looking at the book again to register that it said marine, even though I can read and I know that clown fish are marine fishes. In my defence I had flicked through the disease section and it looks like both sorts get similar illnesses. Based on the book I think the fishes will be fine.

Oh look, another cookbook! I really do love cookbooks, although I have to admit I don't use them all that much, I just love to read them. This one is called "The takeaway secret" and the title is pretty self explanatory really. It tells you how to cook meals in the style of takeaways, I am quite pleased with this because I do love a takeaway and they can get expensive. Another bonus is that I can make them with ingredients that I choose, rather than the iffy ingredients used by takeaways, chicken in particular (I overlook the lack of free range chicken in order to enjoy takeaways but I would prefer not to).
The book is divided into sections covering the different types of takeaway- burgers; kebabs; the chip shop; Indian main meals; Chinese main meals; pizza and pasta; sides, salads and sauces; breakfast and lunch and drinks and desserets, so as you can see, pretty much anything you fancy is covered.
The recipes look straightforward with enough detail that you know what you are doing. No pictures and the paper feels a rather cheap, but that is ok because I know what these things look like, and it was a cheap book (£1.99). I am thinking about getting it spiral bound as it will not lie open.

Finally, "Big girl knits", a total bargain at £4.99. Possibly if I didn't eat as many of the takeaways mentioned above I would not need this book, but I would have bought it anyway because there are some super patterns. Oddly I thought I had flicked through this before and been unimpressed, either I was blinded by my sock obsession or I was looking at some other book because I am already a big fan of this and I have not read it properly, just flicked through.
I will do a proper review of this once I have read it in more detail since it is a crafting book but in short- There is a handy section at the start which talks about choosing patterns, sizing, measuring, and adapting patterns to fit curves. The writing is amusing and easy to follow, written by people who know what they are talking about.
There are twenty five patterns to choose from, obviously no one will ever love all the patterns in a book, but I can certainly see some I want to make- Lift and separate, Curvalicious cardigan (I prefer the pictures in the book where it is a cardi) and Bombshell top my list and I am looking forward to patterns that have boob room. And three patterns out of a £5 book seems reasonable, especially when you add in the handy advice and the other patterns that I like.

Wow, I have talked a lot there! Did I mention that I love books? In fact if I had to choose between books and yarn I think my head would explode. (Actually to the suprise of everyone I think I would choose books, no wait, yarn, no wait, books)

18 comments:

  1. Ooh I wonder if there's a "The Works" shop in Basingstoke...

    *googles*

    I think I might go for a wander a lunchtime and take a look, see what knitting goodies I can pick up here!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lol, you crack me up. Please share some of the takeaway recipes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Don't even joke about choosing between books and yarn - the horror!

    I didn't know the Works had knitting books in, will have to check the one in my area now - usually they have very few craft books, although the cookery section is usually great ;) The Takeaway Secret is supposed to be a really good one.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Works is amazing for books, I have two crochet books from there as I just pick up whatever I dont have....so cheap!! I also have a cookery book from there too :)

    And no choosing between wool and books!! thats just wrong he he.

    Thank you for stopping by my blog :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. I will have to check out the Works here and see what they have, I think. :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. You are so lucky to have found a great knitting book! Our used book store has horrible knitting books.
    I hope your fish will be OK.

    ReplyDelete
  7. The Works is fab, you can find some nice surprises in there :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I always giggle when I hear takeaway on the British shows. Here we call it carry-out or delivery, depending on whether we are going to get it or wait for it to arrive.

    Sorry about the socks not working out for your Dad.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the Big Girl Knits. I have it on my wishlist after seeing my friends copy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. i wish that shop were near me! good finds on the books. i think if a book has at least 2 patterns in it that interest, then i'll add it to my library.

    good luck with the socks!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I need to root out a good cheap bookstore!!! I would love some book bargains. I have to stop myself from buying more cook books. I don't hardly use the ones I have. Now I go online for recipes. It's so easy! I type in a keyword and it finds all kinds of things. I tried typing in words on my cook books, but they just lay there, they don't even attempt to search for a recipe. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  12. Congratulations on the great bargains! Choosing between books and yarn?? Eek...is that even possible?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love that bombshell sweater! I'll have to make it to fit my odd measurements.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ooh what great books and look how many people you are enabling to buy...I'll be going to the The Works in town tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The promise on more about your tiny brain made me chuckle! I have such a weakness for used or discounted books. Your cookbook sounds interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thanks for stopping by Wild Whispers today! I plan on incorporating the ribbing idea on my next pair of socks!

    ReplyDelete
  17. oh goodness. you have the same disease as me. the book disease. it is an addiction that i am ok admitting too. my husband hates moving though because of it and swears he will never move again if it means he has to move my books. lol.

    :)
    jen

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love the Big Girl Knits -- my mom picked it up and has been working on goodies from it for me:)

    ReplyDelete