I treated myself to a bundle of books from Postscript. This is a fascinating site, mainly remaindered non fiction and academic books, which I avoid as often as possible because I always succumb to something. One book I bought purely because of the title - 'Knitskrieg: A Call to Yarns'. How can I resist a title like that? It's a fascinating book. I've only dipped in to it but it gives the history of knitting for soldiers from the Crimean War to the present. It has lots of illustrations, which while I usually consider padding is absolutely wonderful. It has pictures of forage caps and socks, sweaters and balaclavas. It has a few patterns in, plus a lot of examples. I think I will be dipping into it time and again. It's written mainly from a British point of view but there is a small section on the American Civil War. I'm glad I got it.
I also bought a book called Edible Wild Plants and Flowers. To be fair, I wasn't buying it to go harvesting, but more as research for the stuff I'm writing. If I wanted the real deal I would refer to Sarah Head of Tales of a Kitchen Herbwife who is incredibly knowledgeable and generous with that knowledge (Sarah - I don't know if I have the courage to go for a massage but if I do I will definitely be following your recommendations). I was a little disappointed in this. It had sections on plants like rosemary and mint which, while they can be found wild, are something I normally associate with gardens. At the same time it didn't have a section on nettles, which I suppose is because stuff like nettle soup is widely known. I quite like the sound of the hawthorn flower liqueur but I'm staying away from the alcohol at the moment. It's not a bad book, but it's not quite as wild as I expected.
I want to say thank you for all the amazing advice I get on here. I believe my back problems are mainly to do with being overweight and inactive. I'm working on it. I went out twice today - once to the post office and then again to the post office with the correct address on the envelope. I'm going to see how it goes tomorrow. I am also going to look back at the awesome comments and start making a list of the great advice to start chasing it down.
Hi Sybil, I don't have back problems but I am overweight, I have started to walk around the marina on the days I'm not doing anything. When I'm with the grandchildren I get plenty of exercise!
ReplyDeleteI think I'll copy you and try and get out even for a walk up and down the street. They say that walking is one of the best forms of exercise. LM x
DeleteInteresting books. I like the idea of identifying edible wild plants but knowing me I'd get it wrong and poison the lot of us. I always wonder when we're out walking what we could eat and what we couldn't. Glad you got out and about. Every little step is a giant one!
ReplyDeleteI think there's a big difference between UK and USA. I am wary, though I may try nettle soup next month! Thank you for your encouragement LM x
DeleteBoth those books sound interesting. I have a book called No Idle Hands, which is about the history of knitting. And I am always happy to learn about edible wild plants. I have learned to identify and have tried a few - so far, I am still alive! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky in that I grew up only 100 miles from where I now live and both my mother and father made a point of pointing out wild plants. I would treat with caution, but I'd be confident in quite a few. I've added 'No Idle Hands' to my personal Amazon wish list. It looks amazing LM x
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