Amazon.com
Meg Langslow and her boyfriend Michael want to be alone, but fate's conspired to make it all but impossible. Meg takes her aunt Phoebe up on an invitation to spend an Indian summer weekend at Phoebe's supposedly empty cottage on the coast of Maine. Braving a hurricane and a horde of determined birdwatchers, they make the last ferry to Monhegan Island, only to find their plans to be alone dashed by the unexpected appearance of Meg's entire family, including Aunt Phoebe. To make matters worse, a famous and slightly megalomaniacal sculptor, who may have been Meg's mother's lover years ago, has taken up residence on the island. When he's killed in an accident that turns out to be murder, Meg's sweet, slightly dotty father is fingered as the suspect. The elusive puffin, revered by bird lovers and captured in kitsch by an island artist named Rhapsody, is the leitmotif in this charming cozy, the second outing in author Donna Andrews's series. The first book, Murder with Peacocks, won the Agatha Award for the best first traditional mystery. Murder with Puffins is a bit short on drama and suspense, though long on charm. Meg and Michael are appealing, but the minor characters, especially Meg's parents and the colorful island locals, are infinitely more interesting. --Jane Adams
Book Description
Winner of the St. Martin's Malice Domestic Award in 1997 for her first work Murder With Peacocks, Donna Andrews brings back her zany characters and disastrous events.
In an attempt to get away from her family, Meg and her boyfriend go to a tiny island off the coast of Maine. What could have been a romantic getaway slowly turns into disaster.
Once there, they are marooned by a hurricane and that is only the beginning of their problems. Meg and her boyfriend arrive at the house only to discover that Meg's parents and siblings, along with their spouses are all there. When a murder takes place, Meg realizes that she and her boyfriend can no longer sit by a cozy fireplace, but must instead tramp around the muddy island to keep try and clear her father who is the chief suspect.
Customer Reviews:
Meg is Better - Mike is Fading.......2007-01-28
I love mystery stories in general and when I spotted this book containing puffins - one of my favorite birds - I grabbed it immediately. However, it was apparent within a page or two that this was a sequel, and that I'd be quite lost if I didn't track down the first one to read before this. After a few months of watching my local bookstores for it and never seeing it, I finally just ordered Murder with Peacocks from Amazon so that I could get the book off my dresser and into my life!
Having read Peacocks and then Puffins pretty much back to back, I have to say that I appreciate greatly how Meg has "matured" between the two books. The Puffins story picks up pretty much exactly where Peacocks left off - Meg is still newly in love with Mike, and the big hullabalo over her "solving" of multiple murders has her hometown in a swirl. She spontaneously decides to run off with Mike to a relative's cottage on a quiet island in Maine for some time alone. Of course, in a plot twist that only a cozy mystery can try to pretend is plausible, her entire family has the same spontaneous idea - including bringing Mike's annoying dog - and now the cottage is chock-full of eclectic personalities. Oh yes, and there's a hurricane this exact weekend, too.
You have to just grin and bear it when these sorts of things happen. There's going to be MANY more coincidences springing up. It just happens to be the weekend that the local rich guy has brought in a buyer for his plan to turn the entire island into a resort. A local escaped prisoner just happens to be lurking around. You have to assume that all of these people live in some sort of alternative reality where coincidences are standard and always work to further the plot along.
My complaint with Meg in the first book is that she had been a perpetual doormat, and it was depressing if not frustrating to read about her just giving in to everyone. She has suddenly grown a backbone in this book, which is great. She finally stands up for herself and for her family. However, Mike seems to have suddenly lost HIS personality! Now he's like an anemic Dr. Watson, just tagging along gamely whereever Meg goes. I'm all for partners who can roll with the flow - but they should still have some intelligence and spark.
The book loves to make fun of birders as being boring and dumb, which is odd since you would think a book about puffins would appeal to birders. It's why I got the book :) I've been out to Machias Seal Island to see puffins, and I could relate easily to the landscapes and environments she described. I'm not quite sure why she was deliberately trying to ostracize one of her target audiences. It's one thing to gently poke fun at stereotypes, but she was rather heavy handed and repetitive here. In the first book she was targetting brides-to-be, but that portrayal was more cute than nasty.
Really, the overreaching problem here is that numerous characters and situations just didn't make sense. Some individuals were very one dimensional. The actions of the police and other characters in charge weren't logical in several situations. I was grateful that there weren't 80-trillion murders like in Book 1, but even so the reasons that things happened and how things wrap up are a bit tenuous.
It almost seems that the author got complaints about the first book - so she fixed up those issues but then in the process introduced some new issues. I really did enjoy reading both books in general, and have high hopes that future books will "settle down" and have well rounded characters with plausible plot lines that are fun.
Murder With Puffins.......2007-01-04
Funny, upbeat and well-written mystery that's not predictable. I enjoyed Ms. Andrews sense of humor and recommend the book.
Nicely Done.......2006-06-02
Meg Lanslow's relationship with her boyfriend Michael is going strong, but they are having a hard time finding some private time together. Meg thinks she knows the perfect place for a romantic getaway - her Aunt Phoebe's cottage in Monhegan, Maine. Unfortunately, things don't go as planned, the boat trip is rough because a hurricane is headed their way and once they reach the island, Meg and Michael realize it's been invaded by avid bird watchers. Even worse, once they get to the cottage they find that Meg's Aunt Phoebe, brother, and parents are already there! Due to the impending hurricane, Meg and Michael are stuck there and try to make the best they can out of the situation. But when a famous painter is found murdered on the island and Aunt Phoebe confesses to the murder and her father is a suspect, Meg is knee deep in murder once again.
"Murder With Puffins" is a nice cozy mystery. There's a nice sense of humor throughout the book, including the title of each chapter: "The Agony and the Puffin", "East of Puffin", and "A Cat Among the Puffins" are some examples. The book is full of eccentric characters, including everyone in Meg's family. Meg is a spunky heroine but Mike is a bit bland in this book. The mystery itself is well plotted with plenty of suspects and plenty of motives, although the way the murder itself is committed is a bit unbelievable. I liked the fact that, unlike in most cozy mysteries, Meg doesn't want to confront the murderer herself but wants to go for the police instead.
Nicely done.
I really enjoy this series.......2005-08-02
I really enjoy this series - I've read all that are in paperback and would recommend them to anyone who wants an amusing time with the only sane member of a wacky family. Not recommended for the serious minded.
Murder with Puffins.......2005-07-02
Although this book was recommended by a member of my book club, I didn't finish the book. It was just too cutesy for me. The characters were cariacatures rather than real people. Meg and her boyfriend, Michael, are not real people. Her actions are inappropriate and he is just a handsome cipher for her. I don't recommend this book.
Book Description
"It's all devastatingly true — except the bits that are lies" — Douglas Adams
Upon publication Don't Panic established itself as the definitive companion to Adams's life and work. This new revised edition comes up to date, covering his later work and untimely death in 2001, and including a new introduction by Neil Gaiman.
Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman celebrates the life of Douglas Adams who, in a field in Innsbruck in 1971, had an idea that became The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy — the radio series that started it all, the five book `trilogy', the TV series, almost-film, and everything that followed. Don't Panic also tells the story of the other projects Douglas worked on, including his posthumous collection The Salmon of Doubt.
Customer Reviews:
Mostly harmless.......2005-10-12
Interesting and funn at times, this book is pretty bland considering it is a biography of one of (in my mind) the greatest authors I've ever read. (I've only read about 5 different authors, however).
In Douglas Adams' own review of this book, I totally agree:
"The best biography of Douglas Adams & the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy written since this morning" - D.A.
I'd give it a miss, in retrospect. (Maybe you can buy mine).
It's the bonus disc to the H2G2.......2005-06-30
This is a neat little book. I found the 1st edition years ago by chance in my university bookstore and bought it. When this revised edition (with some new material) was released, I snapped that up as well and re-read it.
Basically, think of this as the book equivalent to a "Bonus Features" DVD. It's jam packed with odd little stories and insights into the making of the Hitchhiker's universe (all media: radio, records, books, & TV). Die-Hard Adams fans will enjoy this.
And the fact that this happens to be compiled by Neil Gaiman, one of my other favorite writers, is just an added bonus.
A great tribute to a great man.......2005-02-12
This is part a biography of Douglas Adams, and part a description of how the different versions of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy came to be. Douglas Adams was a very interesting and intelligent man whose life was cut tragically short. The story of how his most famous work was created is almost as funny and capticating as the Hitchiker's Guide itself. We get some examples of his early work, which can be incredibly funny ("How many kamikaze missions have you flown?" "Fourteen Sir!" "Shouldn't it be just one?"). He was involved with the Monty Python group, and wrote some material for them.
I think the book should be essential not only for Hitchhiker's buffs but also for wannabes in any creative profession.
Funny and Informative.......2004-11-11
Neil Gaiman does an excellent job of capturing the style and mood of Douglas Adams, and reveals the man behind the books revered by many. This book is enjoyable, and interesting, and a definite read for anyone who loves the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The only sad part is that it's a bit short - like Adams' life. So that's a bit depressing. Otherwise, a good read!
A must read for Gaiman and Adams fans.......2003-11-07
Years ago, while browsing in a book shop, desperate for something to read during lunch, I stumbled across this little book. I was a big fan of Adams but had never heard of Gaiman but decided to pick it up and give it a chance. It was well worth it as it was a great read.
Some time later, I spotted a new hardback on the shelves at the same book shop. I knew the name Pratchett and had to think for a while as where I knew the name Gaiman from and then recalled that he had written that little book called Don't Panic, so I picked it up. Haven't looked back since.
Book Description
Don't panic! You're not timetripping! It's the tenth anniversary of the publication of Douglas Adams's zany, best-selling novel, and to celebrate Harmony is reissuing a special edition of this cult classic!
By now the story is legendary. Arthur Dent, mild-mannered, out-to-lunch earth-ling, is plucked from his planet by his friend Ford Prefect just seconds before it was demolished to make way for a hyper-space bypass. Ford, posing as an out-of-work actor, is a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Together the gruesome twosome begin their now-famous inter-galactic journey through time, space and best-sellerdom.
For Hitchhiker fanatics (you know who you are!) who've read the books, seen the television program, and listened to the radio show, as well as newcomers to Douglas Adams's unique universe -- remember -- don't panic, don't forget to bring a towel, and don't forget to celebrate The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's tenth anniversary by wearing your bathrobe.
Customer Reviews:
Other Books.......2007-09-03
You need an up to date travel guide, and a towel. A really cool spaceship can't hurt, either.
Other things that you should take note of are carefully hidden planning documents. Run away from alien poetry, and if you have any machines that talk, then hopefully it was someone else that paid for them. Otherwise, you should ask for your money back.
Some glue paper mouse traps work best, too, I think, from experience.
Really bloody funny.
Classic........2007-08-08
Read the series and then watch the original BBC broadcasts on DVD, or listen to a copy of the radio series. This book is a classic and I suspect that we will never see its like again. Even though the author was given credits in the latest movie of the same name (he died some time ago), I hope that you will see the humor that made this a classic. Read and enjoy, if you do not get it the first time then read it again.
A Subtle Satire of Life, the Universe, and Everything.......2007-08-01
Douglas Adams is an incredible author. Not because his verbal wit is matched only by his intelligence. Not because his characters are so oddly interesting. Douglas Adams is an incredible author because he takes abstract concepts of life and uses the science fiction genre to make them somehow understandable. I cannot count the number of times where I have been trying to describe an abstract concept usually relating to science or philosophy and I have used Adams' work as an explanation. Religion, space travel, time travel, the human body, and even tea have all been meticulously broken down by Adams razor-blade wit. The concepts that lie within are more than a story, they are a man's view of this world and the things in it. That man just happens to be a genius.
I love it.......2007-01-04
classic si-fi comedey, a must have for persons who love english humour.
A Reader's Guide to: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.......2006-10-22
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is an interesting book aboutthe adventures of a man named Arthur Dent, who is about thirty years old,lives in a small town in England, and is taken aboard an alien spaceship seconds before it destroys the Earth. The man who brought him there happens to be his friend, Ford Prefect, who happens to be an alien himself. Throughout the story he and Arthur travel the Milky Way having ridiculous and idiotic adventures with the President of the Galaxy, his girlfriend, and a depressed robot named Marvin.
I found this book hilarious, and, though none of it made too much sense, that was precisely why it was funny. It had plenty of references to actual things, made fun of them, and actually made you think about what was happening to the human race,and that we really aren't quite as smart as we think we are. One of the key points of the book's plot is an amazing spaceship that belongs to the President of the Galaxy, called "The Heart of Gold". It actually zips around the galaxy using the prospect of "Infinite Improbability" in which strange and often ridiculous things happen, but return to normal once it's turned off. During one event in the book, The Heart of Gold is being tracked by two missiles, and seconds before impact, Arthur pushes the Infinite Improbability button without turning it off afterwards. The result is that one missile is turned into a sperm whale, the other is turned into a bowl of petunias, and the ship's interior becomes a garden, and is completely unharmed.
Overall,I found this book, interesting, quite funny, and something that really makes you stop, look around an think to yourself, " What am I really doing here anyway?" I would really and truly reccomend this book to anyone who's seen Monty Python, called it stupid, and still laughed at it. I would definetly not reccomend this book to anyone who can't laugh at themself, or gets angry when they're confused. A word of warning to anyone thinking about reading this book: I had to read some parts of this book twice to really get what was going on, and despite this, I would really advise anyone resding the book to keep going if you get confused. The book usually explains what went on after it mentions it. Personally, I believe that if everyone who read this book and some of the ones after it got as much out of them as I did, they could at least be a little smarter about how they live, deal with the government, and think about the environment.
Product Description
Contents: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish; Mostly Harmless.
Customer Reviews:
Books, not Movie........2005-10-21
The books are wonderful, but if you think that the books are gonig to be like any other version of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy, you are dead wrong. If you read the introduction to the books you know that each version is meant to be different than the others. That is the beauty of Douglas Adams work. They are all unique but all worth you time.
your guide.......2005-10-13
Okay, for those of you who haven't read the book yet but did watch the movie you guys missed out on a lot the movie didn't include all the scenes that I personally though was very well.
Now that that's out of the way. Douglas Adams in his one of his possibly best know books really out did himself. In this adventure a boring simpleton named Arthur Dent living on the planet we call earth has befriended a guy named Ford Perfect, who is not as he claimed from earth but from a planet called Betelgeuse. Where he was sent from to do research for "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe" (it's a book where it has everything and anything that you could possibly need to know about the universe). Ford tells Arthur that he isn't from around here. He isn't from Earth. In telling Arthur this he also tells him that the earth is about to end.
And since they have gotten to be really close friends he takes Arthur with him when he hitches a ride with the Vogan ships (these are what the aliens are called that destroyed our planet earth). Vogan's in particular don't like hitchhikers very much. So they kick them off the ship, shortly after they get on. And by pure chance they get picked up. And the story goes from there.
Now that I've told you how the book starts I'll leave it up to you to read the rest of the book. And if you read this book, then watch the movie. You'll see that the movie is hardly based on this incredible book .
Product Description
adapts douglas adams book
Product Description
adapts the douglas adams book
Product Description
adapts the douglas adams book
Product Description
6.6" * 4.1" for each book.
Book Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.
Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Novels for Students."
Download Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Novels for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: plot summary; character analysis; author biography; an overview of the novel's themes, style, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading; and much more.
Why choose "Novels For Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Novels for Students."
Customer Reviews:
Useless, do not buy this book........2004-04-26
Out of the twenty-five pages eight are acknowledgements and bibliography. Then the first page that does relate to the topic is half blank. Thought the document is padded with over large pictures of disco dancers and hitchhikers. After a brief summary and character sketch it begins to give background on the 70's in America. The book is British so this has little or no value. This document ends with six pages of reviews of which only one is specifically about hitchhikers guide. At the end there is a page advertising their other products. What little useful information this contains is not only buried under pages of crap but also not entirely accurate. Save you money and time don't bother with this.
Customer Reviews:
Nordic Myths - Fantasy - Science-Fiction - Ethical Questions.......2005-05-03
"Timediver's Dawn" is the first Part of L. E. Modesitt's Jr. Science-Fiction/Mystic-Novel about the planet Query, a fantasyworld, where energy, food and other raw materials are in short supply. Steamengines are used for people's locomotion and transporting commodities. By assaults of timetravelling eneryrobbers, called "Frost Giants" the complete infrastructure and political system finally collapses. Starving, superstition, hate and other depths of the soul release violence and anarchy. Remaining armed forces and other bandits are responsible for arson, looting, and murder all over.......
.....nevertheless with "Timediver's Dawn" the daybreak of a new age has already begun. After Dr. Wryan Relorn has recognized, that juvenile nobleman Sammis Arloft Olon possesses ancient the ablity of travelling in space and time, she sends him and further timedivers out on search for technologies and raw materials. While Dr. Relorn intention is the rebuilding of their destroyed homeplanet, Colonel-General Odin-Thor is rather interested in gaining weapons for etablishing his dictatorship.....
The first part of L. E. Modesitts Jr. Timediver-Duology is a delightful mixture of Nordic Myths and Science-Fiction, with elements of Fantasy and Hightech, in an atmosphere with comic-noises (for example: "cree akkk", "terwitt", "cirriiittt" pp.). But on the one hand the novell also shows the uprising of it's young protagonist. On the other hand the story is a warning against ideas of revenge hate an other destructive emotions, that cause only an escalation of violence. Finally it raises the question, whether ethical limits are also set to own surviving.
Most recommendable to all fans of Science-Fiction and Fantasy-Literature, the novel arouses interest for it's sequel "The Timegod" and deserves 5 Amazonstars.
The Time Searchers.......2004-06-06
Timediver's Dawn is the first novel in the Timegod duology according to internal chronological sequence. Westron is an imperialistic power with the strongest technological base on Query. The only remaining opposition to total dominance of the world is Eastron, where a non-technological approach is building around the "witches", who can travel thousands of miles in an eyeblink. Since Eastron cannot directly withstand Westron's military forces, however, many young "witches" are scattered throughout Westron society to pass on their genetic heritage.
In this novel, several generations after Westron has conquered Eastron, Sammis Arloff Olon is born among the gentry in Westron society, with a father who is a middle level government official and a mother who is exceptionally well-educated, well-connected, and an Eastron witch. However, Sammis is orphaned in early adolescence by an attack of the Frost Giants, energy eaters who can timedive. When the Frost Giants first appeared on Mithrada, the next inward planet, the Westron military attacked and destroyed several of them. The Frost Giants responded with such massive retaliation that it destroyed the political and energy infrastructure of the home planet, leaving the Queryans leaderless, in the dark, and cold.
Sammis is at school when the power fails and the snow starts to fall. After a short while, the students are released and Sammis starts walking home. Luckily, a neighbor drives by and give him a ride. Since his parents are not home, the neighbor takes Sammis to her house. As they drive by the driveway to the Olon home, they see Confed marines on the grounds.
After warming up some and eating a little, Sammis sneaks down to his own house by the back way and finds the Confeds burning it. He watches them for a few moments, but leaves when an explosion within the house distracts the marines. He returns to the neighbors for the night and leaves early the next day with a few supplies. As he passes his own driveway, Sammis is ambushed by a Confed patrol and instinctively makes his first timedive to escape.
Sammis heads east, avoiding other Confed troops, and soon ends up in the swamps. He becomes a damper, learning how to find food and shelter in the wild. However, he eventually has to leave the swamps and is picked up by a patrol from another Confed unit looking for recruits. He is trained as a trooper and gains a place in the unit commanded by Colonel-General Odin Thor. After his swamp experiences, Sammis is content to have adequate food, clothing and shelter with only his military superiors to hassle him.
In the changed world, gentry are hated and stability is provided only by military might. His ability to timedive is still feared and despised as witchcraft by the common folk, including some of the other troopers. However, after his unit occupies an old installation near the former site of Inequital, Sammis finds that such abilities are appreciated by his superiors.
Dr. Wryan Relorn has been studying timediving for some time. Although the Frost Giants had destroyed her former support structure, Odin Thor took over the project for its potential to provide a weapon against the Enemy. The timedivers in the project had already found paths to societies in the past and present of several nearby stars. However, the divers are limited in their collecting of useful items by the amount they can carry on their own.
As Sammis fits into the routine of research and military life, he keeps being asked to do things that kill people. Although there are always good reasons for such actions, he wonders if there is not another way to respond to external threats. He gradually decides that he has to do something!
Highly recommended for Modesitt fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of young people struggling to understand their society and do the right thing while attempting to survive in a harsh environment.
-Arthur W. Jordin
This one is worth keeping.......1998-06-03
L.E. Modesitt's book, 'Timediver's Dawn' is one well worth keeping. I found it in a small, hole in the wall bookstore and bought it on a whim. Although it is the only one of Modesitt's books that I have ever bought, it's also the most read book that I own. I have read this book eleven times at least, and I intend to read it again. It is extreemly enjoyable because Sammis is strikeingly human, not the tipical hero, who never makes mistakes, and is invulnerable in all things. If there was another book out there about him, I'd go for it.
Book Description
Start knitting-expertly and creatively-in no time with this all-in-one set includes a techniques book that teaches the essential knitting basics, a project book with instructions for 19 different items ranked by skill level, 12 stitch-pattern cards, and the tools and materials needed to complete one project.
Customer Reviews:
Lack of instruction!.......2006-07-05
I wanted to learn how to knit and fell for this one by the pretty cover. I discovered this was the worst kit for beginners! The instructions are very frusterating and unclear! I found more help on learning how to knit on yarn co's website which is FREE! I would NOT recommend this kit to any beginner!
BEINNERS BEWARE!!!!.......2006-04-15
Though the set is beautifully packaged the instructions (which are what counts) are s@#t. Minimal and unclear. Three short sentences accompanied by one picture was suppose to be enough to teach me how to cast on and that's pretty much their formula for everything-and it just does not cut it. I gave this one star because at least you get yarn and needles...but you'll definitely have to buy a better book to use them with!
A Great Beginner's Reference!.......2006-02-27
I received this as a gift from my mother after I told her that someday I wanted to learn to knit. That was just 2 months ago. Truth be told, I had learned to knit and purl (only) when I was 8 or so, but being 20+ years later, nothing was really sticking enough for me to accomplish anything on my own. So going through these books and kit really have helped me to figure out what I'm doing and now I am actually making the toddler cardigan that is in the project book! (I've already finished the little bag that is supposed to be the first project...)
Some of the earlier reviewers expressed their frustrations about the pictures of the techniques. I can understand their frustrations, but honestly, I think that they did a very good job on the description that is right next to the pictures. I think that maybe more visual - learning people might do better with a video. Although I found learning through the descriptions a bit more difficult, it was not impossible and I actually picked it up quicker than expected - I just needed to calm myself down and take it one step at a time.
The reference cards for different types of stitches and different knitting techniques are going to be a GREAT resource to have. If nothing else for now, so that I can keep garter stitch and stockinette stitch straight. ;D There are wonderful explanations about how to do different more advanced knitting as well (stripes, intarsia, fair-isle, lace, types of cabling, finishing embroidery, etc.) which I think will be invaluable in the future.
I don't think that this would be particularly valuable to an experienced knitter, however. Most of the patterns are pretty basic, so anyone who already knows intarsia or fair isle knitting probably wouldn't enjoy this as much as I have so far.
As a beginning knitter, I also loved that I didn't have to go out and buy stitch holders, cabling needles, etc. to start knitting. It was nice to be able to just go through the materials supplied and start to learn!
Simply frustrating.......2005-12-27
As a beginning knitter, I found this kit completely frustrating. While the kit has lots of great projects and is nicely packaged, the instructions are nothing less than awful. The written instructions are vague and don't even correspond to the accompanying photos. (The knitter in the photo is usually several steps ahead of you, so it's impossible to tell how your own needles and yarn should be arranged.) Incredibly aggravating.
The best ever!!!!!.......2005-02-21
Ok first off, I am truly a self-taught beginner. I just thought 1 day, OK I want to learn to knit. So I went to the store and bought 10-20-30 Minutes Learn to knit. It had enough in it to get me on the right track. Then I wanted to learn more, like adding another color, and not at the end of a row either. Well there is ABSOLUTELY nothing on the market with instructions that were not totally confusing, or more than like 5 words. I was getting really really frustrated!! Well I happened to come across this at a bookstore, after I had been in there for 6 hours, going through EVERY knitting book they had. This has great pictures, awesome reference cards, and projects too. Plus supplies to get you started, which I didn't really need but were a plus anyhow. Readers Digest also has the complete guide to needlework, along with a few other titles too. All of their books have the best pictures and instructions I have ever found.
The vogue book, HA.... What a joke!! That book is pointless unless you have been an avid knitter for 20+ years. It was like reading baby scribble, nothing made sense.
Not knowing someone who knits and can show you or help you out when you are stuck, is kind of frustrating, but not everyone is lucky enough to have that. So I buy books and look online for info, its really sad the lack of information out there, guess people just assume that everyone knows everything... :(
I have read every page and every word on every card in this kit and I love it. It is by far the best for any knitter, beginning or advanced. I HIGHLY suggest that if you are a true beginner, you start here! I wonder if the people who left the other reviews actually read this or just thumbed through it.. If they in-fact would have read it, they would give a better review.
SO BUY IT, you have nothing to lose, it is cheaper than a skein of yarn, cable needle, yarn bobbs, knitting needles and a stitch holder, if all purchased separately. Heck, if you don't like it, you at least have a nice box to keep stuff in.
I am pretty sure you will not be disappointed though!!
Product Description
All the skills you need for successful knitting
Product Description
19 beautiful projects, from simple to knit, to terrific textures to colorful collections
Books:
- National Security and The Nuclear Dilemma, 1945-1991
- North By Northanger, or The Shades of Pemberley: A Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mystery (Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries)
- North of Nowhere: An Alex McKnight Novel
- One Corpse Too Many: The Second Chronicle of Brother Cadfael
- Pale Kings and Princes
- Payment in Blood
- Pictures of Perfection (Dalziel and Pascoe Mysteries)
- Poirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot Mysteries (Mystery Masters Series)
- Purple Cane Road
- Scratch the Surface (Cat Lover's Mysteries)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Aquatic Entomology: The Fishermen's Guide and Ecologists' Illustrated Guide to Insects and Their Rel
- White Tigers: My Secret War in North Korea
- The cheerful warrior;: The life of Charles Garnier
- The Natural Way to Paint: Rendering the Figure in Watercolor Simply and Beautifully
- The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebr
- What Color Is Your Parachute
- Unexplained Mysteries of the 20th Century
- Michael Graves: Compact Design Portfolio
- The TWA Terminal: The Building Block Series
- It Shall Be of Jasper and Coral: And, Love-Across-A-Hundred-Lives : Two Novels
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos (A Meg Lanslow Mystery)
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (A Meg Langslow Mystery)
Murder With Peacocks (A Meg Lanslow Mystery)
We'll Always Have Parrots (A Meg Lanslow Mystery)
Owls Well That Ends Well (A Meg Lanslow Mystery)
