Knots

I received some gift certificates for my birthday and Christmas of last year and they had yet to be used until today. Part of the reason is that I had tidied them up and they were buried under a couple of socks that lost their mate in the dryer, a Carving magazine and other drips and drabs that found their way to the top of the desk.

I suppose that if I am to be honest, there are a couple of other reasons that I haven’t used them. I have trouble making decisions about reading material. I have gone to Chapters a few times with the gift cards in my pocket, but there either weren’t any good magazines or if there were, I just couldn’t justify spending $12 on a magazine when I could probably get similar information on Youtube. I could buy books and each time I went to the store I did see books that I was interested in acquiring. I did make note of the books, but I came home and “backed” them up from a slightly dodgy web site where Pirates tend to hang out.

Any book that is at all popular can be acquired with the use of one or two programs that I have used in the past and more than likely I will use in the future. So, that leaves me with books that are unpopular or ones that serve a tiny niche market. The last time I was in the store, I searched the shelves for books that would be unpopular for most of the population and yet ones that I would find fascinating. You can see how difficult it is for me when I receive a gift card.

 

I did find a book that caught my interest and I am looking forwards to having many years of enjoyment from. I picked up KNOTS: The Complete Visual Guide by Des Pawson. The title pretty much explains the book, but it makes the tying of knots very clear with photographs and easy to follow directions. Just before each knot, there is a short description of what the knot can and should be used for. It is an idiot’s guide to knots which for a knot idiot like me it’s just perfect.

Today I did more than just flip through the pages looking at the pretty pictures and wondering if I will ever actually use the book. I needed to tie a wire to the back of a picture frame and I was able to find the proper knot for the job. In the past I would just tie a big grannies knot to hold the picture on the wall, often with very disappointing results. Today, the right knot for the job and I fully expect the frame to stay on the wall for a long time to come.

I still have $27.83 left on my card and with any luck there will be a magazine or book that I just can’t live without sometime in the next few months. Maybe there is a book out there that can help me make a decision…