Thanks for the replies on my last whiny post. 
I’m still feeling really weird, but I dragged myself outside today as I had to visit the sorting office, do various mumsy things and pick up a couple of books from the library.
The selection of knitting books in my library isn’t great, but there’s the facility on the librarys website to search through the entire borough for books and have them delivered to your local branch for the princely sum of £1 each. So it was that way that I managed to snaffle the only copy of any Alice Starmore book in the area 
and whilst I was at it, I added Fitted Knits to the list as I’ve never seen it in any bookshop and wanted to have a flip through.
The Celtic Collection is gorgeous, of course. The yarns are all Rowan and probably all discontinued, and the styles of the sweaters all a bit dated, but that doesn’t matter. The patterns are knit in the round and some are steeked and have given me a big knitting thrill. So many cables and colours!
Fitted Knits is completely different. The patterns are all fairly simple – from my point of view, anyway – and none use any stranded knitting but they’re all knitted mostly in the round (woo!) and I like the shapes.
I hope my knitting mojo returns soon, as I’d love to knit several of the designs from these books, but when every time I look at the needles I get a headache, I know I’m really not well enough to start anything that needs thinking about.
I’m sick too. But, I am at work.
How funny, I have Alice Starmore’s Fair Isle book waiting for me to collect at the library… it was ordered months and months ago. Hope you are feeling better soon.
we used to have to pay for our library to bring us books, but now it’s free…it’s something i’ve never looked into, owning a knitting book, don’t know why!!!
Many years ago I knitted my sister in law a complicated but brilliant jumper from the Celtic book which she bought for herself though she doesn’t knit. As you say the patterns are a bit dated now but it was an inspirational book. We can log on at home to our Edinburgh libraries, search for books and order them for free, a brilliant service, lets hope libraries are never subject to cut backs. Hope you feel better soon meantime enjoy the patterns and think what you’ll be able to create once you feel well again.
I have a copy of that Starmore, and one of these days, I’ll modify one of the patterns so that it’ll actually look good on me.
Thought you might like to see this:
http://www.doverdirect.com/0486472183.html
Starmore’s Fair Isle Knitting is being reprinted!
Fitted knits has gorgeous patterns–they don’t need to be complex to have lovely shapes. If you’ve not seen the warning elsewhere, though, definitely check the errata before you start something. There’s a ton of errors.
I love my local library – I got Fitted Knits from them as well. Feel better soon – be as self-indulgent as you want (we wont mind!)