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The Knitter's Book Of Wool: The Ultimate Guide To Understanding, Using, And Loving This Most Fabulous Fiber (2009)

by Clara Parkes(Favorite Author)

4.37 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

030735217X (ISBN13: 9780307352170)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Potter Craft

review 1: Full disclosure: I am a Wool Person. One of the things I love most about living where I do is a local climate that enables me to don a wool sweater almost every evening (without air conditioning). With that out of the way...Well, I thought I was a Wool Person, until this Clara Parkes came along. Her deep and abiding passion for her subject surpasses not only mine, but that of most knitters I know, and it comes through in her book. The tone of the book, though, is not one of ardor but one of curiosity, almost librarian-like research, and reverential awe, which Parkes also imbues in the reader. You simply cannot read the facts Parkes provides and not feel utterly amazed by wool (and a little guilty for how much of it you've taken for granted). I spent most of my time o... moren the first three sections of the book, focused on the structure of wool, the breeds of sheep that produce it, and their attributes. Rest assured that an almost equal portion of it is devoted to wool being combined with other fibers as well as patterns that were created for the types of wool described in the book. The addition of these patterns is not only a complement but a practical illustration of the wool attributes Parkes describes earlier in the book - brilliant! Finally, by introducing knitters to types of wool we may not have considered previously, Parkes also introduces us to lovely little farms we may not have found before. This book had its intended effect: because of it, I went to a local fiber festival, had a much greater understanding of and thus appreciation for what I was seeing in wool terms, and am now aware of several very small local farms that produce absolutely incredible wool.
review 2: The Book of Wool isactually pretty darn nifty. The book is much more oriented towards the different types of wool producing creatures and the finer points of each. There's quite a difference between merino and shetland, for example, and knowing the characteristics and the types of projects it's best suited for (next to the skin as opposed to outerwear, or even rugs,) is important when planning projects. As an added bonus, the book also features a number of patterns I would actually make. Huzzah! less

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